How to read dental ads: phrases worth questioning

A dental ad is worth considering when you can check what it says. Each kind of promise has a question you can ask back. And under the rules now in force in Vietnam, an ad for medical examination and treatment services must give the facility’s name, address, operating licence number, opening hours and scope of practice. If those are missing, that is the first thing to ask about.

This article is by Dr Đoàn Minh Khôi, BS.CKII (specialist level II, a postgraduate clinical qualification in Vietnam). It names no clinic; the phrases below are common patterns, not quotes from any particular ad. Many ads you will see in Ho Chi Minh City are in Vietnamese, so we give the Vietnamese wording where it helps.

Seven kinds of claim worth questioning

None of these questions is difficult. A clinic that works transparently can answer them in writing.

Why these questions matter

Price. A complete implant quote has several items: a CT scan, the post, the abutment, the crown, sometimes a bone graft. A braces quote covers the exam, X-rays, appliances, review visits and retainers, and sometimes extractions or orthodontic screws. A single figure with no list of exclusions is not yet a quote.

Results and sensations. The amended Advertising Law 75/2025/QH15 (in force from 1 January 2026) requires ads to be truthful, accurate and clear, and not misleading about features, quality or effects (according to an article in the People’s Court Journal). A firm promise about a treatment result sits uneasily with that, because results depend on each person’s body.

Warranty. A warranty means something when it states the period, what is covered (material, laboratory work, workmanship), what you must do to keep it (usually regular reviews) and what is excluded. Nobody can warrant how bone or gums will heal.

Rankings and figures. We have found no way for a reader to check a satisfaction rate or a place in a ranking. What you can check is the licence, the dentist’s name, the starting price and the conditions written on paper.

Before-and-after photos. One person’s photo shows only that person’s teeth. Your teeth, bone and habits differ. If you look at such photos, ask whether they are real or illustrations, and how the dentist would assess your own case after an exam.

Online ads. The same summary of Law 75/2025/QH15 says online ads must be identifiable as ads, and sponsored posts by influencers must be kept distinct from ordinary posts. When you read a “my experience” post about a clinic, look for a label saying it is an ad.

What a clinic’s ads must include

How to use the table: look for the five items from Article 9 in the ad or in the website footer. If a service is advertised, ask whether it falls inside the scope written on the licence.

What we could not check: whether a pre-publication approval of advertising content is still required for medical services after 15 February 2026. We have not read the full text of Decree 342/2025/NĐ-CP, so we do not say what an “approved” ad means.

How we apply this to ourselves at An Nhiên

This website is an ad too, so we put the same questions to ourselves:

• Name, address, operating licence number, opening hours and scope of practice (all fictional, for a demo) in every footer and on the licences and scope page, with each dentist’s practising licence number.
• Prices only as “from”, with the list date of 4 October 2026, “final after the exam” and a column of what is not included, on the price list. The 30-minute check-up costs 0 VND; X-rays are charged separately when the dentist asks for them.
• No patient reviews or star ratings. The figures on the home page are measurable facts about the clinic itself, labelled as figures of the demo.
• The pictures on the before and after page are line drawings, captioned: “These illustrations show how a treatment works. They are not the result of any one patient. Results vary from person to person.”
• The warranty states the period, what is covered, the condition of a review every 6 months, and what is excluded.
• Questions about prices, booking and care are answered on the FAQ page.

If you are comparing several clinics, choosing a dental clinic brings together eight things to check before you book.

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