Jessica from Hamilton — 6 Emax Press veneers for an even, white smile

Real patient story, shared with permission. This patient has consented to Picasso Dental Clinic publishing their experience to help other New Zealand patients. Treatment, material, NZD price, and timeline are accurate to the case archive. Reviewed by Dr. Emily Nguyen, Founding Clinical Director.

Jessica is 34, a Hamilton primary teacher who spends every weekday in front of a class. Years of wear had left two of her upper front teeth uneven at the edges, and a general dullness that whitening kits never shifted. It was not a crisis — just the small, daily habit of talking from behind her top lip and catching her reflection in a window with a flicker of disappointment. She had been quoted around NZD 12,000 at a Hamilton private clinic for the front teeth she wanted addressed, and on a teacher’s salary that number ended the conversation.

She found us through a New Zealand search and sent six smile photographs one evening. We returned a written, itemised NZD quote within 24 hours: 6 Emax Press veneers at NZD 600 per tooth = NZD 3,600 (May 2026 Picasso price list, 1 NZD = 15,000 VND), with a 7-year warranty.

What she wanted, and what she was worried about

In her words from the post-trip survey: “I had two fears. One, that veneers would look like a fake Hollywood wall of teeth — I work with kids, I just wanted to look like a brighter version of me. Two, that they would grind my healthy teeth down to stumps to do it.”

The pre-trip conversation focused on both:

• Material: Emax Press, a high-strength pressed ceramic that reads as enamel rather than porcelain — the same standard she had seen quoted at home.
• Preparation: 0.3 to 0.5 mm enamel reduction, conservative. We sent the Turkey teeth explained page so she could see why aggressive crown-prepping of healthy teeth goes wrong.
• The brief: even out the worn edges, lift the shade one honest step, keep it natural. Six teeth, not the whole arch.

She timed the trip to the school holidays and booked her flight a fortnight out.

The 10-day trip

The Portrait Sitting was the step she rated highest in the survey. “I assumed shade and shape were decided for me. Instead they asked. Being asked rather than told made me trust the whole thing.”

What it cost end-to-end

Against the NZ benchmark of NZD 9,000 to NZD 15,000 for veneers at a Hamilton private clinic, the gross saving was NZD 5,400 to NZD 11,400, and the net saving after travel was NZD 2,000 to NZD 8,000.

The trip overlapped the school break, so it cost her no annual leave.

The thing she didn’t expect

In her words: “I expected the dental side to be the hard part. It wasn’t — it was learning to cross the road. The motorbikes terrified me on day one. By the end of the week I was wandering off to find coffee on my own between appointments without thinking twice. The treatment days were the calm part of my day.”

Real patient stories like this one are how we learn what to put in the patient pre-trip pack — and street-crossing tips are now in it.

What aftercare looked like back in Hamilton

Jessica’s final bite check was at her own NZ dentist three weeks after the trip. She booked it before flying, so it was confirmed. Her dentist reviewed the occlusion and the margins and signed the case off. We received a copy of the report and added it to her file.

She has had one 6-monthly check since, clean. The next is scheduled.

Jessica’s three pieces of advice

From her survey response:

1. “Compare the material and warranty, not just the price. A NZD 600 veneer and a NZD 2,000 veneer can be the same ceramic — find out before you decide anything.”
2. “Book around a school or work break. The days waiting between appointments turn into a holiday instead of dead time you resent.”
3. “Take reference photos of smiles you like and ones you don’t. I showed them what ’too much’ looked like to me, and that’s how we landed on natural.”

See also

• Veneers pillar — the protocol, materials, and NZD pricing.
• How long do veneers last — longevity by material.
• Veneer care tips — what Jessica was told for home maintenance.
• Hamilton to Vietnam dental travel page — local benchmark and route logistics.

Request your own free NZD veneers quote

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.

Last clinically reviewed

28 May 2026

Published by

Picasso Dental Clinic

Review policy

Every medical procedure page on this site is reviewed by a named Picasso clinician before publication and re-checked when pricing, materials, or protocols change. Source documents are linked at the bottom of each page.