Priced out of care: Dental costs push some toward unlicensed providers

Despite repeated warnings from the Barbados Dental Association (BDA) about the dangers of unlicensed dental work, some Barbadians say they are being priced out of legitimate care — and are now somewhat willing to consider informal providers to get relief.

With extractions costing hundreds of dollars when done at private clinics and long wait times at polyclinics, many feel forced to weigh the risk against affordability. Some have said they were being priced out of legitimate care — and are now willing to consider fly-by-night dentists to get relief.

One patient, Ryan Grazette, told Barbados TODAY that he recently spent nearly $400 to extract a single tooth, a cost he said included an $80 x-ray, the extraction, and additional charges for injections.  

“It’s definitely too expensive,” he said.  

“Poor people can’t afford insurance, so they have to pay full price.”  

Grazette said that while dental services are technically still available at public polyclinics, the experience is unreliable.  

He recalled being told to return on a specific day, only to find that no dentist was available.  

“You can’t depend on them—you gotta go private so if [the unlicensed providers] are cheaper than the professionals, I would definitely try it,” he said.  

“Everybody can’t afford to pay that kind of money.”  

A financial services worker who asked to remain anonymous shared that regular check-ups are out of reach for many and called for more affordable preventative care.

“It should be a very cheap price for people to have monthly or quarterly maintenance. In the long run, that would prevent the bigger, more expensive treatments,” she said.  

Unlike Grazette, she drew the line at using illegal providers.  

“I wouldn’t risk going to someone unlicensed. Your mouth is a dangerous place—a wrong move can lead to an infection or even death.”  

The BDA recently called for tougher enforcement against unlicensed practitioners operating on social media, warning that people are being put at serious risk by individuals with no formal training or oversight.  

In response to growing public frustration about costs, BDA president Dr Vidya Armogan said the association understands the concern — and has long been pushing for measures to bring prices down.  

“We understand that medical and dental costs are high globally. Barbados is no different,” he said in a follow-up interview with Barbados TODAY.  

“In fact, we’re impacted even heavier because of the duties, and that’s why we’re calling on government to eradicate duties on all dental and medical equipment and supplies.”  

He said the dental association has been advocating for such changes for more than a decade, noting that lower import costs would directly reduce prices for patients.  

Dr Armogan also pointed to the recent government-approved dental lab as a positive step towards lowering the cost of services like crowns, dentures, and bridges.  

He insisted that when compared globally, Barbados offers competitive rates, especially when factoring in the training and technology available.  

“So many of our diaspora from the UK, US, and Canada — where they have free healthcare — come to Barbados to do their dental work because it’s even more expensive where they live,” he said.  

The BDA is also renewing calls for a national dental fee guide — a tool used in countries like Canada to help patients understand the going rates for different procedures.  

“A fee guide wouldn’t fix prices, but it would help the public know what to expect,” he said, adding that it’s “past time.”  

He said earlier attempts to publish one were blocked by the Fair Trading Commission over concerns it could be anti-competitive but stressed that the aim is transparency and not necessarily uniformity.  

Dr Armogan cautioned against cheaper informal services, emphasising that the cost of a bad procedure can be far greater.  

“If someone opens a practice and they’re not qualified, that’s illegal and it’s harmful. There’s no monitoring, no guarantee of sterilisation, and no training. That puts the public at risk,” he said. 

shannamoore@barbadostoday.bb