Dental emergency in Ho Chi Minh City: what to do as a traveller

Step by step

Six steps, in the order most travellers need them.

1. Know the number. The UK government's travel advice for Vietnam gives 115 for an ambulance. Save it in your phone before you need it.
2. Call your travel insurer. Ask whether the insurer must approve treatment first, and whether it can point you to a clinic or hospital nearby.
3. Find an open clinic. Ask your hotel desk, search a map app for "dental clinic" or "nha khoa", and message the clinic before you go.
4. Bring your papers. Take your passport, your insurance policy number, a list of the medicines you take and any dental records on your phone.
5. Ask for a price first. Ask what today's visit will cost, and ask for a written invoice in English for your claim.
6. Ask about the plan. Ask the dentist to explain the plan in writing, so your dentist at home can read it later.

Source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office travel advice for Vietnam, health section, read on 11 November 2026.

Common problems on a trip

A sore tooth, a chipped tooth or a lost filling or crown can all happen on a trip. We give no first aid steps for any of them, because what to do is for the dentist who sees you to decide.

When you contact a clinic:

• Say what happened.
• Send a clear photo if you can.
• Say the date you fly home.

If the problem follows dental work done in the city, contact the clinic that did the work first. It holds your records. If you cannot reach it, see another dentist and keep all your papers.

Who to contact first

This is our own planning table, built from the steps above. It does not judge how serious your problem is. Only a doctor or dentist can do that.

What does an emergency visit cost?

We do not list emergency prices, because we found no current source for them.

Ask the clinic what the visit will cost before treatment starts, and ask for the price in writing in the same chat. Pay by card if you want a record for your insurer, and check your card terms for any foreign transaction fee.

Insurance, Medicare and your claim

Your own policy decides what is paid, so check it before you rely on it.

• Britain's official Vietnam travel page tells visitors to check that their insurance pays for treatment and for evacuation.
• We could not open a Services Australia page that answers whether Medicare pays anything in Vietnam, so ask Services Australia directly rather than assume it does.
• What your travel insurance pays for dental care, and any limit, is set by your own policy: read its wording or ask the insurer in writing.
• If you live in New Zealand, run the same checks with your insurer.

Before you leave the clinic, take photos of every page you were given.

Source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office travel advice for Vietnam, health section, read on 11 November 2026.

Phrases for an urgent visit

Show these on your screen if the front desk does not speak English. The main guide has a second set for booking a routine visit.

Your insurance claim checklist

Gather these before you leave the clinic. Your insurer's own list is the one that counts.

A message you can copy to a clinic

A first message that holds the key facts saves a round of questions. Copy this into WhatsApp or Zalo, fill the gaps and attach a clear photo of the tooth.

• Hello. I am a visitor from Australia and I have a dental problem.
• What happened: (for example, a filling fell out on the lower left).
• Pain from 1 to 10: (number).
• Swelling: yes or no.
• I take these medicines: (list).
• I fly home on: (date).
• Do you have an English speaking dentist free today or tomorrow morning?
• What will the first visit cost?

You can send it to more than one clinic. Ask the clinic to confirm the price in writing in the same chat, so you have a record for your claim.

What to ask your insurer on the phone

• Does my policy cover sudden dental pain or a broken tooth overseas, and what is the limit?
• Do I need your approval before treatment, or can I claim afterwards?
• Can you name a clinic or hospital near my hotel?
• Which papers do you need for the claim, and in what language?

Write down the name of the person you spoke to and the call reference number.

Late at night or on a public holiday

Opening hours vary from clinic to clinic. If you cannot find an open clinic, ask your travel insurer where to go. You can also message two or three clinics in the evening and ask for the first slot the next morning.

After you get home

Book in with your own dentist after you land, and take the X-rays, the invoice and any notes. Your dentist will decide what comes next.

If you are planning bigger work in the city later, the main guide covers costs and booking, and the district guide helps you pick where to stay.