Recently, my sister went to a dental clinic in Japan to make a retainer (the one you wear after braces).
What happened there was both funny and surprising — and she was really impressed by how advanced the process was! 😆
Back in Malaysia, she had already made two retainers before (every year).
At the clinic near our home, the price was counted by each row of teeth —
the upper retainer was 750 MYR, and the lower one was another 750 MYR,
so together it cost about 1500 MYR.
We’re not sure if every clinic in Malaysia charges like that, but hers did.
When she went to a Japanese dentist, the doctor told her the price was 55,000 yen.
She thought, “Oh, that’s about the same as Malaysia. Not bad!”
So she agreed to do it right away.
Then the dentist said, “That’s for three retainers.”
My sister froze and asked, “Three… rows of teeth? 😅”
The dentist laughed and said, “No, no — three sets of retainers, so you can rotate and keep them clean!”
She was so surprised — she always thought dental care in Japan would be expensive,
but this time it was actually cheaper and more convenient.
Another funny part was when the dentist used a scanner to check her teeth during the consultation.
She thought it was just for examination.
Later, when she decided to make the retainer, she asked:
“Do you need to use that clay stuff to make the mold of my teeth?”
The dentist smiled and said, “No need. The scan we did earlier already created the model.”
She was amazed — everything was done digitally!
No sticky clay, no waiting — just scan and go. Technology really is amazing!
Of course, retainers in Japan are not covered by national health insurance,
since they’re not considered a medical treatment.
But the good thing is, you can pay by credit card and use installment payments.
That makes the monthly cost much easier to handle.
If you use insurance for other medical, on the other hand, you can only pay in cash —
so in this case, using a card actually feels more convenient!
Considering the price, the technology, and the overall experience,
it was totally worth it.
This small visit made us realize again how careful and efficient Japanese dentists are —
and also, that not everything in Japan is expensive.
Sometimes, it’s even cheaper and more advanced! ✨