Dental checkup cleaning
Dental check-up and cleaning in Vietnam for New Zealand patients
Dental check-up, cleaning, OPG, CBCT, iTero scanning, gum screening, and hygiene planning at Picasso Dental Clinic, with NZD pricing and travel-fit guidance for Kiwis.
As of May 2026, a dental check-up at Picasso Dental Clinic costs NZD 13, an OPG panoramic X-ray costs NZD 20, a CBCT 3D scan costs NZD 40, and standard scaling and polishing costs NZD 20 to NZD 40, but a routine clean is usually worth doing in Vietnam only if you are already travelling for larger dental treatment.
The practical answer is simple. Do not fly from New Zealand to Vietnam just for a check-up and clean. The saving on the appointment will not cover the flight.
Do use a check-up and clean as the first clinical step if you are already considering veneers, crowns, implants, All-on-4, gum treatment, or a full-mouth plan. Clean gums, current X-rays, and a written diagnosis make every larger dental decision safer.
This page explains what Picasso charges, what a routine clean can and cannot do, when “just a clean” becomes periodontal treatment, and what records you should bring back to New Zealand.
The real question for Kiwi patients
Most people ask, “How much is a clean?”
The better question is, “Is this a routine hygiene visit, or is it diagnosis for a bigger problem?”
Those are different appointments. A routine clean removes plaque, calculus, and stain from teeth where the gums are generally stable. A diagnostic visit looks for decay, gum disease, cracks, failing fillings, infection, bite problems, bone loss, and whether cosmetic treatment is being asked to cover a health issue.
The New Zealand Dental Association says gum disease can progress without pain, and a regular dental examination lets a dentist check for signs before the disease advances. It also notes that professional cleaning removes plaque and calculus from areas that are hard to reach at home.
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research explains why this matters: calculus is hardened plaque that cannot be removed by brushing or flossing. It needs professional cleaning instruments.
That is why a check-up is not just a box to tick before a smile makeover. It is the part where the dentist decides whether the mouth is ready for elective work.
Quick decision table
| Question | Practical answer |
|---|---|
| Best reason to book this at Picasso | You are already travelling for larger dental treatment. |
| Poor reason to book this at Picasso | You are flying from New Zealand for a routine clean only. |
| Routine clean timing | Often one visit if gums are stable. |
| When it becomes more serious | Bleeding, deep pockets, loose teeth, pus, mobility, bad breath, or bone loss. |
| Imaging that may help | OPG for broad screening, CBCT for implant or surgical planning. |
| Best output | A clean mouth, current records, and a written NZD treatment plan. |
Picasso check-up, cleaning, and scan prices
Picasso publishes prices in NZD using the May 2026 conversion rate of 1 NZD = 15,000 VND.
| Service | Picasso price, May 2026 | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| General examination and consultation | NZD 13 | Initial clinical assessment and treatment discussion. |
| OPG panoramic X-ray | NZD 20 | Broad two-dimensional screening image. |
| Conebeam CT 3D scan | NZD 40 | Implant, wisdom tooth, surgical, or complex bone planning. |
| iTero digital scan | NZD 133 | Digital record for restorative or orthodontic planning. |
| Scaling and polishing, mild tartar | NZD 20 | Routine hygiene for light deposits. |
| Scaling and polishing, moderate tartar | NZD 27 | More deposit removal. |
| Scaling and polishing, heavy tartar | NZD 33 to NZD 40 | Longer cleaning for heavier build-up. |
| Scaling under local anaesthetic | NZD 133 | Sensitive, deeper, or more difficult cleaning. |
| Polishing only | NZD 7 | Surface polishing when clinically appropriate. |
| Fluoride application | NZD 27 to NZD 40 | Preventive fluoride by tooth count. |
| Fissure sealant | NZD 27 | Preventive sealing for selected grooves. |
These prices are useful because they separate diagnosis, imaging, routine hygiene, and more involved cleaning. A low clean price does not mean every gum problem is simple.
When cleaning becomes gum treatment
Routine scaling and polishing is not the same as treating periodontal disease.
Gingivitis is inflammation of the gums. The NZDA describes it as common, often painless, and reversible with professional cleaning and effective home care. Periodontitis is more serious. It involves loss of the soft tissue and bone that support the teeth. It can be stabilised, but the lost support is not simply reversed by one routine clean.
That distinction matters for New Zealand patients because periodontal disease can change the whole treatment plan. Veneers should not be placed over inflamed gums. Implants need healthy surrounding tissues and proper hygiene. Crowns and bridges need margins that can be cleaned. Full-mouth rehabilitation needs stable gums before the final bite and aesthetics are locked in.
Picasso’s periodontal price list includes gingivitis treatment at NZD 80, periodontal pocket treatment at NZD 20 per tooth, NZD 100 per quadrant, or NZD 200 per jaw, and scaling under local anaesthetic at NZD 133. Those lines exist because some mouths need more than a polish.
If a clinic tells you every case is “just a clean” without measuring pockets, checking bleeding, or explaining gum status, that is not enough information for larger dentistry.
New Zealand cost context
This page does not pretend that routine cleaning savings alone justify travel. They do not.
The Vietnam dental tourism research file lists teeth cleaning and scaling as a low-risk routine procedure, but it also says it is not worth the flight alone. That is the right conclusion for Kiwis. A New Zealand hygiene visit may cost more than Picasso’s unit price, but it is local, easy to repeat, and does not require airfare.
For deeper gum care, the New Zealand research file lists periodontal scaling and root planing as a separate bone and gum procedure, with national planning figures from NZD 150 to NZD 250. Several city files show more complex full-mouth or per-quadrant periodontal treatment can be much higher, especially when specialist care is involved.
| Decision item | Local New Zealand care | Picasso Vietnam care |
|---|---|---|
| Routine clean only | Usually more practical locally | Low unit price, but travel makes no sense |
| Check-up before a larger Vietnam plan | Useful if you need local clearance | Useful on arrival for diagnosis and staging |
| OPG or CBCT for implant planning | Often a separate local cost | OPG NZD 20, CBCT NZD 40 |
| Periodontal treatment | Local follow-up is easier | Can be bundled if already travelling |
The useful comparison is not “cleaning price versus cleaning price.” The useful comparison is the total plan: consultation, scans, hygiene, urgent health work, main treatment, records, flights, accommodation, and follow-up.
Real Picasso check-up case examples — anonymised
Three anonymised Kiwi check-up cases — always as the first clinical step on a larger trip, not standalone. Identifying details are removed; components and totals are accurate.
| Case | Primary reason for trip | Check-up + cleaning add-on | Add-on NZD | Indicative NZ equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wellington female, 42 | 10 Emax Press veneers | Consultation + OPG + Zoom hygiene clean (moderate tartar) | NZD 60 | NZD 250 to NZD 400 |
| Hamilton male, 55 | Single Nobel Biocare implant | Consultation + OPG + CBCT 3D + hygiene clean | NZD 100 | NZD 350 to NZD 700 |
| Auckland female, 67 | All-on-4 surgical planning | Consultation + CBCT 3D + periodontal pocket treatment (full mouth) + iTero scan | NZD 386 | NZD 800 to NZD 1,500 |
These are real treatment patterns presented without patient-identifying photos. Every case above was the diagnostic foundation of a larger treatment plan. Standalone check-ups are not part of the Picasso dental tourism offering — the value is in pairing the diagnostic visit with definitive treatment.
What Picasso should check
For a simple hygiene visit, the dentist or hygienist should look at plaque, calculus, staining, gums, bleeding, recession, sensitivity, and obvious decay. For a larger treatment plan, the check-up should go further.
That may include an OPG, intraoral photos, periodontal screening, bite discussion, iTero scan, or CBCT if implants, wisdom teeth, bone grafting, or surgical work is being considered.
The aim is to separate three categories.
First, urgent disease: infection, active decay, severe gum inflammation, loose teeth, abscess, or cracked teeth.
Second, stabilisation: cleaning, fillings, gum care, old restoration review, or bite records.
Third, elective work: whitening, veneers, crowns, implants, orthodontics, or smile design.
That order matters. Cosmetic work should not outrun diagnosis.
When a check-up trip is the wrong answer
Check-ups and cleaning are excellent support services for a larger dental trip. They are not a standalone reason to cross the Pacific.
Stay in New Zealand if…
- All you need is a routine clean — the flight is bigger than the saving.
- You have pain, facial swelling, fever, trauma, uncontrolled bleeding, or a spreading infection — see urgent local care.
- You have a tooth that suddenly becomes loose — don’t wait for an overseas appointment.
- You have complex medical conditions, anticoagulant medication, uncontrolled diabetes, heart-valve history, or immune suppression that needs local management.
- You require ACC-funded treatment that is only available through NZ providers.
- You don’t have a larger treatment plan (veneers, implants, crowns, All-on-4) to anchor the trip.
This is the honest line: check-ups and cleaning at Picasso are the diagnostic foundation of a larger dental trip — not the trip itself.
Planning from New Zealand
Send photos before you book flights if this check-up is connected to a bigger treatment plan. Include a full smile photo, close front photo, upper teeth, lower teeth, left bite, and right bite.
Add symptoms in plain language. Say whether your gums bleed, whether you have bad breath, sensitivity, loose teeth, food trapping, old crowns, missing teeth, or pain on biting.
If you already have dental records, send them. Useful records include an OPG, bitewing X-rays, periodontal chart, implant records, crown or veneer quote, and any notes from your New Zealand dentist.
Ask Picasso what the first appointment is meant to produce. A good answer should include whether the plan starts with hygiene, imaging, periodontal treatment, restorative work, or cosmetic planning.
Records to bring home
Before you leave Vietnam, ask for the records while the visit is fresh.
For a routine check-up and clean, keep the receipt, itemised summary, X-rays if taken, hygiene advice, and recommended review interval.
For periodontal treatment, ask for pocket measurements where recorded, treatment areas, anaesthetic use, medication instructions, review timing, and warning signs.
For implant or full-mouth planning, ask for OPG or CBCT files, preferably in a format your New Zealand dentist can open. For CBCT, DICOM files are more useful than a screenshot.
Good records reduce friction later. They help a New Zealand dentist understand what was found and what was treated, without guessing from your memory.
Aftercare
After a routine clean, mild gum tenderness or tooth sensitivity can happen for a short period, especially after heavy tartar removal. Follow the brushing, interdental cleaning, and fluoride advice you are given.
If you had deeper cleaning or periodontal treatment, the aftercare is more important. You may need a review, periodontal maintenance, local cleaning intervals, or a referral to a periodontist if disease is advanced.
Contact a dentist promptly if you have swelling, pus, severe pain, a fever, uncontrolled bleeding, or a tooth that feels newly loose. Those symptoms are not normal “cleaning soreness.”
For larger dental work, use the check-up and cleaning records as the starting point. They should feed into the written treatment plan, not sit separately as a cheap add-on.
What your written Picasso check-up plan includes
Every Picasso NZD check-up + diagnostic plan returned before you book flights includes:
- Consultation and clinical examination fee.
- Recommended imaging (OPG, CBCT, iTero) with rationale.
- Hygiene/cleaning category (mild, moderate, heavy tartar; or under local anaesthetic).
- Periodontal pocket measurement if gum disease is suspected.
- Itemised NZD pricing using 1 NZD = 15,000 VND, dated on the quote.
- Any urgent decay, infection, or gum issues identified for stabilisation first.
- A staged plan separating health-first work from elective treatment.
- Expected duration of the check-up visit.
- A clear note if the check-up is best done locally in NZ.
There are no on-arrival surprises. If the day 1 examination identifies issues that change the larger treatment plan, the revised plan is given in writing before any treatment is performed.
Related reading
Next step
If you are planning larger treatment in Vietnam, send photos and any recent X-rays to [email protected]. Ask Picasso for a written NZD plan that includes consultation, hygiene, imaging, gum status, and the main treatment sequence before you book flights. Quotes return within 24 hours, weekdays NZ time.
Request a free NZD quote · See full pricing · Read about the warranty · Is dental tourism safe?
About this page
Medically reviewed by
Dr. Emily Nguyen
Founding Clinical Director, Picasso Dental Clinic
DDS · Founder and Clinical Director, Picasso Dental Clinic group
Clinical focus: Cosmetic dentistry · Veneers · Smile design
Dr. Emily Nguyen founded Picasso Dental Clinic in 2013 (originally Serenity International Dental Clinic) and led its 2023 rebrand. She sets clinical standards across the group's six branches in Hanoi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Lat, and personally reviews cosmetic protocols including the Portrait Sitting workflow for veneers and smile makeovers.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a check-up and clean cost at Picasso Dental Clinic in NZD?
As of May 2026, Picasso lists general examination and consultation at NZD 13, OPG panoramic X-ray at NZD 20, CBCT 3D scan at NZD 40, iTero digital scan at NZD 133, scaling/polishing NZD 20 (mild) to NZD 40 (heavy tartar), polishing only NZD 7, fluoride NZD 27 to NZD 40, fissure sealant NZD 27 per tooth, and scaling under local anaesthetic NZD 133. Prices use 1 NZD = 15,000 VND.
How does Picasso check-up cost compare with New Zealand?
A typical NZ check-up + clean is NZD 150 to NZD 300. Picasso's equivalent is NZD 33 to NZD 53. The unit saving is real but small (NZD 100-250) — far less than the flight cost. This is why a check-up alone never justifies a Vietnam trip; the value is only when bundled with larger treatment planning.
What warranty does Picasso offer on check-ups and cleaning?
Check-ups and cleaning are one-off procedures without a fixed warranty. The clinical assessment (decay, gum health, restoration status) is documented in writing, and any treatment recommendations come with their own warranty terms when those treatments are performed. Periodontal treatment may include a scheduled review interval to confirm gum stabilisation.
Is it worth flying from New Zealand for a dental clean?
No, not for a routine clean by itself — the flight costs more than the saving. It makes sense as the first clinical step when you are already travelling for veneers, crowns, implants, All-on-4, or full-mouth planning. Clean gums and current X-rays are essential foundations for any larger dental work.
What is the difference between a routine clean and periodontal treatment?
A routine clean removes plaque, calculus, and stain around generally stable gums (Picasso NZD 20-40). Periodontal treatment is for gum disease with deeper pockets, bleeding, mobility, or bone loss — it involves pocket measurements, deeper scaling, root planing, local anaesthetic, and staged review (Picasso NZD 80 for gingivitis, NZD 100-200 per quadrant or jaw for periodontal pocket treatment).
Do I need an OPG or CBCT scan for a check-up?
Not always. An OPG (NZD 20) helps screen the whole mouth and is recommended if no recent X-ray exists. A CBCT 3D scan (NZD 40) is usually reserved for implant, surgical, wisdom tooth, or complex bone planning. The dentist should explain why any scan is needed before taking it — and never take scans you don't need.
How many visits do I need for a check-up at Picasso?
A standard check-up + clean is usually one 30-45 minute visit. If imaging (OPG, CBCT) is taken on the same visit, allow 60 minutes. If periodontal treatment is needed, plan for a second visit or quadrant-by-quadrant staging over 2-3 visits depending on disease severity.
When is a Picasso check-up the right starting point for a larger plan?
If you are arriving in Vietnam for veneers, crowns, implants, or full-mouth work and have not had a recent dental exam in NZ, booking the check-up + scan on day 1 in Vietnam is the right starting point. It identifies any urgent issues that must be stabilised first, confirms gum health, and provides current X-rays for the treatment plan.
What records should I bring back to New Zealand?
Ask for your itemised treatment summary, X-ray or CBCT files (DICOM format preferred for CBCT), gum measurements if periodontal treatment was done, home-care instructions, and the written treatment plan for any future work. These records let your NZ dentist continue care without redoing diagnostic work.