Home News & Blog Vietnam Dental Implants – Risks And Pitfalls To Be Aware Of

Vietnam Dental Implants – Risks And Pitfalls To Be Aware Of

3rd January 2022

You may have read that in Vietnam, dental implants are cheap. So cheap, in fact, that you can factor in the costs of flights and accommodation and still save money on the equivalent dental implant procedure back here in Australia.

Just imagine immersing yourself in the history and culture of Ho Chi Minh City, sampling delicious new food, oh, and getting a dental implant before returning home. It almost sounds too good to be true, right?

Well, that’s because, in most cases, it is!

The truth is there are numerous risks associated with travelling to Vietnam for dental implants. Risks that you wouldn’t necessarily encounter back home.

Let’s talk about the dental implant procedure itself

As you probably know, the dental implant procedure is lengthy and can take between 6 and 9 months to complete.

possible risks of implants vietnam sydney While the dental implant procedure incorporates multiple preparations and follow-up appointments, the treatment is divided into two main stages:

dental implant surgery
Attaching the abutment and dental crown

The timescale between these two stages can be 3 to 6 months. This is because patients need to wait for the implant to fuse with the jawbone. Once this has occurred, the implant is capable of supporting a dental crown or bridge.

While a longer treatment time is par for the course when you undergo an implant procedure back in Australia, it’s a whole different ball game when your implant dentist is an eight to nine-hour flight away.

Chances are, you will need to make repeated visits to complete treatment which could heavily increase the overall cost of undergoing dental implants in Vietnam.

Talking of cost…

The price of dental implants in Vietnam

We’ve already mentioned that dental implants in Vietnam are lower than in Australia averaging around $900 for a dental implant with a standard Dentium crown. An upgrade to a high-quality Swiss system like Nobel Biocare will cost you a further $500.

Yet, aside from the possibility of needing more than one trip, there are several other hidden costs you may not have thought about when travelling to Vietnam for dental implants.

Other risk factors include:

Insufficient knowledge of your medical history

Having a consultation at your local implant dentist ensures they can be fully aware of your medical history and can make sound dental implant decisions based on your overall health and/or ongoing medications. With this in mind, it makes it easier for the dentist to decide whether you’re a suitable candidate for dental implant surgery.

Conversely, when you undergo dental implants in Vietnam, you could unknowingly be placing yourself at risk because the dentist may not have your past medical records or knowledge of your current overall condition.

Little or no regulation

In Australia, dentists undergo four years of training in a dental school followed by two years of dental implant training. Every dentist must also be registered with the Australian Dental Association (ADA) and adhere to strict sanitary and hygiene regulations.

In Vietnam, governing bodies may not impose such stringent rules. As a result, you could unwittingly be placing yourself at risk of an unsterile environment, lack of hygiene, sub-standard implants, and an inexperienced dental graduate.

Of course, some excellent dentists are placing dental implants in Vietnam. Still, these are unlikely to be the ones charging bargain-basement prices.

If you are keen to get dental implants in Vietnam, ensure you choose a renowned dental clinic or hospital with five-star reviews.

Recovery may be challenging

Even top dental implant surgeons cannot guarantee a 100% success rate. The standard success rate for an implant-based restoration is around 95%. While that’s pretty high, it still means a 5% chance of an implant failing. So you need to consider what happens if things do go wrong.

It would be too easy to think that if an issue occurs, it will happen during your stay in Vietnam. However, due to the nature of a dental implant restoration, problems can occur at any time. This could be within a few weeks, a few months, or even a year down the line.

If problems occur when you’ve undergone a dental implant procedure in Australia, it’s relatively easy to contact your dentist to sort the issue.

But when your dentist is an eight to nine-hour flight away in a different country, the situation can be magnified.

When your implant dentist in Vietnam won’t rectify the problem, it typically leaves you with one option – to talk to your dentist back home. They are left with the unenviable job of putting the situation right. This may be easier said than done when they won’t always know what implant system the previous dentist has used and how the dental implant has been fitted.

cost factors of tooth implant in vietnam sydney You may find that the dentist has to remove the implant entirely and place another implant at a later date.

Suddenly, the dollars you initially saved have disappeared, and now, you’re faced with an increased bill far higher than if you had received an implant in Australia in the first place.

So, now you know the risks and hidden costs of going to Vietnam for dental implants, you may want to look further than the initial price savings.

Reducing the costs of dental implants back home

It’s not all doom and gloom. There are ways you can reduce the cost of dental implants here in Australia, or at least make them more affordable. Get a consultation at your local dental clinic to discuss the available payment options.

Check your insurance policy

Some insurance companies provide partial coverage for dental implants where you can lower the cost of implants by up to $800 so it’s always worth checking the small print. It may be worth contacting them for clarification before committing to treatment.

Dental payment plans

Most dentists provide various payment plans and finance options to help patients spread the cost of high-end treatments like dental implants over several months or years, so be sure to ask your dentist what’s available.

Are you considering dental implants?

Schedule a consultation at your local dental clinic or call us on (02) 8806 0227. No Gaps Dental has 15 locations, so you will surely find one of our practices near you. As multi-group dentists, we’re able to keep our prices competitive without compromising quality. All our implant dentists are highly experienced and use the latest technologies and quality products to help achieve outstanding results.

Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks.