Last updated: 7 March 2026
Dental Departures is one of the oldest dental tourism platforms, listing 4,000+ clinics across 29 countries since 2009. They pioneered the online dental tourism marketplace model. MyDentalFly takes a different approach — rather than listing thousands of clinics and letting you browse, it starts with your dental assessment and matches you with verified clinics based on what you actually need. This comparison explains the key differences.
Side-by-side comparison of key features.
| Feature | Dental Departures | MyDentalFly |
|---|---|---|
| Patient assessment | No dental assessment. Patients search by treatment type or clinic. Assumes the patient knows what they need. | Interactive dental chart and questionnaire generate personalised treatment recommendations. Your complete dental profile is shared with clinics. |
| Price transparency | Clinic-submitted prices. "Best Price Guarantee" offered. Prices generally visible but not independently verified. | Verified clinic prices displayed in your currency. Side-by-side comparison across clinics. |
| Clinic network size | 4,000+ dental clinics in 29 countries. Extensive global coverage. | Curated selection of verified dental clinics. Smaller but vetted for quality. |
| Treatment recommendations | No treatment recommendations. Patients choose from a treatment menu. | Intelligent system recommends treatments based on your dental chart, symptoms, and goals. Identifies treatments you may not have considered. |
| Booking protection | Booking deposits paid to clinic. Some guarantee programmes available. | £200 deposit held by platform until treatment begins. Structured protection model. |
| Patient portal | Account system for managing bookings. Less structured post-booking experience. | Full post-booking portal: documents, messaging, treatment tracking, aftercare. |
| Review volume | Established review system with large review volume across 4,000+ clinics. | Growing review base from platform users. |
| Dental specialisation | Dental-only platform. Well-established in the dental tourism space. | Dental-only. Every feature designed for the dental patient journey. |
| Patient profile for clinics | Basic enquiry with treatment type and patient message. | Clinics receive complete dental profile including chart, assessment, photos, and medical history before consultation. |
| Savings comparison | Some savings indicators on clinic pages. Less structured comparison. | Automatic savings calculation vs home country prices in your local currency. |
How MyDentalFly Works
See how our intelligent assessment matches you with verified clinics — and saves you 50-70% on treatment.
Assessment-first model produces better-informed clinic consultations
Verified pricing removes "enquire for price" uncertainty
Complete patient profile sent to clinics means more accurate treatment plans
Platform-held deposit provides clearer financial protection
Purpose-built patient portal for the full treatment journey
Smaller clinic network than Dental Departures' 4,000+ listings
Newer platform with fewer accumulated patient reviews
Fewer destination countries covered
Dental Departures has been in the dental tourism space since 2009 and offers the largest dental clinic database. For patients who know what they want and prefer to browse, it is a solid established option. MyDentalFly is built for patients who want a more guided experience — starting with understanding your dental needs, comparing verified prices, and booking with platform-held deposit protection. For first-time dental tourists or patients wanting maximum price transparency and treatment guidance, MyDentalFly's assessment-first model is a significant advantage.
Start with a free dental assessment. Map your teeth, get intelligent treatment recommendations, and compare real clinic prices — all before speaking to a single clinic.
2-minute assessment · No commitment · 29 verified clinics
Yes. Dental Departures has been operating since 2009 and has a larger clinic network and review base. MyDentalFly is a newer platform that takes a fundamentally different approach — assessment-first rather than browse-first. The newer platform means fewer reviews but a more modern, patient-centred booking experience with features that did not exist when Dental Departures was founded.
No. Dental Departures operates as a marketplace where patients search by treatment type and destination, then enquire with clinics. There is no dental chart, assessment questionnaire, or treatment recommendation system. Patients need to know what they want before using the platform, whereas MyDentalFly helps patients figure out what they need.
Both platforms offer access to competitively priced dental clinics abroad. The key difference is transparency: MyDentalFly displays verified clinic prices upfront so you can compare before enquiring. Dental Departures shows clinic-submitted prices with some guarantees. Actual treatment costs may vary from listed prices on both platforms depending on individual clinical needs discovered during examination.
Both platforms have review systems. Dental Departures has a larger review volume built over 15+ years. MyDentalFly's reviews come from verified platform users who completed treatment. In general, look for review platforms that verify the patient actually received treatment, and be cautious of review volumes that seem disproportionately positive — a mix of reviews is a healthier trust signal.