Of course, the idea of leaving these particular state boundaries for the sake of dentistry is nothing new . . . people have been travelling to Northern Ireland to avail of cheaper work for years. But the new fashion is to travel that bit further . . . mainly into Eastern Europe . . . a practice that is yielding quality work at a fraction of the price at which it is available in Ireland.

Not that the idea of going to Eastern Europe for dental work is new either. For years, progressive peoples such as the Germans and Austrians have known of the significant advantages of travelling across borders into former communist bloc countries for their dentistry. But they always had the advantage of being on the doorway of these countries, while we Irish have been somewhat isolated on the western tip of Europe. Nevertheless, cheaper flights and a greater willingness to travel have broken down many barriers in the past, and the Eastern European frontier has proven to be little hindrance for people looking to get a quality dentist at an affordable price.

Still, travelling for dentistry will not suit every problem, and it only really makes sense if people are having extensive work done. But a quick cost comparison can tell its own story, and obviously the greater disparity between the Irish price and its international counterpart, the more likely it is that people will travel.

Premier Access Healthcare ltd, trading as Access Smile, is a company which was established by Helen O'Brien, an Irishwoman who recognised the advantages of travelling for dental work.

Access does not market itself as the cheapest dentistry on the market . . .

rather, it sees itself as a gateway to a quality service at a much cheaper price than is available in Ireland. So following an initial consultation in Ireland, Access' clients will travel to Hungary for their treatment, which will be significantly cheaper than it would be at home.

For example, according to research carried out by Access, two implants, six crowns and two root canals in Ireland will cost 12,840. At a state-of-the-art clinic outside of Budapest, the same treatment will cost 5,120, leading to savings of 7,720. So even given the cost of flights and accommodation (and people may have to travel more than once for the treatment), huge savings can be made by travelling to Hungary, particularly if the dental work is fairly extensive.

"The reason why Hungary is so much cheaper than Ireland is not that they are using inferior materials, " said O'Brien.

"It is that the cost of living is so much lower in Hungary, so the dentist is not paid as much for the work. In fact, in many cases, the materials used in Budapest are actually higher than they are in Ireland, and Hungary has a very strong reputation for its healthcare, and specifically for its dentistry."

Access will organise everything that a person needs for their trip to Budapest, except for the flights. It will even give its clients a free public travel pass for the duration of their visit, and a mobile phone with pre-keyed in numbers to facilitate people in their day-to-day Hungarian business. And for people who might be wary about the service that they will receive, Access has undertaken to refund any remedial work as a result of the Hungarian treatment, even remedial work carried out by an Irish dentist.

For further information, contact www. access-smile. ie.

VitalEurope is another company which provides a link between Irish people and Eastern European dentists.

Based in Budapest, it allows people to choose from a number of clinics in Budapest and Prague, and is even looking to offer a Spanish arm to its service.

But people will not have to travel to Eastern Europe without knowing that it will be worth their while. VitalEurope is the first dental services provider of its kind to offer consultations in the UK, and contracted dentists will receive VitalEurope patients at a London clinic, in the vicinity of Victoria Station and Buckingham Palace, twice a week for consultations from April 13. It is also looking at opening a Dublin office for its initial consultations.

"Most people travelling overseas will have a lot of work to be done on their teeth, " said VitalEurope founder and CEO Thomas Antalffy. "This is rarely done in one sitting. So we meet our clients in London, and set up a treatment plan just for them, outlining the amount of leave from work which they will need to take, and working out a financial plan for payment."

Because it utilises the service of a number of clinics throughout Hungary and the Czech Republic, VitalEurope is constantly monitoring the quality of the dentistry throughout its Eastern European partners' clinics. This allows it to ensure that its clients are getting the best treatment possible at the best prices available.

Still, there is more to dental tourism than sitting in a dentist's chair, and travelling to Budapest or Prague allows people to see two of Europe's finest capitals while having their teeth done.

Prices in both of these cities are phenomenally low, and people can save simply by staying is a quality hotel and soaking up the atmosphere of these cultural cities. Which is enough to make any smile shine that bit more bightly.