Te Rangi from Gisborne — 6 Emax Press veneers after a sports chip

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.

Te Rangi is a coach in his late thirties, based in Gisborne, and he spends most of his week on the sideline of a field. A stray elbow during a game a couple of seasons back chipped two of his upper front teeth. He had them patched with composite locally, but the repairs kept staining at the edges and chipping again — he was tired of feeling the rough lines with his tongue every time he smiled or shouted across a pitch. A Gisborne private clinic had quoted him around NZD 12,000 for a proper veneer fix across the front teeth, which is well outside what a regional coaching salary stretches to.

He sent us four phone photographs of his smile 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 he wanted to be sure of before booking

In his words from the post-trip survey: “I’d already paid twice for composite patches that failed. I didn’t want a third quick fix. But I also didn’t want them grinding my healthy teeth down to stumps just to glue something on.”

The pre-trip conversation focused on exactly that:

• Material: Emax Press, the same pressed ceramic used by the cosmetic clinics he had priced at home — chosen for edge strength, which matters for someone whose teeth take the odd knock.
• Preparation: conservative enamel reduction, 0.3 to 0.5 mm. We sent him the Turkey teeth explained page so he could see why aggressive crown-prep on sound teeth is the wrong answer.
• Recourse: a written warranty, travel reimbursement if a re-do is needed, and a New Zealand follow-up care note for his own dentist.

He booked four weeks out, between two coaching blocks.

The 10-day trip

What it cost end-to-end

Against an NZ benchmark of NZD 9,000 to NZD 15,000 for the same work, the gross saving was NZD 5,400 to NZD 11,400, and the net saving after travel was NZD 1,450 to NZD 7,450.

The thing he didn’t expect

In his words: “I assumed veneers were just pick-a-white and glue them on. I didn’t expect them to spend most of the first day figuring out how the edges should sit against my bite — but it made sense once they explained it. I talk and shout all day; a veneer that caught wrong would have driven me up the wall. I’m glad they mocked it up first and let me see it before committing.”

That design step is the one he rated highest in the survey, and it is why the repair blends with his own lower teeth rather than announcing itself.

What aftercare looked like back in Gisborne

Te Rangi’s final bite check was at his own NZ dentist three weeks after the trip — booked before he flew, so it was locked in. His dentist reviewed the occlusion and signed the case off, and we received a copy for his file.

He has had one 6-monthly check since, clean, and the veneers have taken a full season on the sideline without a single chip — a sharp contrast to the composite patches that failed twice.

Te Rangi’s three pieces of advice

From his survey response:

1. “Stop paying for patches. I wasted money on composite repairs that kept failing — work out the difference between a patch and a proper fix before you spend anything.”
2. “Tell them how you actually use your mouth. I coach and shout all day, and flagging that changed how they set the bite. It’s worth mentioning anything unusual before the design is locked in.”
3. “Ask about the warranty up front. After two failed repairs at home, knowing the veneers had 7 years of cover was the thing that finally made the call feel safe.”

See also

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

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.