Planning for a travel trip overseas is always overwhelming, let alone planning for a dental vacation to a busy country like Vietnam. Problems and concerns that bug you when you arrange your trip, like the flight tickets, destinations to visit, where to stay or where to play, are now only a small proportion of your dental trip. If you’re currently devastated because of the amount of information to gather, this article will surely help you to plan your trip to Vietnam with practical knowledge and help you enjoy your vacation afterward.

Tip 1: Do your homework

The first tip to plan a dental vacation to Vietnam is to do all the homework. There are many dental clinics throughout Vietnam from North to South, so you have to do the research about clinics frequently mentioned in order to eventually choose a suitable clinic for you.

If asking suggestions from an acquaintance isn't an easy way since they may not know much about the country, the internet is always available. You can take time and scroll through the dental forums about Vietnam and find the information on the clinics you already know about. Another option is to read the detailed information from the dental tourism facilitators’ website. They often list out top-notch clinics along with the information about the facilities and technologies of the clinic at once.

Always remember to ask details about the treatment plan of your case. If you have any questions about the plan, whether about whether it's suitable or mentions the suggestion of your dentist, don't hesitate to ask. Facilitators and clinics are more than glad to respond to your questions.

Tip 2: Ask for cost breakdown

Finish asking about your treatment plan? Then it's time for you to ask even more questions, but about the price. Remember to ask for the cost breakdown of your treatment plan. Find out what your fee includes, and what's not. This way, you will have an overall view of what you're being charged by the dental clinics and make sure there's no extra fee just because you're a foreign customer.

Tip 3: Make sure you get the best care

Getting the best care is really important since if not, chances are you will face a lot of dental risks. In some cases, when you receive the materials from the locals, the dentist in your home country may have no idea how to maintain them when you need it. Therefore, make sure you check out the standardized material approved by the FDA (The Food and Drug Administration is a federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services) so that they can be recognized and approved globally. You should also examine the clinic’s facilities carefully before booking an appointment. Just take them into consideration if you want the get the best care!

Tip 4: Does the dentist offer a translator?

Vietnamese dentists do go through several English courses for dental terminology in medical universities. However, some of them are not so comfortable communicating in the language or find it hard to discuss and explain the in-depth treatment plan. As a result, you should ask the clinic beforehand whether they can communicate in English or they ready have translators in their clinics. This way, both you and your dentist can get a better understanding of the other's requirements.

Tip 5: Buy dental tourism insurance

Dental tourism insurance is always highly recommended when you decide to go for a dental vacation. The insurance will help you lower, or even prevent, the extra cost in case of treatment-associated risks (complications) and schedule risks.

If you're going to do a complex dental procedure, there are certain risks you may occur post-procedure. When you occur these complications, it's your dental tourism insurance's job to save you from having to pay an extra-large amount of money just to treat the complications.

Another inevitable situation is schedule risk. You may have some urgent works right before you’re about to get onto the flight. Or maybe your diagnosis online is not the right treatment anymore when the dentist has a closer look at your teeth, and you have to extend the plan. Dental tourism insurance will also have you rearrange your treatment schedule without a large extra-fee.

Tip 6: Be smart about your itinerary

All dental trips are not created following the same template. It has to be flexible and sometimes can be delayed because of your dental situation. Remember that you should have a backup plan in case anything happens.

Knowing where and when to go is necessary. The destinations and the accommodation should be convenient for your checkup schedule which often lasts about 2 to 3 appointments. The dentist may suggest you not to physically exert yourself too much, so you should choose activities wisely to participate in and plan thoroughly to get the most out of the dental vacation.

Whatever you do, make sure it prioritizes your health and your safety first.

Tip 7: Ask for a functional dentist

You should not choose the general dentist, make sure that the specialty of the doctor matches your dental problem well. For example, if you need an implant, choose the implantologist who has undergone intensive implant training. In order to choose the right dentist, you should ask directly the clinics or the consulting services. They will be able to provide you with the certification or accreditation of the doctors.

Tip 8: Third-party opinions

Sometimes, PR or marketing information can distort your thinking by displaying so many glamorous advertisements. They normally bias one or two clinics to attract you to come. So you will need a third party to evaluate fairly which clinic or dentist best suited to your requirements and preferences. You should check out international consulting services or accreditation organizations (cgr.com, whatclinic.com) and local facilitators such as lotusdentaltravel.com. They show the fair ratings and reviews of many top-notch clinics in Vietnam. These are reliable sites as the clinics or any marketing teams cannot manipulate the evaluations.

Here you are, 8 tips to help you become a savvy dental tourist. Again, planning for a dental vacation is necessary, you should plan everything out to fit into your budget and your condition. Don’t forget to enjoy yourself with the recreational activities in a foreign place to help your dental treatment much more relaxing and fascinating. You deserve that!