Carina and Her Journey from the Philippines to Hanoi to Enhance Her Smile Aesthetics

Carina, a 71-year-old woman from the Philippines, initially planned to visit a dental clinic in Ho Chi Minh City with a friend for dental implant treatment.

Her decision was influenced by highly attractive advertisements:

• • Low cost: They were quoted approximately AUD 4,000.
  • Extremely short treatment time: The clinic promised to complete all procedures within 7–8 days with no need for a return visit.
  • Reviews: She had read online reviews before making her decision.

Carina reconsidered her decision

An acquaintance explained to her that completing implant treatment within one week is not reliable, as proper healing time is required. She realized that the promises of low cost and extremely short treatment duration at that clinic could potentially be misleading or even a scam.

In reality, her friend – due to budget constraints – still proceeded with the original plan at the Ho Chi Minh City clinic. However, the outcome confirmed Carina’s concerns:

Costs doubled: Instead of AUD 4,000 as initially quoted, several thousand dollars were added as unexpected expenses.

Her friend now has to plan a return visit after one year to complete the remaining payments.

Carina also came across a case on Facebook where a man developed an infection after implant placement and experienced significant complications. This made her genuinely anxious and caused her to reconsider her initial plan.

Ultimately, Carina decided to change her flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi less than a day before departure. Her trip was supported by a partner organization of the clinic, specializing in assisting international patients during treatment in Vietnam.

This team supported patients by:

• • Arranging flight tickets
  • Planning treatment schedules
  • Assisting with visa procedures
  • Booking appointments with doctors
  • Recommending sightseeing activities during the stay

After arriving in Hanoi and resting from the flight, Carina visited Thuy Anh Dental Clinic for her first in-person consultation.

Initial Condition

Carina’s oral condition mainly involved dissatisfaction with her existing dentures:

• • Prior to surgery, she was using removable dentures.
  • She reported that her old dentures were excessively protrusive. Additionally, the teeth on the dentures were too large for her facial proportions.
  • The occlusion was not properly aligned, causing discomfort and difficulty during use.

Carina had planned implant treatment more than five years ago. However, due to the high cost in Melbourne and the long treatment duration (approximately one year), she continued using her old dentures until deciding to seek treatment in Vietnam.