About Dental Holiday Guide: it is a plain planning guide for Australians and New Zealanders who are weighing up dental treatment in Thailand, Bali or Vietnam. It explains what a trip costs, what can go wrong, what insurance does and does not pay, and the steps to take in order.
Who the guide is for
It is for adults who already have a dental plan or quote from an Australian or New Zealand dentist.
- Many readers are facing a large job, such as several crowns or implants, and have no extras cover.
- Others have family in Asia and want to know what to check before booking a clinic there.
- It is not written for dentists, and it does not try to cover every country.
- We chose three places in South East Asia, and we kept each country page focused on planning rather than sightseeing.
Where the facts come from
We read what Australian bodies publish about treatment abroad.
- Mainly the Australian Dental Association and the Better Health Channel run by the Victorian Government.
- A University of Sydney article that draws on national survey data.
- Each section names its sources in a short note at the end, with a link where we are allowed to give one.
If we could not tie a number to a source, we left it out. That is why you will not find clinic prices for Thailand or Bali here.
Prices for Vietnam are the starting prices Dental Link publishes, in US dollars, checked on 11 November 2026. They are starting points, so a written quote for your own mouth is the number that counts.
The Smartraveller website did not load when we wrote this guide, so we have not quoted it. Check its page for your destination before you book, because travel advice changes.
What the guide will not do
- It will not tell you what treatment you need. Only a dentist who has examined you can do that.
- It will not tell you how soon you can fly after treatment. Ask your treating dentist.
- It will not name or rank clinics.
- It will not promise any result from any treatment.
How the site makes money
This site has a commercial relationship with partners it mentions, including Dental Link, a dental concierge in Vietnam.
- Our income can come from readers who choose Dental Link or another partner. A note near the top of every page says so.
- That link is also why the guide names Dental Link on the home page and the Vietnam page.
- Where we pass on what Dental Link says about itself, such as being free for patients, putting clinics through 18 checks and sending two written quotes, we say that it is Dental Link's own claim and name the site it is published on, dentallinkvn.com.
- We do not link to it from this guide.
- Dental Link is a concierge, not a clinic. It says it is free for patients because clinics pay it, and it does not sell flights, hotels or visas.
How to use the guide
- Start with the main guide. It sets out why people travel, what the full trip costs, the risks the Australian Dental Association lists and what Medicare, funds and travel cover may leave out.
- Then open the page for the country you are weighing. Each one has its own questions for the clinic and its own notes on insurance.
- When you are close to booking, print the planning checklist. It puts the steps in order, from the first dentist visit at home through to the check after the trip.
- Bring what you learn to your own dentist. A guide like this can help you ask better questions, but it has never seen your teeth.
Updates and corrections
This guide was written and last updated on 11 November 2026. Costs, insurance rules and travel advice change. If you spot something out of date, treat the official source as correct and this guide as wrong until we fix it.