Choosing a dental clinic: eight things to check before you book

Before you book with a dental clinic in Ho Chi Minh City, check eight things: the clinic’s operating licence and scope of practice, the practising licence of the dentist who will actually treat you, a written quote that lists what is not included, the warranty terms, how instruments are handled, what happens if something goes wrong, what X-rays and medicines cost, and how changes and cancellations work. Most of this can be checked on the clinic’s website and in one phone call, before you sit in the chair.

A clinic’s reputation is hard to verify, especially if you are new to the city and reading reviews in a language you do not speak. Documents, figures and conditions are easier. This article is written by Dr Đoàn Minh Khôi, BS.CKII (specialist level II, a postgraduate clinical qualification in Vietnam), the person professionally responsible for An Nhiên. None of the checks below says one clinic is better than another; they help you see what you are choosing.

The eight checks at a glance

1. The operating licence and scope of practice

In Vietnam, every clinic receives an operating licence from the health authority, together with an approved scope of professional activity. The scope tells you what the clinic is allowed to do.

Two legal texts bear directly on this. The Law on Medical Examination and Treatment, no. 15/2023/QH15, Article 7 point 20, bans advertising beyond the licensed scope of practice (text on VCCI, in Vietnamese; the point is kept in the consolidated text 26/VBHN-VPQH of 26 February 2026). Decree 342/2025/NĐ-CP, Article 9, requires an ad for medical examination and treatment services to give the facility’s name, address, operating licence number, opening hours and approved scope.

How to check: look for that block of information in the website footer or in the ad itself. If a clinic advertises a service, it should sit inside the stated scope. You can also ask to see the licence at the clinic. We have not found a public online lookup run by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health that we could link to here; if you need to verify a licence, the Department itself is the place to ask.

2. The licence of the dentist who will treat you

The clinic’s licence does not replace each dentist’s own. The person who examines you and does the procedure needs a personal practising licence.

Ask directly: “Which dentist will treat me?” Then ask for their full name, title and licence number. Vietnamese titles you will see: BS (doctor), BS.CKI (specialist level I), BS.CKII (specialist level II), ThS.BS (Master of Science and medical doctor). You may see two names for the licence, “chứng chỉ hành nghề” (practising certificate) and “giấy phép hành nghề” (practising licence), because the 2023 law is moving to the second on a government timetable. Both are documents of the individual dentist.

The person who consults with you and the person who treats you can be different. If you want a particular dentist, ask whether the booking is with that dentist.

3. A written quote, with what is not included

Two quotes for the same work can differ a great deal, partly because they do not include the same items. Take scaling: one private clinic lists 150,000 to 550,000 VND depending on the amount of tartar (Peace Dentistry, read on 5 October 2026), while the Saigon Odonto-Maxillofacial Hospital lists 900,000 VND for scaling and polishing both arches (page dated 2 October 2026). To compare, you need to know what each figure covers.

Three questions worth asking:

1. Which items are included in the quote, and which are not?
2. How long is the quote valid?
3. If something extra turns out to be needed halfway through, how will you tell me before doing it?

For larger work such as an implant, a clear quote separates every item. At An Nhiên, a Korean implant post starts from 14,000,000 VND per post (with the abutment), not including the CT scan, the crown (from 3,500,000 VND), or a bone graft or sinus lift if needed (bone graft from 5,000,000 VND). These are starting prices from the price list updated on 4 October 2026, final in writing after the dentist’s exam. Details are on the dental implants page and the price list.

If you are used to itemised dental bills at home, ask for the same here. A clinic that is willing to list items is usually willing to explain them.

4. Warranty terms, written on a card

A warranty period means little without its conditions. Ask four things: how long it lasts, what it covers (material, laboratory work, workmanship), what you must do to keep it (usually regular review visits), and what it does not cover. Ask for the warranty in writing.

A warranty on materials and workmanship is different from a promise about a biological result. How bone and gums heal depends on the person, and no clinic can warrant that. A very long warranty period with no conditions attached is a reason to ask more questions, not a reason to relax.

5. How instruments are handled

Ask: how are the instruments used on me processed? A useful answer is specific: single-use items thrown away after each patient, reusable instruments cleaned, packed per patient, sterilised, and logged. You can ask to see your pack before the dentist starts.

A good answer is a routine with steps, not a general reassurance.

6. What happens if something goes wrong

After an extraction, implant surgery or root canal treatment, some soreness, tightness or mild swelling for a few days is common. What you need to know in advance: if the pain increases, your face swells, you get a fever or the bleeding will not stop, whom do you call, and at what hours? Ask whether the clinic runs an out-of-hours emergency service. If it does not, it should say so plainly and tell you where to go.

In Vietnam the emergency number is 115. It is worth saving it in your phone along with the clinic’s number.

7. What X-rays and medicines cost

X-rays, CT scans and medicines are often charged separately. For reference, the Saigon Odonto-Maxillofacial Hospital lists a panoramic X-ray at 200,000 VND and a Cone Beam CT (a 3D scan of the jaw bone) at 500,000 VND, with the first consultation free of charge (page dated 2 October 2026).

Ask which scans your case needs, why, how much they cost, and whether they are in the quote. The dentist should tell you the price before the scan is taken. If you have recent X-rays from another clinic, at home or abroad, bring them; the dentist may not need new ones.

8. Changes, cancellations and deposits

Ask how much notice you need to give to change or cancel without a charge, which procedures need a deposit, how much it is, where it is credited, and when it is refunded. These should be on a terms page you can read before booking, not only said over the phone.

The rules on what a clinic’s ads must say

Three documents in force, read on 5 October 2026:

What we could not check: whether a pre-publication approval of advertising content is still required for medical services after 15 February 2026. So this article does not tell you what an “approved” or “unapproved” ad means.

How to read the ads

Dental ads often use an unusually low price for a large treatment, promises about results, warranty periods without conditions, rankings, or satisfaction figures. Each has a question worth asking back. The article on how to read dental ads goes through them one by one.

Location, hours and language

Three practical points matter too. Distance: braces need regular reviews over many months, so a clinic near work is easier to keep up with. Hours: if you work office hours, ask about evenings and Saturdays. Language: if you want explanations in English, ask which dentist can give them, rather than whether “the clinic speaks English”; the receptionist may, while the dentist does not.

If you live or work around Xuân Hòa, Bàn Cờ or Nhiêu Lộc wards (the former District 3), the District 3 page shows how to reach An Nhiên.

When to get a second opinion

Asking another dentist is normal, especially when the plan is long or expensive, when you do not understand why a step is needed, or when you are asked to decide during the consultation itself.

How we do it at An Nhiên

We put each of the eight checks somewhere you can read it yourself:

1. Operating licence no. 000004/SYT-GPHĐ (fictional), scope odonto-stomatology (fictional), on the licences and scope page and in every footer.
2. Names, titles and practising licence numbers (fictional) of the four dentists on the dentists page. When you book, you choose the dentist. Dr Khôi and Dr Võ Thanh Tùng, ThS.BS, explain in English.
3. Starting prices for ten services, with what is not included, on the price list. After a 30-minute check-up (0 VND), you get a written quote valid for 30 days.
4. Crowns 5 years for material and lab work, implant posts 10 years on the manufacturer’s terms, fillings 12 months, on condition of a review every 6 months: see the booking terms.
5. The instrument routine on the clinic page.
6. No emergency service: in hours call 0963 929 241, out of hours call 115.
7. Panoramic X-ray from 200,000 VND and Cone Beam CT from 500,000 VND, only when the dentist asks for one, as listed on 4 October 2026, final after the exam.
8. Free changes or cancellations up to 12 hours before.

For the two things that most often come up at a first visit, read how often to get your teeth cleaned and root canal visits and cost. The steps of a first appointment are on the first visit page.

About the sources

Market prices come from the published lists of each facility, read on 5 October 2026, and may have changed. Decree 342/2025/NĐ-CP and Law 75/2025/QH15 were read through summaries; the list of sources is below. Details about An Nhiên are fictional, for a demo site.

This article is for information only and does not replace an examination and diagnosis by a dentist.