In US, just getting a dentist to look in your mouth for a few minutes will likely cost you over $100. In Vietnam, that will get you two hours of a dental specialist’s time. Your own dentist will probably warn you of the dangers of venturing abroad for medical services, but are those criticisms valid?

MYTH 1 – WESTERN DENTISTS ARE ALWAYS BETTER

You can find lousy dentists in developed countries and great ones in less advanced countries or even in third-world countries. For sure, some countries should be avoided, but that does not necessarily mean your country’s dentists are always superior. If you can afford private dentists in the top American dental clinics, you will likely get some of the best dental care in the world. Nevertheless, if you are going to lessor known, public hospitals you will likely get a standard of care that is comparable to most other countries in the world. Higher medical profits and salaries do not necessarily translate into better service.

MYTH 2 – ALL DENTISTS ARE THEY SAME

There are great and less than great dentists in every country. Do your research, visit several professionals and get second opinions. You should do this in your home country as well. Dentists are human and they do make mistakes. Find a dentist that takes time to explain everything and is pleasant to deal with. You will judge their quality more from their bed-side manners than their professional skills.

MYTH 3 – VIETNAMESE DENTISTS LACK THE TRAINING

You can’t assume that Vietnamese have inferior training. For example, many people find the holistic approach of Japanese chiropractors much better than their western counterparts. They have different philosophies that might actually be superior.

Increasingly, dentists in your home country are foreign trained and have immigrated (. The fact that they are in your country does not necessarily mean they are better or worse educated. Also, many of the dentists you find in Vietnam have also been trained in Australia, United States, South Korea or Japan.

MYTH 4 – VIETNAMESE DENTISTS AND DENTAL CLINICS ARE NOT WELL-EQUIPPED

In some of the less developed countries you are probably not going to find the expensive lobbies and waiting rooms of some of the private hospitals or dental clinics in the West. However, western technology is widely available. The fact is most reputable dental clinics in Vietnam have modern, high quality equipment. Of course they could not offer the services you are looking for, if they do not have the tools to do it. Additionally, the fact that you find out about these dental services online, demonstrates a level of investment and professionalism that most lessor equipped facilities could not afford.

MYTH 5 – VIETNAMESE DENTISTS USE LOWER QUALITY MATERIAL

This is absolutely NOT true. In terms of dental crowns and fillings, there are a wide variety of materials to choose from, just as in Western countries. You can choose, and pay for the quality you want. Often you will pay similar prices as in your own country. The savings generally come from the labor, staff’s salary, operating cost of the clinic, but not from the products used.

If you want to make sure of its origin, you are suggested to ask the dentist or other staffs and check online. Indeed, you will find out that they are imported from well-known dental suppliers Japan, United States and Germany.

MYTH 6 – TRAVEL COSTS WILL EAT UP MOST OF THE SAVINGS

This may be true, but it can be also viewed from different way. The inexpensive dental services subsidize your travel. For example, in United States it can cost over $1,700 or more to get an all-porcelain crown done. At our clinic, the best all-porcelain crown only costs $300. That is $1,400 savings. This amount can cover your airfare, few nights at a best 5-star hotels in Hanoi. If you are looking at getting more serious dental procedures done or more works done, the money you save will likely pay for your trip and you will have the opportunity to recover in an exotic location. Why not turn your dental issue into a personal or family vacation?

SO, HOW CAN YOU CHOOSE A RELIABLE DENTIST OR DENTAL CLINIC IN VIETNAM?

Choosing a reliable dental clinic or dentists in Vietnam might be a tricky task for you. You can start by researching online. You will find clinics and dentists catering to foreigners all over the world.

When you find some prospective clinics, search for review sites to see what others have said about that organization. Use your judgement with the reviews, sometimes people with minor grievances dominate the results. (“My teeth are too white” or “my first appointment was cancelled so I had to wait two weeks for another.”) Also, look out for planted reviews that sound exceedingly positive. Reviews can be faked, so a little bit of criticism is probably an indication of honest experiences.