A bit about my husband, Clayton and I so that you understand why we decided to make the decision to travel to Mumbai, India for dental work.  We specifically chose Dentzz Dental … here’s why …

I’m 46 and unlike a lot of people my age I’ve never had any dental problems … not even a filling.  Honestly.

My hubby, Clayton on the other hand had some pretty major grinding issues that ultimately would require a lot of dental treatment.  Unlike me though, he went to the dentist for a regular yearly check-up. You’d have thought the grinding problems would have been looked after during this time, right? Wrong.  We both knew he had problems with his teeth … it was obvious looking at them as you can see here, but they never hurt and the dentist said they were okay so he just left it at that.

It wasn’t until his nagging wife (yes, me) convinced him to try a new dentist that we finally found out the extent of the damage.

Take a look for yourself … it’s particularly obvious on the bottom teeth … but it’s much the same at the back of the top teeth too.

Just wait until you see his results at the end!

Not cool that the dentist who had seen for the past 15 years never did anything to rectify the problem … he didn’t even recommend the use of a night guard.

Anyway, what I’m getting at here is that there are crap dentists right here in Australia.

So … Clayt took his teeth off to a specialist dentist.  Someone who would

be able to fix all the damage that he had (that’s basically repairing every single tooth in his mouth)

I’ve attached the scribbled out quote he received.  It’s difficult to see as the arm of the dentist is partially blocking it but I can assure you of this … that quote added up to a whopping $59,000.  Not only that, it was going to take between 3 to 4 months for all the work to be completed.

How lucky were we though … this was the discounted price.  It was supposed to be MORE.  I shit you not!

This is about the time where we decided to look at other options.  Options like overseas dental.

Needless to say everyone you speak to regarding dental in a foreign country either poo poos the idea as ridiculous, which scares the crap out of you … or it’s Bali or Thailand!  That’s it!  Mention India and the shock is actually visible.

Sure, I can see the allure of Bali or Thailand … they’re beautiful paradises with grand resorts oozing opulence. When you picture India … not so much.

Here’s what made us really decide on India though … we weren’t going for a tropical getaway.  We were going for our teeth.  The doctors and dentists in India are amazing … let’s be honest how many Indian doctors and dentists do you see here in Australia, and all over the world for that matter?  Loads, right?   How many Balinese or Thai ones do you see? Hmmmmm … not so many.  Not going to lie, I’ve never encountered one to be honest.

How much “genuine fake” stuff do you find in Bali and Thailand?  You know, the Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga, Givenchy, etc knock offs.  They’re a dime a dozen, right? Well, I don’t know about anyone else, but I don’t want to risk the same being said for the materials used on my teeth.

Who knows?  And yes, that could happen anywhere … but let’s face it, Bali & Thailand make a living of passing on the fakies.

Anyway, we researched dental surgeries all over and the one that we kept coming back to was Dentzz in India.  Instead of written reviews (anyone could write those, right?) they had video testimonials.  Yep, genuine people, like you and I, who had actually been videoed about their experience.  My video is actually live on their Facebook & Instagram pages now!

I’ve gotta admit, it’s quite comforting seeing real people express such happiness and gratitude for their new smiles.

Sooooo, back to planning.  I emailed Dentzz with a few questions and well, I received a phone call probably 2, maybe 3 minutes later.  Seriously.  Kanwar couldn’t have been more helpful.  He emailed me all sorts of information … costs, accommodation recommendations, suggested things to do … he was always incredibly prompt at getting back to me.  We set up WhatsApp so we could message more easily and well, from there we decided we were really happy with the communication, costs and reviews so we went ahead and booked it.  Flights, hotel and the dentist … in India.

Here is where we could’ve done better though!  I want this to help others on their journey so I’m being as transparent and detailed as I can.  It’s pretty much everything I wish I had have known and then some.

Our quotes were amazing … like truly amazing.  We had three prices on crowns and one on porcelain veneers that were sent through and we LOVED them.  We figured that having not seen our teeth it was purely an estimate, a best guess, and that the price would likely increase for various reasons … like maybe a few hundred dollars, maybe even a thousand.  That’s what we budgeted for anyway.

The problem was that once we got to India and had our initial visit, the prices we were told were significantly more than those initially quoted.

Don’t let this discourage you though … just let this help you plan better.  What we weren’t aware of was that there were MORE options available.  The emails should give the prices and say “onwards” meaning there are higher costs as well as those quoted.  Our email didn’t have this indicator though … and if yours doesn’t make sure you double check if there are other options.  Basically, they’re better quality materials used making the price more.

The best way to get the most accurate quote is also to send all your current dental information.  As much as you can!  Through sheer ignorance we didn’t know there were so many options available.  Maybe this cost breakdown sheet will also help you as you may be able to ask for some estimates for each section.

Don’t get me wrong, the prices didn’t end up being as great as we’d expected … sometimes too good to be true really is too good to be true … but we still saved enormously.  Clayton & my combined costs were still HALF of his quoted amount in Australia and we had better materials used than we would have had.

As for the accommodation side of things I’d definitely go with getting it booked through Dentzz.  We checked out the suggestions that Kanwar sent through and the prices he provided were great.  We were thrilled with where we stayed, The Hotel Marine Plaza.  It’s not as close as many of the other hotels but we preferred the nice view of the harbour and the drive was cheap and easy by cab.

Our hotel really was great. The staff couldn’t have been more friendly and helpful … like literally all of them … and the restaurants … OMG … all delicious (there are a few of them on the premises)!  BONUS!  Try the Chinese one first!  Mmmmm mmmmmm!

Not sure where to stay?  You can trust the recommendations from Dentzz. Hotel Marine Plaza is our pick!

On arrival at Mumbai you’re greeted at the airport and taken straight to the dentist … there are actually two locations but they’re within walking distance.   The Delstar clinic is at the top of the hill while the White Hall clinic is a few minutes walk down the road.  They’ll walk you there … trust me, it’s easy.

If you’re getting implants keep in mind that you will require a return trip in around 6 months.  Several people we met voiced that this was something they hadn’t realised … having said that, they were all more than happy as the care and work put into their new smiles was well worth the second trip.

Another easy way to save money is to remember to book your flights as early as you can. Flights are generally available around 10 months earlier so if you can, this is when it’s best to book.  We were so happy with our saving that we upgraded to business class.  Pow!

As for my teeth, like I said, I didn’t have dental issues.  I just wanted the million dollar smile.  If they were going to have banging teeth … I wanted banging teeth too.

Here’s my before and after … judge for yourself.

I had my top 6 teeth done with porcelain veneers and the remaining 14 teeth done with crowns.  I didn’t need root canals or anything else … but not going to lie, I was a petrified wreck. 

Thank goodness for the kindness, care & empathy from all the dentists … in particular Dr DJ.

I’m literally petrified of going to the dentist so I pretty proud of having managed to get through this whole process.  I did manage to make a complete ass of myself by crying and shaking, and I also managed to bite poor DJ’s finger as well.

The photo I’ll add now isn’t meant to scare you off … just educate you as to what will happen during the veneers / crown process.  Hooley dooley … let’s just say it’s not pretty … and clearly I have no dignity.

This ugly mess is my “during” photo.  They literally grind away your teeth so that they can add the veneer or crown so they appear just as your “real” teeth would.  Makes sense, right?  But it scares the crap out of you when you see yourself.

A lot of people have asked about the pain, truly, it didn’t really hurt at all.  Obviously, the numbing spray and needles are uncomfortable but it’s not unbearable.

My terror came from the sound of the grinder.  It seriously just filled me with terror.  But with a little bit of kindness and some sedation I managed to get through and now have some killer teeth.

OH, and don’t worry!  You don’t have to walk around with those God awful shark teeth. They give you temporary plastic crowns that look exactly like your original teeth.  We have them on here, at the Taj Mahal … you can’t tell, can you?  They’re just our regular looking teeth.

As for sensitivity… yep, we felt some and it really was quite weird to chew with the fake plastic denture crown things we had in. 

When we got our permanent veneers and crowns, I’ll admit it felt strange, particularly as the bite felt different and the teeth felt thicker and well, just different.  The sensitivity was still there, particularly with anything cold!  Woweee!  But now, a month in and they really do feel like they belong.  The sensitivity is pretty much gone altogether and well, they look awesome.

We went for the 3^rd whitest of the whites for the shade FYI.

As for Clayton’s teeth … the

transformation is amazing.  You saw the “before” photo … now take a look at the pics together.  What a difference!  Worth every penny, that’s for sure.  And best of all, they come with a 20 year guarantee.

I wouldn’t have gone through with this back in Australia.  Certainly not for the price tag that would have been attached.  But I’m so grateful for my experience and trip to India.  You won’t get the fancy shmancy resorts but you’ll get a unique experience.

They don’t open on Sundays so you can organise yourself a day trip, etc during that day.  We managed to fly ourselves to the Taj Mahal during our trip, we went to the Elephanta Caves, did a Bollywood tour and enjoyed the sights and sounds throughout much of Mumbai.  We even managed to get to a cricket game … Australia v India!  And boy oh boy, what a game that was!

Just don’t forget to get yourself a visa … Dentzz will shoot you the link and from there it’s all easy peasy.

Oh, and make sure you tell them Caz McShane sent you … there’s a spot on the initial consultation form for referrals.  They’ll look after you, I promise!

Good luck … smile brightly!!!