Foreign tourists rave about cheap, quality HCMC dental care

The tourist came to Vietnam in March and took advantage of some quality dental care services while exploring HCMC.

She said it was "an experience beyond my expectations."

Foreign tourists like Ragusa are flocking to HCMC for affordable, high-quality dental care, with many lauding the services as a fraction of the cost compared to their home countries.

Ragusa learned about a well-reviewed dental clinic in District 1 thanks to an online search. She ordered a teeth scaling following a dentist's advice during a general dental exam.

Nina Ragusa shows off her teeth and a bouquet of flowers she received after experiencing dental service in HCMC. Photo courtesy of Nina Ragusa's Instagram

Ragusa was assigned a seat by staff while waiting for her turn. She was surprised when the dentist invited her to have some tea and fruit because in the U.S. she usually doesn't eat or drink anything before a dental check-up.

She described the clinic as "not feeling stuffy like a hospital" and said the interior design was "like a hotel lobby."

She had to pay US$20 for the service, which she said was "20-40" times cheaper than the cost in the U.S.

When she then posted about her HCMC dental experience on social media, her post attracted 44,000 views and more than 1,000 comments.

Ragusa is not alone in her praise.

Many tourists in Vietnam have complimented dental services in HCMC as "very cheap" and "worth the experience." Some have gone on to thank Ragusa for sharing this experience.

Tran Quang Duy, CEO of Chim Canh Cut Travel Service Company, said HCMC tourism products combining healthcare and beauty started becoming popular over 5 years ago, mainly due to overseas Vietnamese who returned to visit their homeland and foreign tourists from all over the world.

Duy said the company currently has six sets of medical tourism products, including two programs specifically for customers interested in dental care. These tours usually have half-day or one-day schedules, with prices from VND1.2 to 2.8 million.

The tour packages take tourists to dental clinics and central maxillofacial hospitals.

Dentists at a clinic in Ho Chi Minh City take care of a customer. Photo courtesy of Dentos

The cost of a general dental examination is included in the package, but travelers must pay additional fees if extra services are required. After receiving the exam's results, a dentist or doctor diagnoses any dental condition and provides advice on what should be done about it. The visitors can then choose to return home for treatment or receive treatment on site.

"70-80% of our customers choose to get dental care service in Vietnam because of the cheap costs," Duy said.

After the dental check-up, the tour program takes tourists to visit the city's Museum of Traditional Medicine and visit a street in District 10 specializing in health examination services. Guests have lunch at a macrobiotic restaurant where the menu is especially designed for sensitive teeth.

Such tours usually accept a maximum group of 10 guests, Duy added.

Nguyen Thi Hai Yen, director of Elena Vietnam Travel, said that her company's customers from the Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia markets are increasingly interested in healthcare services when traveling in HCMC.

She said about 10% of her visitors to the city return to use medical services such as dentistry. These customer groups all say the dental costs in HCMC are at least 3-4 times cheaper than in their home country. And they also praise the doctors as highly skilled.

According to statistics from the Department of Tourism, in the 2018-2019 period, the whole country welcomed about 57,000 foreign tourists for inpatient treatment, of which HCMC accounted for about 40% thanks to its advanced technology and inexpensive prices.

The city's medical tourism products focus on tourists from Southeast Asian countries but are expanding to include more visitors from Northeast Asia and Europe. Tour operators highlight that their medical tourism programs focus on healthcare services at reputable hospitals, while also providing high-end dining, shopping and relaxation service experiences.