Smile makeover abroad

Serenity by the Shore: Vibrant boats adorn Phuket Island’s beach.

Loren Sirl writes about her globe-trotting dental journey, exploring affordable care options.

I have international teeth — there’s Vietnamese, Thai, Australian, Malaysian and Kiwi — and no they’re not a dazzling gold-filled or diamond-encased show-stopping set.

I can still recall the trips to the school dentist in the early ‘80s and the nurse telling me with a yank of her thick steel hook in my mouth, “You have the worst teeth in the school”. She wasn’t wrong.

For the few lucky ones who breeze through life munching on candy to their heart’s delight without one visit to the dentist — really? But seriously, many of us have teeth nightmares and concerns, often leaving it to the last minute to do something about it — the main reason being the fearful high costs associated with dental treatments.

I hit my 40s and with it the stark cold realisation that my sugar daddy wasn’t going to show up, nor the family inheritance. I had to go cold turkey, somehow. I had to save and work and work some more to afford to fix my teeth. They were fading fast, in colour and shape, years of teeth grinding and held together by countless fillings of all sorts of substances. And still, the quote came in over the top, out the gate, and then some. I had to look at other measures.

I looked overseas. I had heard of cheaper dental work being done in Asia. But was it safe? Was the work actually performed by professional, qualified dentists? I had lots of questions.

My initial tentative steps led me down the wrong path. I headed to Vietnam armed with a recommendation from a teacher in Australia. On arrival, I had my doubts. Surely the gleaming posters of young couples with perfect teeth staring back at me assured me all would be well. I went ahead with the extensive dental work, silently praying I wouldn’t end up looking like Bugs Bunny. Recommendations are good but also go by your gut feeling.

By chance, Australian comedian Glen Robbins sat near me on the flight back. He wanted to know where I had been travelling and I revealed all (I swear he was mentally working out his next act — the subject being my Bugs Bunny glowing over white teeth.)

Within a month of arriving home, abscesses started to form along my gums. I was working on reception one day and the front tooth fell out on the reception desk (hello . . . swelcome to sah home cares . . . can I helpssss you) . . . It wasn’t a good look.

Scrambling around to find an affordable option to rectify the situation I ended up having all the Vietnam teeth removed (10 in total) replacing them with a nasty plate. My Australian uncle was just dying to say, “I told you so”, but thankfully didn’t — my anguished face must have said it all.

I found out the hard way about adjusting to an artificial addition in your mouth — the plate and I didn’t get on too well.

Striking up a friendship with a Thai girl at a local market, I was convinced to try my luck overseas once more. I headed to Bangkok.  I booked a couple of consultations at different places in the busy city, and I had lengthy discussions with the dentists. I was able to make an informed decision going forward. Like I said, worst teeth in primary school. Here I was on a budget with a lot of dentistry work needed.

I proceeded to have work done in Bangkok and Phuket. I discovered Bangkok has many good dentists. Eventually I chose on a local’s recommendation — more of a family clinic than a cosmetic tourist-targeted business. That lower bridge still works well, seven years on, even though the dentist advised it may only last two-and-a-half years. I also visited a large hospital dental clinic as it was easier to get into. This appointment was a last-minute decision on some unplanned extra work required. The dentist I asked for at the hospital came with high recommendations from local Bangkok private dentists. Overall, the work I had done in Thailand was root canals, fillings, bridges, porcelain crowns and extractions.

Finally, I found my go-to dentist and have returned a few times over the past decade. Located in Patong Beach, Phuket, Thailand, my dentist had a sense of humour and managed her staff with a firm and knowledgeable hand. Her English language ability, her accreditations, and human warmth, always wanting to get the best for you to fit in with your budget and time frame, made me feel assured I was in safe hands.

Be prepared to spend time waiting in reception, especially in more popular tourist destinations. The waiting rooms are almost always full of Kiwis and Aussies. It’s a great place to meet people. In fact, I got asked out on a date one day (declined), and got the full story of a surprising Tinder date from another.

A solo mother egged on by work colleagues joined the Tinder website and as a novice, swiped “like” by mistake on a “really hot guy, I mean super-hot”, she kept telling me. Turns out it was love that led to an engagement and a holiday in Thailand for those two. I had my doubts about Mr Super-Hot, but when he sauntered out of the dentist’s room, wowsa, she wasn’t wrong.

It isn’t hard to spot the Aussie bogan in Thailand. Two walked into the waiting room one day sporting black beer singlets and fluorescent miniskirts yelling out in Australian drawl for all to hear, “How much for a filling, we get em in Wagga, reaaall cheap, ya know . . . but Geoff said to come and asks ya, so how much ees it?”

Her braided hair spun around slapping the red sunburnt shoulders, “ees that all, well f... me dead, that’s cheap”. They both nodded excitedly in agreement and walked out.

Each visit to Thailand was about two weeks, depending on the dental work required and allowing for some days of rest in between the more extensive work, like root canals. I discovered a Kiwi-run family business that offer cheap (as low as $5 a day) motorscooters or motorbike hire. There are lots of accommodation options available from budget to high-end. And of course, the local beaches are great for some time out and recovering.

Pros — affordable, quality, many options available. A holiday at the same time.

Cons — If you have any issues, and you are back in your home country, you can’t make a quick dash back to the dentist to sort it out. Be prepared for the ‘bombastic side-eye’ response from your local dentists once they hear where your teeth work was done.

Tips — Ask as many questions as you can before your trip. Emails are usually the best way, due to the time difference. Make sure you’ve allowed enough time for the work you need to get done. Check reviews online, or make sure you get more than one recommendation before booking. As prices worldwide change, it is best to check the website or make contact for up-to-date pricing.