Saving $73,000: How I Got Full Mouth Implants in Vietnam
Instead of Paying $100K in the USA

Ok so this is gonna be long but i need to write this all down while its fresh because what i just went through was absolutely insane. Two years ago my dentist back home told me replacing my deteriorating teeth would cost over $100,000 and take like 1-2 YEARS. I literally walked out and was like yeah… im just gonna wait until something actually breaks lol. Well. That was stupid.

Why I Finally Had To Do Something

So heres what happened. Everything started falling apart at once basically. I lost an implant, which sucked. Then this 36 year old bridge i had started causing serious pain because apparently i still had nerves in the supporting teeth?? Which seems like something someone should have mentioned earlier but whatever. My bottom teeth were getting loose which was terrifying, and THEN – this is the worst part – i had two implants that were literally protruding into my right sinus cavity and causing frequent nosebleeds. Like id just be sitting there and suddenly blood everywhere. It was disgusting and scary and i knew i couldnt put this off anymore.

I went to a local specialist who supposedly knew what he was doing with implants and his quote was HIGHER than my regular dentist. Im talking like $120,000+. At that point i was like you know what, theres gotta be another option because this is absolutely ridiculous. Started researching alternatives and thats when i found out about dental tourism in Vietnam.

I’ll be honest, at first i was super skeptical. Like flying to another country for major dental surgery sounds completely crazy right?? But i kept reading stories and looking at before/after photos and the more i researched the more legit it seemed. Thats when i found SmileJet and they connected me with their network in Ho Chi Minh City. I had a consultation call with Dr Andy who went through everything and honestly he seemed more thorough than my dentist at home. His prices were… like a fraction of what i was quoted. So i thought screw it, what do i have to lose at this point.

Getting There – Moving Fast

Three weeks ago i flew to HCMC and honestly it all happened so fast my head was spinning. SmileJet coordinated everything which was good because i would have been completely lost trying to figure this out myself. Had my consultation on Tuesday where they did scans and x-rays and Dr Andy explained just how much work needed to be done. Im not gonna lie, when he listed everything out i was like oh shit this is actually really serious.

Surgery was scheduled for Wednesday. WEDNESDAY. Like less than 48 hours after i arrived in Vietnam i was going under for major dental surgery. Part of me was freaking out but another part was like well im already here so lets just do this.

The Surgery – This Was A Lot

Ok so heres what they had to do and its honestly wild:

• Extract 15 teeth (FIFTEEN)
• Remove 3 existing implants that were failing
• Do a sinus lift and bone graft where my previous implants had been poking into my sinus (this was apparently really important)
• Place 9 new implants – 4 on bottom, 5 on top

The surgery itself was completely pain free because thank god they put me under. I dont remember anything which is probably for the best because that sounds horrific lol. When i woke up i was just… numb. Like my entire face felt like it wasnt there. They gave me temporary bridges right away – 12 teeth on bottom, 10 on top. No teeth over the sinus lift area which makes sense i guess.

Now heres the real talk that nobody wants to hear but im gonna be honest about. Most patients apparently have minimal discomfort but my case was really extensive so… yeah it wasnt pain free. The prescription they gave me was for STRONG pain medication which should have been my first clue this wasnt gonna be a walk in the park.

Recovery – The Not So Fun Part

Its been three weeks now and im still dealing with discomfort honestly. Mornings are usually ok like i wake up and feel pretty normal, but by evening my mouth is just aching. Its getting better every day which is good but its definately not the easy recovery i was hoping for. The swelling has been insane too – like i looked like a chipmunk for the first week and even now im still puffy.

Im on a soft diet for at least three months which is annoying but makes sense. Can only chew on my left side because of the sinus lift on the right. Living on soup, smoothies, mashed potatoes, yogurt… im so sick of soft food already lol. But the alternative is messing up $27,000 worth of dental work so i guess ill deal with it.

Using a Waterpik like 4-5 times a day because keeping everything clean is super important apparently. Still too swollen to floss properly which is frustrating because i feel like i cant get everything clean enough. One of the upper implants is hidden under my gums and will stay there for 6-12 months depending on how things heal. I have to go back in 6 months for the next stage unless something goes wrong before then.

Not gonna lie, there have been moments where ive thought “did i make the right decision” because recovery has been harder than expected. But then i remember what my options were at home and… yeah this was still the right call.

Vietnam While Recovering

I spent about a week in HCMC before flying home and honestly even though i was in pain i tried to enjoy some of it. The city is absolutely chaotic – motorbikes EVERYWHERE, like crossing the street is genuinely terrifying lol. But also kind of amazing? Everyone was really friendly and helpful even with the language barrier.

I mostly stayed near my hotel because i wasnt feeling great but i did wander around a bit. The food smells were torture because i could only eat soft stuff but watching people eat pho and banh mi was its own form of suffering haha. Coffee there is so good and so cheap, like $1.50 for amazing iced coffee. I was getting one every morning just to feel somewhat normal.

SmileJet checked in on me a few times while i was there which was reassuring. Like they didnt just dump me at the clinic and disappear, they actually made sure i was ok and had what i needed. The clinic staff were great too, very attentive and patient with all my nervous questions.

The Money Talk – This Is Important

Total cost through SmileJet was $27,000. Let me break down what that included:

• Extracting 15 teeth and 3 failed implants
• Sinus lift and bone grafting (complex work)
• 9 new implants placed
• Temporary bridges (12 teeth bottom, 10 teeth top)
• All consultations and follow-ups
• Post-op care instructions and medications

Back home? Over $100,000. Probably closer to $120,000 with the specialist. $27,000 is less than 30% of what id have paid domestically for the exact same work. Even with flights and hotel and food, i still saved like $70,000+. Thats life changing money. I could buy a car, put a down payment on a house, actually have savings… the difference is insane.

Was it worth the travel and dealing with recovery in a foreign country? Honestly… yes. Even with the harder recovery than expected, even with the discomfort im still dealing with, the money i saved makes it worth it. And the quality of work seems really good – Dr Andy clearly knew what he was doing with the complex sinus lift and bone grafting.

Real Talk – Its Not All Perfect

I want to be really honest here because i think alot of testimonials make this sound like its easy and perfect and pain free. For me it wasnt. Recovery has been rough. Im still swollen, still having evening pain, still on a restricted diet, still worried about whether everything will heal properly. The rightmost implant being buried for 6-12 months is nerve wracking because what if something goes wrong with it?

I also wont know the final results for months still. I have to go back in 6 months for the next stage and then probably again after that for final teeth. So this isnt over yet and theres still uncertainty about how it’ll all turn out.

But you know what? Even with all that… i still think this was the right decision. Because the alternative was either paying an absolutely insane amount of money at home OR just continuing to live with deteriorating teeth, nosebleeds from sinus-protruding implants, and constant pain from my old bridge. Both of those options sucked worse than what im dealing with now.

Would I Recommend This?

Honestly? It depends on your situation. If you need major work like i did and cant afford the prices at home, then yeah absolutely consider Vietnam. The quality is legit and the savings are real. SmileJet made the coordination way easier than trying to figure it out myself.

BUT – and this is important – if your case is complex like mine was, be prepared for a harder recovery than you might read about online. Not everyone has an easy time. Make sure you can take time off work, have someone to help you at home if needed, and are ok with the uncertainty of healing in stages over many months.

Also make sure you go through someone reputable like SmileJet who can connect you with experienced dentists. Dont just book random clinics online because if something goes wrong youre screwed. Do your research, ask lots of questions, and make sure youre comfortable with the dentist before committing.

Final Thoughts

Im three weeks post-surgery, still swollen, still on soft foods, still dealing with discomfort. But my teeth arent falling out anymore, im not getting random nosebleeds from implants poking into my sinuses, and in a few months ill hopefully have a full set of permanent teeth that actually work properly. And i saved over $70,000.

So yeah. Was it scary? Yes. Was it easy? No. Was it worth it? I think so.

If you’re in a similar situation where you need extensive dental work and cant afford domestic prices, seriously look into Vietnam. Just go in with realistic expectations about recovery and make sure you work with reputable people like SmileJet who know what theyre doing.

Feel free to ask questions if anyone has them – im happy to share more details about the process or recovery or whatever. This is a big decision and i know how overwhelming it is trying to figure out if its the right choice.

Thanks to SmileJet and Dr Andy for getting me through this. Still a ways to go but im hopeful about the final results.