For one Indian man living in the US, a trip to the dentist came with a bill he definitely wasn’t expecting.Nitin Malhotra, who has lived in the United States for around 15 years, recently shared his experience on Instagram after going to a dentist with a painful tooth. What shocked him wasn’t just the treatment cost, but how much he was expected to pay even after using his dental insurance.According to Malhotra, he was told he would have to pay $2,500 out of pocket – roughly ₹2.37 lakh – for the treatment.And that wasn’t even the first charge that surprised him.
A $180 X-ray and a $2,500 bill
In the video, Malhotra said the dentist first asked about his insurance before taking an X-ray. He claimed the X-ray alone cost him $180.After examining his tooth, he said the clinic told him the treatment would normally cost around $8,000. After insurance adjustments, however, his share would still come to $2,500.That number left him doing some quick maths.Malhotra said he checked flights to India and found one for roughly $1,200. So, he wondered, why not fly home, get the dental work done there and possibly spend less overall?He compared the US quote with what he believed similar dental treatment would cost in India, saying procedures such as a root canal, cleaning and other dental care could be done for around ₹10,000-₹15,000 in some cases.
‘Should I go to India instead?’
Malhotra ended the video with a question for his followers: should he get the treatment in the US or make the trip to India?His comparison quickly struck a nerve online, especially among Indians living abroad who are familiar with the high cost of healthcare in the US.One person commented, “At this point, just book the flight to India.”Another wrote that dental care in the US is simply “very expensive,” while someone else joked that the flight was cheaper than the dental treatment itself.The video, shared with the caption “USA Healthcare Reality,” has since sparked a wider conversation about the huge difference in healthcare costs between the US and India.Of course, dental prices can vary widely depending on the procedure, dentist, insurance plan and location. But for Malhotra, the numbers were enough to make one question worth asking: is a flight to India really cheaper than a trip to the dentist?
