The 47-Point Audit
Every Clinic Must Pass
Before a clinic appears on SmileJet, our medical review team works through a full 47-point checklist. No exceptions. No shortcuts.
Why we built this framework
Dental tourism saves patients $5,000–$30,000 on complex procedures, but unvetted clinics create real risks — substandard implants, inadequate sterilisation, no aftercare plan. Our 47-point audit was designed with input from the SmileJet Medical Board of Excellence to give you the same confidence you'd expect from a top-tier clinic at home.
A clinic that fails any single mandatory point is removed from our network until the issue is resolved. Points are re-verified at every annual audit.
Credentials & Licensing
Points 1–7 · All mandatory
National dental licence active and in good standing with the host country's regulatory body (e.g. Dental Council of Thailand, College of Dentistry Philippines, CFO Brazil).
Lead implantologist holds a postgraduate qualification in implantology (MSc, MDSc, PhD, FICOI, ICOI fellowship or equivalent) from a recognised university.
All treating dentists hold a primary dental degree (BDS, DMD, DDS or equivalent) from an accredited institution — photocopies verified against originals.
Specialist dentists (prosthodontist, endodontist, oral surgeon, orthodontist) hold board-recognised specialist registration where required by local law.
No active or unresolved disciplinary action against any principal treating dentist on the national dental register at the time of audit.
Clinic holds valid institutional liability/malpractice insurance with coverage for international patients.
Medical Director or Lead Dentist has a minimum of 10 years of verifiable clinical experience post-graduation, with case records available on request.
Facility & Equipment
Points 8–15 · All mandatory
Clinic operates from a permanently registered medical premises (not a temporary or shared space) with a valid operating licence issued by local health authorities.
Dedicated surgical suite for implant procedures with laminar-flow ventilation or equivalent air-quality standard to reduce airborne contamination.
On-site CBCT (cone-beam CT) scanner or confirmed referral agreement with a CBCT provider within 10 km — pre-surgical 3D imaging is non-negotiable for implant planning.
Digital OPG (panoramic X-ray) with same-day reporting available on-site.
CAD/CAM milling or confirmed same-city lab relationship for same-week crown and prosthetic turnaround times.
Dental chair units are from ISO-certified manufacturers, serviced annually, with calibration certificates on file.
Emergency resuscitation equipment (AED, oxygen, emergency medications) present in the clinic with at least one staff member holding a valid first-aid/BLS certification.
Accessible waiting area and treatment rooms that comply with local disability-access regulations; elevator or ground-floor access for mobility-impaired patients.
Sterilisation & Infection Control
Points 16–22 · All mandatory
Class B autoclave (vacuum autoclave) on-site, serviced and validated to EN 13060 or ISO 17665 standards, with a current validation certificate.
Spore test (biological indicator) results logged at least monthly, records retained for a minimum of 5 years and available for inspection.
Single-use instruments (needles, suction tips, impression trays, burs) disposed of after each patient — verified by direct observation during the site visit.
Documented written infection-control protocol aligned with WHO or local equivalent guidelines, reviewed and updated within the last 12 months.
Clinical staff trained in standard precautions (PPE, hand hygiene, sharps disposal) with training records signed and dated within the past 24 months.
Cross-contamination pathway audit: clear separation between dirty (decontamination) and clean (sterile) zones within the central sterilisation area.
Hepatitis B vaccination offered to or confirmed for all clinical staff with direct patient contact.
See which clinics passed all 47 points
Every SmileJet-verified clinic has a public audit badge on their profile.
Implant & Material Standards
Points 23–29 · All mandatory
SmileJet-approved implant systems
Clinics may only use other systems with written pre-approval from the SmileJet Medical Board.
Clinic uses exclusively implant systems from the SmileJet-approved brand list (see above) — all fixtures, abutments, and surgical kits must be original manufacturer components, not third-party copies.
Traceability requirement: each implant placed must be logged with batch/lot number, expiry date, and patient record so that a component recall can be actioned within 24 hours.
Zirconia and porcelain crowns use ceramic blocks or pressed material from ISO-certified dental labs; brand and batch documented in the patient record.
No composite resin marketed as "porcelain" or "zirconia" — material descriptions in quotes, treatment plans, and invoices must match the materials actually placed.
Bone grafting material (xenograft, synthetic, or allograft) sourced from a supplier holding CE, FDA, or equivalent regulatory clearance; packaging retained until after surgery.
Collagen membranes and barrier membranes for guided bone regeneration must be from a CE/FDA-cleared manufacturer; not substituted with locally produced non-certified material.
Implant warranty documentation provided to the patient in their language, clearly stating the manufacturer's warranty period and the clinic's own workmanship guarantee (minimum 5 years on placement).
Patient Care & Communication
Points 30–36 · All mandatory
English-speaking coordinator (or confirmed interpreter service) available throughout the patient journey — consultation, surgical appointments, discharge, and aftercare calls.
Written treatment plan issued to the patient before any irreversible treatment begins, itemising each procedure, the materials to be used, and the all-inclusive fixed price in USD or AUD.
Informed consent obtained in writing in the patient's language, covering risks, alternatives, and the expected recovery timeline — signed and witnessed before the first invasive procedure.
Comprehensive medical history intake including allergy screening, medication review, and cardiovascular risk assessment prior to any sedation or surgical procedure.
Post-operative care instructions provided in writing; clinic-assigned contact number available for 30 days post-procedure to handle complications or urgent questions.
Documented protocol for emergency referral to the nearest accredited hospital, including after-hours emergency contact numbers provided to each patient on discharge.
Patient medical records and X-rays supplied in full to the patient (or their home dentist) upon request within 7 business days at no additional charge.
Financial Transparency
Points 37–41 · All mandatory
Published price list (accessible on SmileJet profile or on request) for the clinic's ten most common procedures with clear notation of what is and isn't included (anaesthesia, X-rays, temporary restorations, follow-up).
No post-consultation price increases beyond what is clinically justified by a change in treatment scope discovered during procedure — any additional cost must be explained and agreed in writing before proceeding.
Deposit and payment schedule clearly stated in advance; cancellation and refund policy written in plain English and provided to the patient before they book flights.
Itemised tax invoice issued within 48 hours of completing treatment, showing each procedure, material, and fee individually — suitable for health insurance reimbursement claims.
No referral kickbacks: the clinic agrees in writing that no commission or benefit is paid to third parties (travel agents, hotel concierges) in exchange for patient referrals that inflate the patient's cost.
Ongoing Monitoring
Points 42–47 · All mandatory
Full 47-point re-audit conducted every 12 months; any clinic that declines or fails to schedule a re-audit is suspended from the SmileJet network within 30 days of the audit due date.
Patient satisfaction survey sent to 100% of SmileJet-referred patients at 7 days and 6 months post-treatment; a sustained satisfaction score below 4.2/5.0 triggers an unannounced audit.
Complaint escalation pathway: any SmileJet patient complaint is acknowledged within 24 hours and formally resolved within 14 business days; clinics that fail two consecutive resolutions are removed.
Significant adverse events (failed implant, serious post-op infection, nerve injury) must be reported to SmileJet within 72 hours; a root-cause analysis submitted within 30 days.
SmileJet reserves the right to conduct an unannounced spot inspection at any time; refusal of entry is grounds for immediate network suspension.
Annual review of regulatory changes in the clinic's home country; clinics must update their compliance documentation whenever a new law or guideline affects dental practice standards.
AI Audit & Review Integrity
Automated layer · Continuous monitoring
On top of our human 47-point audit, every clinic profile carries a SmileJet AI Audit Score generated by our proprietary review-and-signal analysis algorithm. The algorithm forms an automated, opinion-based assessment from publicly available information — including aggregated third-party reviews, clinic-published content, marketing claims, and independent open-source signals — and assigns a score across multiple dimensions (authenticity, treatment quality, cleanliness, team, price value, and tourist suitability).
We believe patients deserve to know not just what a clinic claims, but how those claims hold up against independent signals. The AI Audit is designed to surface that gap.
Signals our algorithm penalises
Score adjustments — not allegations against any specific clinic
SmileJet takes patient trust seriously. Our AI Audit algorithm applies meaningful score reductions wherever it detects signals that, in its assessment, may indicate any of the following — because these are the patterns most likely to mislead patients researching life-changing dental work abroad:
- 1 Review-pattern anomalies — clusters, timing, language, or sentiment patterns the model flags as inconsistent with organic patient behaviour, including signals consistent with incentivised, solicited, or coordinated reviews.
- 2 Unverifiable or potentially overstated credentials — claims about a dentist's experience, qualifications, specialist registration, fellowships, or training that the algorithm cannot corroborate against independent public sources.
- 3 Misleading marketing language — material discrepancies between published claims (about materials, brands, technology, outcomes, or pricing) and signals available in independent sources.
- 4 Patterns suggestive of unethical conduct toward patients — recurring independent signals consistent with bait-and-switch pricing, undisclosed material substitutions, suppressed negative feedback, or other behaviours that may mislead patients.
- 5 Limited independent corroboration — clinics with thin, single-source, or one-sided public footprints receive lower confidence ratings, and the score is weighted accordingly.
Opinion, not verdict
The AI Audit Score is an automated, opinion-based assessment generated by software. It is not a verified statement of fact, a professional medical opinion, or an accusation of wrongdoing against any particular clinic or practitioner. Individual patient experiences may differ from the algorithm's assessment.
Clinic right of reply
Any clinic may request a review of its AI Audit Score by contacting our Trust & Safety team with supporting documentation. Where additional verifiable evidence is provided, the algorithm re-evaluates the relevant signals and scores are updated accordingly.
What happens when a clinic fails an audit point?
Immediate Flag
The failed point is logged in our system and the clinic's SmileJet profile is flagged "Audit Under Review" — visible to patients considering booking.
30-Day Remediation Window
The clinic receives a written remediation notice with exactly what must be fixed. For critical safety failures (sterilisation, licence), new bookings are paused immediately.
Verify or Remove
If the issue is resolved and verified by re-inspection, the flag is lifted. If not resolved within 30 days, the clinic is permanently removed from SmileJet with no further appeals.
Backed by the SmileJet Guarantee
The audit is just one layer. Here is what SmileJet personally guarantees to every patient who books through us.
Price Lock Guarantee
The price quoted in your written treatment plan is the price you pay. If a clinic tries to charge more without documented clinical justification, SmileJet covers the difference up to $500 AUD.
Complication Cover
If a SmileJet-referred implant fails within 12 months due to a clinic error (not patient non-compliance), we coordinate and fund the remedial procedure at the same clinic or an equivalent.
24/7 Concierge
Your dedicated care coordinator is on call from the moment you land to 30 days after you return home — for questions, emergencies, or translating post-op instructions for your home dentist.
Ready to book with confidence?
Every clinic you see on SmileJet has passed all 47 points. Get a free, personalised quote from our top-rated partners within 24 hours.
The SmileJet audit framework is a proprietary due-diligence process and does not constitute a guarantee of clinical outcomes. The SmileJet AI Audit Score is an automated, opinion-based assessment generated by software from publicly available information; it is not a verified statement of fact, a professional medical opinion, or an accusation of wrongdoing against any specific clinic or practitioner. SmileJet is a marketplace platform and is not a healthcare provider. Always consult your home dentist before undertaking overseas dental treatment. Audit criteria and AI scoring methodology are reviewed periodically and are subject to change.