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This is probably a weird question but yeahโฆ I want to get dental braces to fix the gaps on my teeth but I travel each month to a different city/country and I know I would need adjustments/tightening on the braces once in a while.
I guess I would have to visit a different orthodontist every time depending on where I am. Whatโs your opinion?
Yes, itโs possible, but you have to stay for a few days, perhaps weeks or a month, in the city where you got them. My friend did it in Thailand as it was arguably much cheaper there. The place was Thantakit Dental in Bangkok. Hotel accommodations and airport transfers were included in the package offered to him so it was more convenient, considering that he had to travel a few weeks afterwards. The place caters to expats so the dentists were used to handling patients who were on-the-go. You need to secure the necessary papers about your braces that you can easily show to the next dentists which will be checking your braces while youโre on your travels.
I used to work for an American-trained orthodontist in Shanghai and I have to say that a single transfer between orthodontists is difficult enough. Each orthodontist has their own treatment plan and it is not medically acceptable to make a quick adjustment based off of some other doctorโs treatment plan. Each doctor has to take responsibility for the patient and treat them as they think is best, so spreading treatment between a dozen doctors is neither feasible nor a good idea. Additionally, the payments donโt line up well with switching doctors as a substantial portion of the total treatment fee is usually paid upfront.
I was considering getting braces in Bangkok for 1/5 of the price in the western world. My teeth are pretty straight but my bite sucks. Iโll be traveling for the next year and after reading otherโs experiences with traveling braces I probably wonโt get them just because in the long run I may have to pay just as much or more than getting them when Iโm a little more grounded somewhere. I wonโt be grounded where I can get them cheap either. I have a consultation setup in Bangkok next month and Iโll listen to what they have to say but I highly doubt it. I would much rather travel than have a perfect bite.
The nomadic dental service would be great! Youโd have to get many orthodontists on board that are willing to communicate via the internet about their traveling patients with detailed images and descriptions on how they have been treated and will be treated. Totally doable. As a patient you would be entered into a database and when you reach a dentist that works with these types of patients all you would need to show is an ID and youโre in! You could even have a badge that the dentists have on their websites and doors so you know where to go. Get a could based software platform running thatโs super easy to use and start pitching it to dentists globally. Super sweet.
I had braces put on in Central America, and then had to travel back to San Jose Costa Rica once a month for an adjustment. It was a pain in the ass to some degree, but it was manageable and I donโt regret it.
If youโre going to do it, make sure you consult the dentist about the length of time required to have the braces. Also ask them if there is anything you can do to speed the straightening process up.
If you decide to do it, plan on being able to go back and forth to the city you had them installed.
I only had mine for 4 - 5 months instead of a year, but it did straighten some teeth out and I also had other dental work done.
Iโll likely do the same thing again in the future, but will plan on being fairly close to the dentistโs office for a year or so.
Somebody needs to start a nomadic dental and orthodonal serviceโฆ!
My wife got her braces in Costa Rica. The ortho comes to our area once a month here. My wife is now stuck know USA bc her mother is in hospitalโฆ Drโs in USA wonโt take her to even do an adjustment. And getting back here for the one day the ortho is nearby is proving quite challenging. I was surprised an ortho wouldnโt just do an adjustment. Kinda sucks - not a good idea.
Thatโs great advice. Ask your local or home orthodontist, to see if they use the same system and can manage the adjustments since itโs a lengthy treatment. We did just this before our 3 month trip to Brazil in 2008.
These were braces for an adult, and locally (NH , USA) they wanted more than 5,000 USD for the old braces system that would need constant tightenings, plus they wanted to widen the pallet and remove a few teeth to make it work easier, prognosis was a 2 - 3 year treatment. We thought that was silly, and prohibitively expensive.
We did research and checked many orthos to compare costs and options, and we wanted to do the then new Damon braces system, which seems like the sliding guide wire, and quick gates, allowed for a swap of the wire (no tightening) and the teeth adjusted along the wire, for less demanding after care. Itโs quicker for maintenance and also duration of treatment was shorter, but only a few places in and around Boston were doing it then.
Long story short, itโs possible to do. In 2008 in Brazil we got tops and bottom braces for an adult, the Damon system, for R$1100 (about $500 USD). From what our local Brazilian friend said, this was the complete cost, should we have stayed in Brazil for the duration of the treatment. Coming back to the US, it cost us an additional $1900 USD for 9 check-ups (new wires or adjustments) + top and bottom retainers, and lifetime checkups/adjustments. Overall spend was $2400, and it took 1.5 years for perfectly straightened teeth. 
All that being said, we had to find the โrightโ Brazilian Ortho to do the work. The first one we met, called his ortho buddy in the US to ask what he should charge, and offered us no savings. We simply went to the next ortho, who gave us the Brazilian rate. It helped that we had a local friend who was able to handle everything in Brazilian so it wasnโt being โgringoโ taxed. It was a great experience and weโd recommend it and do it again should we have the need.
I think there is a term for this, medical tourism, and many people do it.
Good luck, let us know how it turns out for you.
Glad to hear this worked out for you! Because my Brazilian husband JUST got Damon braces, and weโre planning to move to the U.S. shortly.
One question, was it hard to find an ortho in the U.S. who would continue/finish the treatment at a reasonable price? Iโve heard anecdotally that a lot of orthos donโt like to continue othersโ work and will charge you as if you were starting from the beginning.
To the original poster - I wouldnโt recommend doing a new appointment in every country. Instead, Iโd get the braces put on in a central-ish location with cheap flights into it (Europe, SE Asia) and then you could still live in a different country/city in and around that region every month, just budget time/money for frequent quick trips back to your original ortho to get the adjustments. Thatโs what Iโd do, anyway.
@wanderingdev - Correct - we primarily saw two orthos during the course of the treatment. When we contracted this US based ortho for after care, we told them we couldnโt commit to any whole treatments, so they said that each visit would roughly cost $190 USD. That was basically their estimaed $2000 cost divided by the ~10 visits + retainers. Iโd imagine any ortho would be able to place a new wire in the self ligating gates to continue your treatment, and I imagine that process would be very cost effective outside the US. YMMV
@shayna - Damon braces are the only way to go. We were very pleased and glad we sought it out in 2008. I think the put on and take off of the gates (braces) are the most time consuming, and thus orthos want those tasks to justify the billing expense. Yes, if they could have a preference, it would be to get the whole job. But people move around, and need to continue treatments. It shouldnโt be a problem to find someone economically who will be able to continue your treatment in the US. We called probably 5 of the 20 near by orthos before finding one whose terms we liked.
Out of curiosity and if youโd like to share, Iโd love to know where and how much it cost to put those Damon braces on, in reais works. 
And does that cost include the maintenance/adjustments? My price in 2008 was in Joao Pessoa.
Heโs actually paying only about R$70/mo and that includes maintenance and installation (in other words, there wasnโt any up-front payment for the installation). Assuming an approximately 18-month treatment, it would total R$1260. There is a fee for โearly cancellationโ of the contract (something like R$200) but itโs still worth it, especially since I earn in dollars and the exchange rate is so favorable right now! Weโre in Salvador.
Thatโs a great deal, at R$70/mo. I canโt believe the exchange rate now, WOW! Best of luck finding someone to pick this treatment in the US.
but your situation is completely different. you did the initial procedure with one doc and then everything else with a different doc right?
the op is talking about probably using a different doc for every visit. probably each in a different country, language and culture. thatโs a pretty significant difference to having all of your aftercare done in a single place.
I think you should ask an orthodontist! As someone whoโs had braces, but who has no professional knowledge, I think receiving orthodontic treatment while traveling would be difficult, but just how difficult likely depends on your exact personal (orthodontic and travel) situation and desired outcome.
Get a recommendation from family, friends, or whomever, go in for a consultation, and see whatโs possible.
i think that would be a bad idea. when getting medical treatment you want consistency.
Hi everyone,
I would love to hear what you'd like me to build next on Nomad List, or any other product/feature feedback ideas you have.
It's been 6+ years now but I'm in this for the long term and with the boost remote work got last year it's even more exciting to work on Nomad List than ever.
Current roadmap is here: twitter.com/levelsio/status/1363204985488572417?s=20 and pbs.twimg.com/media/EusS9PKXEAUR8xp?format=jpg&name=4096x4096
The next products/features I have planned:
- ๐ Rebase: visa, residency and immigration services for remote workers
- ๐Courses: learn the steps how to go remote and travel/relocate
- ๐ Gov liaison: diplomacy services to the governments to help us lobby for nomads and for them to attract remote workers
Thanks a lot!
What are the best places right now in the Caribbean/LatAM? (Also cheapest flights/accommodation?) Asking from the US.
As part of signing up for this website I was hoping I would come across a list of Visa and/or Residency requirements by country ideally in a table format to assist with decision making. Does anybody recommend any other websites that might present the information in this format (or Google Spreadsheet)?
I love living in walkable areas of town. I can always find them. But now I'm wondering where in the world are the most walkable places? I'm imagining walk streets (no cars), zoning allowing both business and residential, parks or beaches ,etc.
Hi guys,
After the Netherlands, the Bay Area, Colorado and being on the van life for 8 months, I am now in Sedona, AZ with a few other digital nomads. We are sharing a home here and are wondering if there are more like minded people in the area.
We do a bunch of hikes and campouts in the northern of Arizona. If you would like to connect with us, please do so :)
Val
Has anyone figured out a way to get setup with a virtual number and internet connection anywhere you go?
Hi everybody. I live and work in Germany and want to go to Canary Islands for 6 months to work from there. I'm going to keep my current job, just change the "home" in the home office part of things. Are there any tax issues I have to be aware of? I was reading about becoming a residence after 183 days, thus having to pay taxes there plus my employer having to register there. Does anybody know how it works exactly? Thanks a lot!
Winter is coming and Iโm feeling the ache of travelling after being stuck in the same place since the Pandemic started. Wondering if anyone is travelling right now? If so, where are you currently located and how is the situation where you are?
On New Yearโs Day this year, I was refused entry to the UK due to not having proof of funds, an outward-bound plane ticket (I was road-tripping out with a friend via car) and not being able to prove that I had indeed canceled the lease on the apartment I had leased during a prior recent trip.
I havenโt had any entry issues to any of the several countries Iโve visited after, but now Iโm applying for a 462 visa (work and holiday) visa in Australia, and since Australia and the UK share an immigration info system, I want to make sure getting refused entry wonโt keep me from getting a visa. None of the issues that cropped up in the UK (the proof of funds, the plane ticket, and the apartment) will be an issue in Australia, as Iโve never traveled there before, donโt know anyone and will have proof of more than sufficient funds for the trip and an outbound plane ticket.
Anybody have any suggestions on how to make the approval process go as smoothly as possible?
Many thanks in advance! 
Hi everybody!
I just joined this community because Iโm currently in a place in life where I can live the digital nomad lifestyle and I feel like I would really be missing out if I didnโt catch this opportunity. I work fully remotely, no fixed hours, I currently live in northern Italy and I basically have no partner or kids.
So, the question isโฆ where to? I would love to hear the advice of more experienced digital nomads!
Laptop and internet is enough for me to work but I need decent internet for conferencing and I really have to put in the hours: some days are more relaxed, others Iโll have to work all day and night.
I enjoy more temperate climates, so no torrid heat or unbearable humidity, if possible.
I like decent food but Iโm very adaptable in terms of tastes: anything is fine as long as quality is good and sanitary conditions are acceptable.
I absolutely do not enjoy the club life and would just rather go hiking during the weekends and pubs (or breweries) during the evenings. Iโm a social person though and I donโt particularly enjoy places where people are too introverted (been in Seattle for four monthsโฆ the freeze is real); I really look forward to making friends or acquaintances wherever I end up.
I enjoy decent transportation so places where thereโs a viable metro system or Uber actually works would be nice.
I prefer places with a bit more of history and culture (this is one of the reasons why I absolutely loved Portugal, for example).
Iโd like to spend under $3k average per month for rent, food and going out.
For now I was thinking either:
When? Ideally I would leave anywhere from mid to late March and stay away for 2 or 3 months.
Sorry for the long read, I hope to get some input. Thank you for your time, if we ever meet in person I owe you a beer (or whatever youโd prefer).
We just finished our first stint around South East Asia and somehow survived 3 days of way too many flights, leaving me to feel like death.
Too much shitty airplane food, not enough sleep, big time difference from Mexico to SEA.
Anyone have tips to prevent that more in the future (aside from better flight plans)? More importantly, how do I recover faster from this horror?
I am an English/American currently in Israel, and heading in a week to Georgia/Armenia for two weeks and then want to head to Russia for a week.
As I am only in Israel for another week, would it be possible to apply for the visa in Israel and ask to receive it in Armenia (my last stop before I want to go to Russia)?
Or perhaps there is another better option that I have available?
Hey guys,
My question might be blunt ahah but โฆ how do you get your stuff stolen?
Do you stay in hostels, or shady hotels? Or do you get robbed?
I stopped using hostel with outsiders and I pretty much only use budget hotel now.
I have heard about an app that take screenshots of your room and send it to you if it detects movement too so you can alert the hotel staff.
I donโt want to make everybody paranoiac too ;).
Bali was at the top of my short-list of places to go DM for 1-3 months until I saw it had the โZykaโ tag on Nomad List 
. Iโm not super read-up on the whole state of Zyka, other than occurrences of infection being on a decline (for now), but I am a worrisome enough person about such things that it has got me reconsidering. Though, it still seems to not be stopping the rate of DMs visiting Baliโฆ
Is there cause for large concern here, or I am just being a nut? โฆItโs been known to happen pretty frequently over such things 
I had this impression for a while now, but now it seems impossible to find a monthly stay over airbnb for a decent price. Just now I was looking at Utrecht which averages at 2500 euro per month for a studio. People seem to provide only small monthly discounts. In my last few trips I relied on Facebook groups for finding stay. I do have decent budget but paying โฌ1500+ for a studio in a European city simply seems ridiculous. How is everyone else finding accommodation?
Hi All,
My question is about banking when it comes to being overseas/working etc. How do you avoid getting charged large fees by your bank when withdrawing overseas?
Iโm originally from Australia and do my banking still in Australia. I live in the UK and most recently was living in Vietnam where I found I had to withdrawl money just to get charged very large amounts from my Aussie bank.
How do you get around this? What can you recommend.
Thanks
Hi,
I wondered how everybody deals with getting data on their phone in each country they travel. Is there a way around it? It is always such a pain having to buy and activate sim cards everywhere. I have tried the company โworldsimโ and had an international sim for a while, but they where terrible and ended up to be super expensive.
Soโฆ Trump is Prez. The world looks to the US as a role model. He doesnโt think Climate Change is real. Weโre !@#$ed.
Canadian Citizen here. Was considering Costa Rica for a long term solution, but they wonโt deal with the impact as well. We were always fond of NZ and my parents spend at least 3 months of the year there along with knowing some citizens.
Questions:
Thanks!
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