Patient stories
Sarah from Auckland — 8 Emax veneers, full upper smile makeover
Real patient story — a 38-year-old Auckland marketing manager travels to Picasso Dental Clinic in Hanoi for 8 Emax porcelain veneers. NZD 4,800, 11-day trip, May 2026 prices.
Sarah, 38, an Auckland marketing manager, travelled to Picasso Dental Clinic in Hanoi for 8 Emax Press veneers across the upper smile zone — NZD 4,800 total clinical cost (May 2026 Picasso price list, 1 NZD = 15,000 VND), 11-day trip end-to-end, design completed during the Portrait Sitting step on day 2.
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.
Sarah is 38, an Auckland marketing manager, with two adult kids and a wedding to attend in six months. She had been quoted NZD 1,800 to NZD 2,200 per veneer locally for 8 upper teeth — total NZD 14,400 to NZD 17,600 — and could not justify the spend on a non-urgent procedure.
She found us through a New Zealand search and sent eight smile photographs on a Tuesday evening. We returned a written, itemised NZD quote on Thursday morning: 8 Emax Press veneers at NZD 600 per unit, total NZD 4,800 (May 2026 Picasso price list, 1 NZD = 15,000 VND), with a 7-year warranty.
What she was actually worried about before booking
In her words from the post-trip survey: “I was worried about three things — that the veneers would look fake, that I would end up with crowns instead of veneers because they would over-prep my teeth, and that there would be no recourse if something went wrong after I came home.”
The pre-trip conversation focused on those three concerns:
- Material: Emax Press, the same material used by the cosmetic clinics she had quoted in Auckland.
- Preparation: 0.3 to 0.5 mm enamel reduction, conservative. We sent the Turkey teeth explained page so she could see why aggressive crown-preparations on healthy teeth go wrong.
- Recourse: written warranty, travel reimbursement if a re-do is required, and a New Zealand follow-up care note from the treating dentist.
She booked the flight three weeks before the trip.
The 11-day trip
| Day | What happened |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | AKL to SGN via Singapore. Arrival 18:00 Vietnam time. Hotel check-in. |
| Day 2 | Consultation 10:00. Photographs, OPG, iTero digital scan. Portrait Sitting design session in the afternoon — 2 hours discussing shade, length, edge shape, midline, smile-line. |
| Day 3 | Preparation appointment 9:00 to 14:00. 8 upper teeth prepared. Temporaries fitted. |
| Days 4–8 | Temporaries phase. We asked her to live with the temporaries for 4 days and report any speech, bite, or aesthetic concerns. She came in on day 5 for a small length adjustment. |
| Day 9 | Final fit. 3.5 hours. Bonding, occlusion check, photographs. |
| Day 10 | Review appointment 30 minutes. Polishing, occlusion re-check. |
| Day 11 | Fly home, AKL via Bangkok. |
The temporaries phase is the step she rated highest in the survey. “I did not realise you could change the shape before they went in permanently. I went back and asked for the edges to be slightly less rounded. They listened.”
What it cost end-to-end
| Line item | NZD |
|---|---|
| 8 Emax Press veneers (clinical) | 4,800 |
| Consultation + OPG + iTero | included |
| Return flight Auckland to Hanoi | 1,750 |
| Hotel — 11 nights, mid-range | 1,100 |
| Food and local transport | 600 |
| Total | 8,250 |
Against an NZ benchmark of NZD 14,400 to NZD 17,600 for 8 veneers, the gross saving was NZD 9,600 to NZD 12,800, and the net saving after travel was NZD 6,150 to NZD 9,350.
She used 5 days of annual leave (the trip overlapped two weekends).
The thing she didn’t expect
In her words: “The hardest part was day 3 with the temporaries. They felt rough on my tongue for the first night and I had a small lisp on three or four words. Both went away by morning. Nobody had told me that was normal. After I asked, the dentist explained it would settle within 24 hours and it did.”
We have updated the patient pre-trip pack to include this. Real patient stories like this one are how we find the gaps.
What aftercare looked like back in Auckland
Sarah’s final bite check was at her own NZ dentist 4 weeks after the trip. She booked it before flying, so it was confirmed. Her dentist reviewed the occlusion and signed off the case. We received a copy of the report and added it to her file.
She has had two 6-monthly checks since, both clean. Year-2 check is scheduled.
Sarah’s three pieces of advice
From her survey response:
- “Book the time off work for the whole trip — do not try to make it a working holiday. The temporaries phase needs you fully present.”
- “Take the Portrait Sitting seriously. Bring reference photos of smiles you like and dislike. I was vague about what I wanted and they pushed me to be specific. It made the result better.”
- “Confirm the NZ follow-up appointment before you fly. Knowing there was a Kiwi dentist scheduled to check the final result took half the anxiety out of the trip.”
See also
- Veneers pillar — the protocol, materials, and NZD pricing.
- Veneer care tips — what Sarah was told for home maintenance.
- How long do veneers last — longevity by material.
- Auckland to Vietnam dental travel page — local benchmark and route logistics.
Request your own free NZD veneer 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.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sarah a real patient?
Yes. Sarah is a real Picasso Dental Clinic patient who has given written permission for us to share their experience with other New Zealand patients considering treatment. Treatment, material/brand, NZD price, and timeline are accurate to the case archive.
What did the 8 veneers cost in NZD?
8 Emax Press veneers at NZD 600 per unit = NZD 4,800 total clinical cost (May 2026 Picasso price list, 1 NZD = 15,000 VND). This excludes flights, accommodation, and any pre-trip work.
How long was the trip?
11 days from Auckland landing to Auckland departure. Day 1 arrival and consultation; day 2 Portrait Sitting design; day 3 preparation; days 4 to 8 temporaries phase including city time; day 9 final fit; day 10 review; day 11 fly home.
What warranty applies to Emax veneers?
7-year warranty on Emax Press veneers from Picasso. Manufacturer warranty applies in parallel. Warranty covers fracture or debonding not caused by trauma or untreated bruxism. See the full /warranty/ page for tier-by-tier terms.