Sara Elcock, a 25-year-old from Hokitika, New Zealand, had originally planned a vacation to Vietnam with her partner, Ethan, and hadn’t intended to get dental treatment during their trip.
However, she changed her mind after seeing a TikTok video about a couple who traveled to Vietnam for a month to complete dental treatment, which piqued their interest.
After some research, Sara and Ethan discovered that traveling to Vietnam for dental treatment is quite popular among international tourists, particularly Americans and Australians—the former because of the high cost of dental care in their home countries, and the latter because of the proximity and affordable airfare.
So, they decided to seek treatment in Da Nang, a coastal city in central Vietnam, and selected a clinic based on online reviews.
They contacted the clinic at 8 p.m. the night before their departure, and they were promptly scheduled for 10 a.m. the following day. The first free appointment included a comprehensive examination, X-rays, and a treatment plan.
The clinic provided a detailed quote, which they confirmed before proceeding. Sarah ultimately received seven fillings and whitening, while Ethan underwent root canal treatment and two porcelain onlay restorations.
The total cost was less than NZ$850 (approximately RMB 8,100), while the same treatment in New Zealand would have cost around NZ$8,100.
Sarah admitted that the price difference was “shocking.” By comparison, Ethan’s father spent NZ$4,000 on a single root canal in New Zealand.
Jackie Brown, a medical tourism expert and founder of Bums, Tums, and Gums, says many people choose dental services overseas primarily for cost.
She herself had a root canal in India for just NZ$400, which would have required a loan to pay for in New Zealand.
She advises patients to choose a reputable clinic with a rigorous credentialing process and to check the doctor’s credentials and online reviews beforehand.
While Vietnamese dentistry is gaining popularity on social media, Brown hasn’t personally experienced it and can’t recommend it yet.
However, Sarah and her husband said that if they need to in the future, they will not hesitate to choose such international medical treatment again – after all, in New Zealand it is not only expensive, but also impossible to enjoy a vacation.