The language barrier: consent you did not understand is not consent
This guide covers travel, process and cost. It contains no clinical advice.
Ask three specific questions before you book: who will interpret during the clinical consultation, whether your treatment plan and consent forms will be provided in your own language in writing, and who you can contact in your language after you fly home. Airport transfers and hotel check-in are the easy part; the conversation that matters is the one where you agree to treatment.
Why this is a clinical question, not a comfort question
Consent is not the moment you sign a form. It is the process by which you come to understand what is proposed, what the alternatives are, what could go wrong, and what happens if you decline. UK professional standards frame it that way deliberately. If that conversation happened in a language you follow imperfectly, with someone translating who is not trained to translate clinical content, you did not give informed consent — you gave a signature.
The stakes are highest exactly where nuance lives: the difference between a proposal and a recommendation, between "this tooth cannot be saved" and "saving this tooth is harder and less predictable", between a risk that is rare and one that is merely uncommon.
The questions to ask, in writing
Being handed a consent form in a language you do not read, on the day, minutes before treatment, is a reason to stop. Not to hurry.
Practical ground truth in Moldova
Romanian is the state language and Russian is widely spoken. Clinics that work with international patients generally have English-speaking staff, and some have coordinators dedicated to it — but the level varies between the front desk and the surgery, which is exactly where it matters most. Outside the clinic and the parts of Chișinău used to visitors, expect less English and plan accordingly.
Frequently asked questions
Do dentists in Moldova speak English?
Many do, particularly in clinics that treat international patients, but you should confirm for the specific dentist who will treat you rather than for the clinic as a whole.
Can I bring my own interpreter?
Yes, and it is a reasonable thing to ask for. Tell the clinic in advance so the appointment is scheduled with enough time.
What if the consent form is only in Romanian?
Ask for an English version before the day of treatment. If none exists, that tells you how much experience the clinic really has with international patients.
Is a translation app good enough?
For a taxi, yes. For a conversation about what will be removed from your mouth and what could go wrong, no.
Nine questions that establish whether a clinic is what it claims to be — this is one of them.
How to verify a dental clinic abroadMake sure you are understood in the chair
Tell us where you are being treated. We will confirm what language the consent and the plan will be in, and what to insist on if the answer is not your own.