In Japan, we always had our 6 month cleanings done at a Japanese dentist. The cost for a cleaning there was about 6000 Yen ($60) per person. Our gov't insurance paid for half of that. We were never really impressed with the service, but it was good enough to get us to the states for more thorough work. In the U.S., our insurance did not pay as much for dental and of course the price for dental work was much higher.
A few years ago, we started getting our dental work done in Bangkok whenever we traveled through there on our adventures. Dental White Clinic http://www.dentalwhiteclinic.com/information/ on Soi 22 in the Sukhumvit area was highly recommended and it did not disappoint. Also, it was very close to the best laundry service (we think) in Bangkok, Super White Laundry. We always killed two birds with one stone...clean teeth and clean laundry, all in one morning!
Now that we have moved to Chiang Mai, we needed to find a dentist here. After a little internet research and asking around, we settled on Elite Smile Dental Clinic http://www.elitesmiledentalclinic.com/free&duration.php very near our Thai language school. We gave them a call and had an appointment confirmed for two days later. They did say that they could have taken us the same day we called. Now that's service!
The office is very modern and the receptionist took us right in and had us fill out very little paperwork, compared to any new visit to a dentist or doc in the U.S., which takes over a half hour just for paperwork, insurance forms, etc. After that, we went upstairs to the waiting room with free wifi. It should have been named a 'pit stop room' because I couldn't even get my laptop out of my bag before I was called back for my cleaning. Lori was called a few minutes after me to go into another exam room for her check-up.
When you go to a Thai dentist for a cleaning, the actual dentist does the cleaning, not a hygienist. Dr. Mint (Her self-proclaimed shortened name because I could never pronounce her Thai name) began with the little motorized rotor brush (like they use in Japan), so I wasn't exuding a lot of confidence in the quality of the cleaning so far. Well, that changed immediately when she pulled out the handheld metal pick and started digging around in all my trouble spots where plaque builds up. After that, I received a nice polishing. Overall, I am happy to report no cavities, no pain, and very quick service.
Lori and I went in around 10 AM and we were both out in 30 minutes. We compared notes and both marveled about how fast, yet thorough, it was.
My cleaning came to 600 Baht ($18) but Lori's was a little more at 800 Baht ($25). At the request of her dentist, she also had upper and lower x-rays done for 400 baht ($12). If you are keeping track, that is 1800 Baht, or just $55 total, for two cleanings and an x-ray. The check-up and consultation are always free.
I have given you the website of both clinics so that you can check out the prices for their services and compare them to your own clinic. With prices like these, you can see why we don't need insurance and it benefits us while in Southeast Asia to just pay cash as needed for medical or dental services.