Ngaire from Rotorua — 6 Non-prep Emax veneers

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.

Ngaire is a kaiako in Rotorua, a teacher in her late forties who has stood in front of classrooms for the better part of three decades. Her front teeth had never given her trouble — no decay, no gum problems — but with age two upper incisors had darkened, the edges had worn slightly uneven, and a small gap had opened between the front two. A Rotorua private clinic had quoted her roughly NZD 12,900 for six veneers, and that number kept the idea on the shelf for two years. We returned a written, itemised NZD quote within 24 hours: 6 Non-prep Emax veneers at NZD 733 per tooth = NZD 4,398 (May 2026 Picasso price list, 1 NZD = 15,000 VND), with a 7-year warranty.

What she would not compromise on

Ngaire had one firm condition from the first message. In her words from the post-trip survey: “My teeth were healthy. I did not want them ground down to stumps just to make them look nicer. If that was the only way, I would rather live with the gap.”

That single requirement shaped the whole plan, and the pre-trip conversation answered it directly:

• Method: Non-prep Emax — ultra-thin shells bonded over the existing enamel, with little or no reduction of the tooth beneath. Her own teeth stay intact underneath.
• Why it suited her: her teeth were well-positioned and undamaged, so there was no need to remove structure to make room. We were clear that non-prep is not right for every mouth, but it was a good fit for hers.
• Recourse: a written 7-year warranty, travel reimbursement if a re-do is ever required, and a New Zealand follow-up care note for her own dentist.

She booked once she understood the conservative approach was genuine, not a sales line.

The 10-day trip

The try-in step was the one she rated highest. “I could see roughly what I would get before anything was permanent. When I asked for the edges a touch softer, they redid it without a fuss.”

What it cost end-to-end

Against the NZ benchmark of NZD 10,800 to 15,000 for six veneers, the gross saving was NZD 6,402 to 10,602, and the net saving after travel was NZD 2,952 to 7,152. The wider point for Ngaire was that she got the conservative method and the lower price together, rather than paying a premium at home for the same non-prep technique.

The thing she didn’t expect

In her words: “I assumed thin veneers would feel like a sheet over my teeth — bulky, or that I would always be aware of them. They didn’t. By the second day I kept waiting to notice them and never did. The only odd thing was a faint cold sensitivity for about a day, and that was it.”

We have added a note on early sensitivity to the patient pre-trip pack. Real patient stories like this one are how we find the small gaps in what people are told.

What aftercare looked like back in Rotorua

Ngaire booked a check with her own NZ dentist before she flew, so it was confirmed for four weeks after the trip. Her dentist reviewed the bite and the bonded margins and signed the case off; we received a copy and added it to her file. She has had one 6-monthly clean since, which came back clear, and her next check is scheduled.

Ngaire’s three pieces of advice

From her survey response:

1. “Ask specifically whether non-prep is an option for you. It is not offered everywhere, and if keeping your own teeth matters, it changes everything.”
2. “Check the shade in real daylight, not under the surgery lights. I held the sample up by a window and it was a slightly different colour — glad I said something.”
3. “Do not rush the trip. Give yourself the full ten days so the fitting day never feels hurried. The work is only as good as the time you give the fine-tuning.”

See also

• Veneers pillar — the protocol, materials, and NZD pricing.
• Veneer care tips — what Ngaire was told for home maintenance.
• How long do veneers last — longevity by material.
• Rotorua 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.