How we vet, score, and stand behind a clinic.
Choosing a clinic in another country is an act of trust. We try to earn the part of that trust that's ours to earn — by showing up in person, scoring what we see against the same six things every time, and keeping our verdict off the market. Here's exactly how it works.
Visited, or simply listed — and we never blur the line.
Every clinic on CareCompass sits in one of two tiers. The difference isn't quality — it's how much we can personally vouch for. We label it plainly so you always know which one you're reading.
Vetted clinics
We visited · March 2026We went in person.
A full CareCompass profile: an in-person visit, a six-point score, an honest verdict, and an indicative price we've seen for ourselves.
- Visited in person, on a date we publish
- Scored 0–10 across six fixed criteria
- A written verdict — including who it's not for
- Indicative, itemised pricing we've reviewed
Directory listings
Listed · not yet visitedReal, but not yet visited.
Known, real Thai clinics we've recorded factually — name, area, services, stated accreditation. No score, no price, no verdict, because we haven't been inside yet.
- Real clinics with factual, neutral profiles
- Only the accreditations the source actually states
- No CareCompass score or verdict — by design
- A starting point for your own research, not a recommendation
A directory listing is never a downgrade and never a paid demotion. It simply means "we haven't visited yet." When we do, it earns a full profile.
Six things, scored the same way every time.
A CareCompass score is the average of six criteria, each rated 0–10. They're fixed, so two clinics are always measured against the same yardstick — never a moving target shaped to flatter a favourite.
Sterilisation & safety
Instrument sterilisation, single-use protocols, water lines, and how openly the clinic shows its process.
Dentist credentials
Training, specialty registration, years in practice, and verifiable case experience for the procedure you're considering.
Technology & lab
Imaging, planning tools, implant systems, and whether lab work is in-house or a trusted partner.
Price transparency
Whether the quote is itemised, what's genuinely included, and how honestly the clinic handles "it depends" cases.
Aftercare & follow-up
Warranty terms, what happens if something goes wrong after you fly home, and how reachable the clinic stays.
English communication
How clearly the team explains options, risks, and costs in English — before, during, and after treatment.
What we actually do when we walk in.
A score only means something if someone stood in the room. On a vetted clinic, here's the ground we cover before we publish a single number.
We watch the sterilisation room
Not a brochure — the actual workflow, equipment, and single-use discipline that protect you from infection.
We check credentials at source
We confirm the treating dentist's training and registration rather than taking a website's word for it.
We see the technology and lab
Imaging, implant systems, and where the crowns and fixtures are actually made.
We sit through a consultation
How options and risks are explained — in plain English, without pressure to commit on the spot.
We pull apart the pricing
Line by line, so the "all-in" number you read here is one we've tested against reality.
We ask the hard aftercare questions
Warranties, complications, and what support looks like once you're back home and a flight away.
Our score and our verdict are not for sale.
This is the line that makes the rest worth reading. We do earn money — and we tell you exactly how — but none of it can move a score, a ranking, or a verdict.
Scores aren't for sale
No clinic can pay to raise its CareCompass score or change a single criterion. The number is ours.
Placement isn't for sale
Where a clinic ranks is editorial. "Featured" is presentation only — clearly labelled, never a ranking lever.
The verdict stays honest
Every vetted profile says who a clinic is not for. If we wouldn't send a friend, we say so.
We disclose how we earn
Listing and forwarding your enquiry are free. We earn a success fee from a clinic only if a referral becomes a treatment — never for placement.
Want the full picture? See exactly how the clinic partner programme works and the terms behind it in our Terms of Service.
The questions people actually ask.
Is it safe to get treatment in Thailand?
Thailand has internationally accredited hospitals and clinics with experienced, specialty-trained clinicians, and it's a long-established destination for medical travel. "Safe" still depends on the specific clinic, the specific clinician, and the specific procedure — which is the whole reason we visit and score individually rather than vouching for a country. Treat anything here as information to help you choose, not medical advice.
Are you really independent if clinics can pay you?
Clinics can pay for a clearly-labelled "Featured" placement, and we earn a success fee when a referral becomes treatment — and neither can touch a score, a ranking, or a verdict. The editorial layer and the revenue layer are kept separate on purpose. If that ever stopped being true, the score would be worthless, and so would we.
Why don't directory listings have a score?
Because we haven't been there. A score implies we stood in the sterilisation room and checked credentials at source. Until we've done that for a specific clinic, putting a number on it would be guessing — and we'd rather show you an honest "not yet visited" than a confident fiction.
How do I know the score is trustworthy?
Every vetted clinic is scored against the same six fixed criteria, from an in-person visit on a date we publish, with a written verdict that includes who it's not for. The criteria don't move between clinics, and no clinic can pay to change them. You can read the full breakdown on each clinic's profile.
Does a clinic have to pay to appear?
No. Listing is free and forwarding your enquiry to a clinic is free. A clinic only pays us if a referral actually becomes treatment, and that fee never affects whether or where it appears. Paid "Featured" placement exists, but it's labelled as presentation and kept out of ranking.
Start with clinics someone actually walked into.
Browse vetted profiles and honest directory listings — and ask for an indicative estimate whenever you're ready.