Frequently Asked Questions

What this guide covers

If you're an NRI planning dental work during an India visit, three questions usually drive the trip: what can realistically be done in the time you have, what will it actually cost, and how do you make sure the work holds up once you're back abroad. This guide answers all three based on what we do week in and week out with NRI patients at our Kondapur (Hyderabad) and Visakhapatnam clinics.

Why NRIs choose India for dental work

The cost differential is the obvious driver. A single dental implant in the US costs $3,000-$6,000 (₹2.5L-₹5L), the same implant at our clinic costs ₹45,000-₹88,000. Porcelain veneers run $1,500-$2,500 per tooth in the US versus ₹15,000-₹22,000 here. Full mouth rehabilitation that would cost $40,000+ abroad is routinely completed in India for ₹5-10 lakhs.

But cost alone isn't the full picture. What NRIs also want — and rarely talk about publicly — is unhurried consultation. At home, 15-minute appointments and insurance-driven treatment plans feel rushed. A full hour of diagnosis, X-rays, and explanation with no insurance gatekeeping is genuinely different.

What can be completed in a single India visit?

Timeline depends on what you need:

1-week visit (7 days): Cleaning, scaling, multiple fillings, single-visit root canal, teeth whitening, 1-2 crown fittings (if no foundation work needed), single-tooth implant placement (crown comes later).

2-week visit: All of the above, plus full-mouth scaling, multi-tooth crowns, veneers for front teeth, and smile makeover work that combines whitening + bonding + crowns.

3-week visit: Everything above, plus completion of orthodontic setup (starting braces/aligners that you'll maintain remotely), wisdom tooth extractions with healing time, and bone grafting procedures for future implants.

What requires two trips: Dental implants (placement on visit 1, crown on visit 2, 3-6 months apart). Full orthodontic treatment (12-24 months). Any work requiring multiple healing cycles.

The pre-arrival consultation (do this before booking flights)

This is the single most important step. Here's how it works:

Step 1: WhatsApp us a panoramic X-ray (OPG) if you have one. If not, we can advise based on your current dentist's records or detailed photos of your concerns.

Step 2: Dr. Varsha (Kondapur) or Dr. Rajesh (Vizag) reviews the records and responds within 48 hours with a proposed treatment plan, realistic timeline, and cost estimate.

Step 3: You confirm whether the timeline fits your trip. If it doesn't, we suggest what to do on this trip and what to defer to the next.

Step 4: Flights and hotel booked with confidence. First in-person appointment is scheduled for day 1 or 2 of your visit.

Cost guide (all prices in INR)

Diagnostics: Consultation ₹500, Digital X-ray (IOPA) ₹200, Full-mouth OPG ₹500.

Cleaning & preventive: Routine cleaning ₹2,000. Deep scaling ₹3,000 per quadrant.

Fillings: GIC (standard) ₹1,500. Light-cure composite ₹2,500-₹3,500.

Root canals: Single visit RCT with X-rays ₹7,500. Crown after RCT — PFM ₹6,000-8,000, Zirconia ₹12,000-15,000, premium (Bruxzir, iTouch) ₹15,000-22,000.

Implants: Entry-level (ADIN) ₹35,000 + crown ₹10,000-18,000. Premium (Nobel Biocare Active) ₹70,000 + Zirconia crown ₹18,000.

Whitening: Trays at home ₹5,000. In-office chemical (POLA) ₹8,000-10,000. ZOOM Advanced ₹15,000.

Aligners: Dentcare/Illusion ₹75,000-1,25,000 per jaw. Invisalign ₹1,50,000-2,50,000 per jaw.

Managing your treatment from abroad

Once you're back home, we maintain contact through WhatsApp. If a filling feels off, a crown needs adjustment, or you're due for a review, we coordinate with your local dentist. For implant patients between trips, we follow up with written instructions and schedule the next phase well in advance of your planned return.

We also provide complete treatment records in digital format — you can share them with any dentist worldwide for continuity of care.

Why patients choose our clinics

Three things NRI patients flag repeatedly in feedback: transparent pricing upfront (no surprise bills), English-fluent consultation with time for questions, and treatment plans that account for the fact you're on a schedule. Dr. Rajesh has been treating NRI patients in Vizag since 1997. Dr. Varsha at Kondapur handles cases from US, UK, Gulf, and Australian patients routinely.

The Kondapur clinic is 35 minutes from Hyderabad Airport (RGIA). The Vizag clinic is well connected to both Vizag Airport and the city centre.

Frequently asked questions

Covered in the FAQ section below.