Patient stories
Whetu from Gisborne — 8 Emax Press veneers, full upper smile refresh
Real patient story — a Gisborne artist in her fifties travels to Picasso Dental Clinic in Da Nang for 8 Emax Press veneers. NZD 4,800, 10-day trip, May 2026 prices.
Whetu, 54, a Gisborne artist, travelled to Picasso Dental Clinic in Da Nang for 8 Emax Press veneers across her upper smile — NZD 4,800 total clinical cost (May 2026 Picasso price list, 1 NZD = 15,000 VND), 10-day single trip, with the design agreed 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.
Whetu is 54, a Gisborne artist who paints portraits that hang in galleries up and down the East Coast. Five decades had quietly worn her upper front teeth down — chipped edges, a hairline crack from an old fall, and one incisor that had darkened after root treatment years back. At her own exhibitions she had taken to smiling with her lip drawn flat, and she was tired of seeing herself tagged that way in photos. An Gisborne private clinic had quoted her around NZD 16,000 for the work, and she kept talking herself out of it. We returned a written, itemised NZD quote within 24 hours: 8 Emax Press veneers at NZD 600 per tooth = NZD 4,800 (May 2026 Picasso price list, 1 NZD = 15,000 VND), with a 7-year warranty.
What she weighed up before booking
In her words from the post-trip survey: “I have a painter’s eye for proportion, so I could see exactly what was wrong — and I was terrified of trading one problem for a worse one. I did not want a row of identical white tiles. I wanted my own smile back, just rested. And being far from home if something failed scared me.”
The pre-trip conversation focused on those three points:
- Material: Emax Press, a layerable pressed-ceramic that takes light the way natural enamel does, so it does not read as flat or fake.
- 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: a written warranty, travel reimbursement if a re-do is required, and a New Zealand follow-up care note for her own dentist.
She asked us to keep a touch of asymmetry in the design so it would not look manufactured. Then she booked.
The 10-day trip
| Day | What happened |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | GIS to DAD via Auckland and Singapore. Arrival evening, Vietnam time. Hotel check-in near the Hoang Dieu branch. |
| Day 2 | Consultation 10:00. Photographs, OPG, iTero digital scan. Portrait Sitting design session in the afternoon — shade, edge shape, length, and the deliberate slight asymmetry she wanted. |
| Day 3 | Preparation appointment. 8 upper teeth prepared, 0.3 to 0.5 mm. Temporaries fitted. |
| Days 4–7 | Temporaries phase. We asked her to live with them and report any bite, speech, or aesthetic concerns. She came in on day 5 to soften two edges. |
| Day 8 | Final fit. Bonding, occlusion check, shade-matched in daylight by the window, photographs. |
| Day 9 | Review appointment. Polishing and occlusion re-check. |
| Day 10 | Fly home, DAD via Singapore and Auckland. |
The temporaries phase was the step she rated highest. “I sketched the edges I wanted on a napkin and brought it in. They actually used it.”
What it cost end-to-end
| Line item | NZD |
|---|---|
| 8 Emax Press veneers (clinical) | 4,800 |
| Consultation + OPG + iTero | included |
| Return flight Gisborne to Da Nang | 2,300 |
| Hotel — 10 nights, mid-range | 1,000 |
| Food and local transport | 550 |
| Total | 8,650 |
Against an Gisborne private clinic benchmark of NZD 12,000 to NZD 20,000 for 8 veneers, the gross saving was NZD 7,200 to NZD 15,200, and the net saving after travel was NZD 3,550 to NZD 11,550.
She timed the trip around a quieter spell between two shows.
The thing she didn’t expect
In her words: “I expected to spend the temporaries days fretting about my teeth. Instead I ended up sketching the river and the markets — the light in Da Nang is extraordinary, and I had a whole sketchbook full by the time the veneers went in. The waiting days I had dreaded turned out to be the best part.”
We have added a note to the pre-trip pack suggesting patients plan the temporaries window as proper downtime, not dead time.
What aftercare looked like back in Gisborne
Whetu’s final bite check was at her own NZ dentist about four weeks after the trip. She booked it before flying, so it was confirmed. Her dentist reviewed the occlusion and signed off the case, and we added the report to her file.
She has had one 6-monthly check since, clean, with the next scheduled.
Whetu’s three pieces of advice
From her survey response:
- “Treat the consultation like a creative brief. Tell them what you want your smile to express, not just which teeth to fix — the result came out far more me because I did.”
- “Bring your own references, even rough ones. My napkin sketch of the edges I wanted was taken seriously, and it changed the final shape for the better.”
- “Plan the temporaries days as real time off. Far from being a wait to endure, they became the part of the trip I most enjoyed.”
See also
- Veneers pillar — the protocol, materials, and NZD pricing.
- Veneer care tips — what Whetu was told for home maintenance.
- How long do veneers last — longevity by material.
- Gisborne (regional) 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 Whetu a real patient?
Yes. Whetu 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 tooth = 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.
Can worn and discoloured front teeth be treated with veneers rather than crowns?
Often, yes. Where enough healthy tooth structure remains, conservative Emax Press veneers can rebuild worn edges and mask discolouration with only 0.3 to 0.5 mm of enamel reduction, rather than the heavier preparation a full crown requires. The treating dentist confirms suitability from photos, scans, and an in-person exam.
What warranty applies to Emax Press 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.