But with the war showing no signs of stopping, significant numbers of refugees have started trickling back home, if only temporarily, for one reason: to see their dentist.Those displaced by an onslaught of Russian tanks, drones and missiles have been navigating long journeys home by car, bus or rail for orthodontic work they prefer -- or can only get -- inside Ukraine."Here in Ukraine, we really appreciate the quality of the medical services, as well as the personalised approach to our daughter," said Yana Sidko, who left for France in 2022.She now makes the arduous pilgrimage back to the Ukrainian capital with her 13-year-old daughter for treatment.The country was a dental tourism destination before Russia invaded, with Europeans seeking lower-cost procedures and a broader range of treatment.But now the vast majority of those coming from abroad are Ukrainians who fled the war, professionals in the industry told AFP.
Four years of brutal Russian attacks have forced millions of Ukrainians to seek safety abroad © Genya SAVILOV / AFP
In a paediatric clinic in Kyiv, dentist Oleg Kovnatskyi told AFP that around 20 percent of his patients -- 10 to 20 people a month -- come from abroad.Around 90 percent, the 39-year-old said, are Ukrainians."Whereas previously there were more foreigners ... today it's our own citizens that left the country following the full-scale invasion, but are now returning," he said.Some 5.7 million Ukrainian refugees are living outside the country -- from a pre-war population of around 40 million.The 'emotional dimension'So common is the trend, there is a running joke that dentists could be one of the main catalysts for many to move back permanently -- something that would help alleviate a long-running demographic crisis and a deepening labour shortage.Refugees return because dentists are cheaper at home and offer some treatment unavailable everywhere -- like the use of sedatives for children -- Kovnatskyi said.
