Dental holiday: costs, risks and how to plan one

Why do Australians take a dental holiday?

Cost is the main reason.

• Dental care is not covered by Medicare for most adults, and many people have no extras cover.
• Research from the University of Sydney, using government data, found that 3 in 10 Australians had put off seeing a dentist because of the cost.
• About half of Australians have no private dental insurance at all.
• When an Australian quote for a few implants or a set of crowns is large, a cheaper price in Asia gets attention.
• The Better Health Channel says about 15,000 Australians travel overseas for health care each year, and that cheaper dental and cosmetic work is a common reason.

Two other groups go too.

• People who want the trip. They pair a long treatment with a beach, good food and a slower pace. That is fine, but the treatment comes first. A missed check because you were on a day tour is a real cost.
• People with family in the region. They visit relatives and have dental work done where they know the language and the city. They often have someone local to help.

Source: University of Sydney, dental tourism article (2018), drawing on AIHW and RACGP data, used for this guide.

Source: Better Health Channel, Victorian Government, Medical tourism, read for this guide on 11 November 2026.

Thailand, Bali and Vietnam: how do they compare for a dental holiday?

The table compares what matters for planning. It does not rank clinics, and it does not tell you where to go.

Each country has its own page: dental holiday in Thailand, dental holiday in Bali and dental holiday in Vietnam.

We have not put clinic prices for Thailand or Bali on this site, because we could not tie them to a source we were happy to cite.

What does a dental holiday really cost?

The clinic quote is only one line in the budget. A fair comparison with an Australian quote adds every cost of the trip.

For Vietnam, Dental Link publishes starting prices in US dollars.

• Ask for both All-on-4 lines in a written quote.
• These are starting prices, and your own quote can be higher.
• You pay the clinic in the end, so convert at the rate on the day you pay.

Source: Dental Link, "Dental treatments in Vietnam", dentallinkvn.com/treatments/, prices in US dollars as published, read for this guide on 11 November 2026.

The implants only reading of the All-on-4 figure comes from Dental Link's All-on-4 treatment page.

A simple way to test if the trip saves you money

Here is the sum we suggest. It takes five minutes and stops a low clinic price from hiding the real cost.

1. Write down your Australian quote. Call it A.
2. Add the overseas clinic quote, converted to Australian dollars on the day. Call it B.
3. Add flights and nights for every trip your plan needs, plus lost pay. Call it C.
4. Add a repair fund for checks or fixes in Australia. Call it D.
5. The trip only saves money if B + C + D is less than A.

Two things change the answer most often:

• A second trip. It doubles the travel line.
• The repair fund. If the work fails and the clinic will not pay an Australian dentist, the repair comes out of your pocket. Be generous with D.

What are the risks of a dental holiday?

Dental work carries some risk anywhere, including in Australia. What changes overseas is who regulates the dentist, what materials are used and how easy it is to get help. The Australian Dental Association lists these concerns.

• Different rules. Australian clinics must follow strict infection control rules. Not every country has the same rules.
• Materials. In Australia, dental materials must be approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Overseas, a clinic may use materials of a different standard.
• Superbugs. Bacteria that resist common antibiotics used to be rare here. The ADA says they are showing up more often, and links some cases to treatment overseas.
• Time. Some treatments need healing time between visits. Squeezing several big jobs into one short trip can raise the chance of problems.
• Work you may not need. The ADA names unneeded procedures as a concern. It also says treatment at home in Australia gives time to get the work right without a rush.
• Support after. If work fails once you are back, you may have no easy way to get the first clinic to fix it.

None of this means every overseas clinic is poor. It means you do the checking a regulator would do for you here. Ask about:

• the dentist's training and registration
• how they clean and sterilise tools
• which brands they use
• what happens if a crown cracks in six months

Watch for pressure.

• A clinic that pushes extra work once you are in the chair, or wants a yes before you have read the plan, is a reason to stop.
• The University of Sydney article makes the same point: a holiday ends, but dental work stays with you for years.
• If you feel rushed, get a second opinion before you agree.

Source: Australian Dental Association, Overseas dental holidays, read for this guide on 11 November 2026.

Do Medicare, health funds or travel insurance cover a dental holiday?

Usually not in full.

• The Better Health Channel, run by the Victorian Government, says Medicare is unlikely to cover treatment overseas.
• It says private health funds may not cover it either, though some insurers are entering the market.
• Australia has reciprocal health care deals with only 11 countries, including New Zealand. Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam are not on that list, and the deals are mostly for emergency care.

The Better Health Channel advises anyone having a procedure overseas to check that the policy covers:

• medical help and emergency assistance
• an emergency flight back to Australia
• problems linked to treatment you chose to have

If the policy is silent, ask the insurer in writing. Check your own policy and ask your fund for its answer in writing.

New Zealanders should do the same checks with their own insurer: price the trip, read the policy and plan for follow up care once you land.

Source: Better Health Channel, Victorian Government, Medical tourism, read for this guide on 11 November 2026.

How do you plan a dental holiday?

Good planning starts months before the flight. Our dental holiday planning checklist has the full list. Here are the main steps.

1. See your own dentist. Get a check, X rays and a written treatment plan with a price. This is your benchmark.
2. Shortlist clinics. Look for clear answers on training, infection control, materials and warranty. A concierge or facilitator can help, but ask how it is paid.
3. Ask for two written quotes. Each should name the brands, the lab, the number of visits and what happens if something fails.
4. Ask about timing. Find out how many trips you need and how far apart. Let the dentist set the timing, then book flights around it.
5. Sort insurance and money. Read the policy, check your fund and plan how you will pay the clinic.
6. Pack your records. Take your X rays, your Australian plan and a list of your medicines.
7. Leave room in the schedule. Plan a few spare days near the end, in case a visit moves.

What happens after you fly back?

Your records and your own dentist matter most.

• Before you leave the clinic, ask for copies of everything: X rays, notes and the brand and size of any implant.
• The Better Health Channel passes on a surgeons' college warning that missing records and unknown implants make care back home harder.
• A dentist here cannot easily repair work when nobody knows the brand of the part inside your jaw.
• Book a check with your own dentist after you land. Tell them what was done and show them the records.
• If you have pain, swelling or a loose crown, see a dentist, and tell the overseas clinic in writing too.

Ask the clinic how its warranty works from Australia. Does it only fix work on your next visit, or will it pay a dentist here to repair it? Get the answer in writing before you agree to treatment.

Source: Better Health Channel, Victorian Government, Medical tourism, read for this guide on 11 November 2026.