Team
Dr. Emily Nguyen — Cosmetic Dentist and Smile Design Specialist at Picasso
Dr. Emily Nguyen is the lead cosmetic dentist at Picasso Dental Clinic, Ho Chi Minh City — 8+ years and 2,000+ veneer cases, developer of the Portrait Sitting shade-and-shape approval protocol.
Dr. Emily Nguyen is the lead cosmetic dentist and Smile Design Specialist at Picasso Dental Clinic, Ho Chi Minh City. She personally plans and places all cosmetic veneer cases at Picasso, has completed 2,000+ veneer cases over 8+ years at the clinic, and developed the Portrait Sitting protocol — Picasso's patient-led shade and shape approval workflow that ensures no permanent tooth preparation begins before you have approved the result.
Dr. Emily Nguyen is the lead cosmetic dentist and Smile Design Specialist at Picasso Dental Clinic in Ho Chi Minh City. For Australian patients flying to Vietnam for veneers, smile makeovers, or cosmetic treatment, she is the clinician who plans and places the work.
This page covers her clinical background, her approach to smile design, and what Australian patients can expect at every stage of a cosmetic case with her at Picasso.
Clinical profile at a glance
| Role | Lead Cosmetic Dentist and Smile Design Specialist |
| At Picasso Dental Clinic | 8+ years |
| Veneer cases completed | 2,000+ |
| Clinical specialisation | Porcelain veneers, composite veneers, smile makeovers, teeth whitening, pre-prosthetic assessment |
| Protocol developed | Portrait Sitting (shade and shape approval workflow) |
| Qualifications | Vietnamese national dental degree + cosmetic dentistry postgraduate training |
| Languages | Vietnamese, English (fluent), conversational French |
| International patients treated | Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, France |
Aesthetic philosophy
Dr. Nguyen’s approach to cosmetic dentistry is built around three principles that she applies to every Australian patient case.
Conservative preparation. Porcelain veneers at Picasso use 0.3–0.5mm enamel reduction where clinically possible. This is significantly less aggressive than the crown-preparation approach sometimes used elsewhere — sometimes referred to as “Turkey teeth” — where healthy tooth structure is ground down to stumps before veneers are bonded. Conservative preparation preserves the underlying tooth and keeps future treatment options open.
Patient-led shade approval. There is no single correct shade of white for veneers. What looks natural on one person looks artificial on another, depending on skin tone, hair colour, age, and the shade of surrounding teeth. Dr. Nguyen does not select a shade for you — she presents options, explains the visual implications on your specific facial profile, and confirms your approval before the final ceramic is ordered from the lab.
No one-size-fits-all white. A bleached-bright white that photographs well may look uncomfortable in person. Dr. Nguyen’s veneer cases are planned to complement your individual facial aesthetics, not to match a generic “smile transformation” template.
The Portrait Sitting protocol
The Portrait Sitting is the veneer and smile design planning workflow Dr. Nguyen developed at Picasso. It applies to all cosmetic veneer and smile makeover cases.
The protocol has five stages:
1. Photography and facial analysis. Before any tooth preparation. Standardised photographs are taken from multiple angles — front-on, three-quarter profile, relaxed smile, full smile. These are used to analyse facial symmetry, gum line, tooth proportions, and midline before any treatment decisions are made.
2. Shade and shape discussion with the patient. Dr. Nguyen presents shade options against your photographs. The shape discussion covers tooth length, width, edge contour, and how each variable interacts with your specific facial structure. You are an active participant in this stage — not a passive recipient of someone else’s aesthetic judgement.
3. Conservative preparation where clinically possible. For Emax Press porcelain veneers, 0.3–0.5mm enamel reduction. The preparation is calibrated to the specific veneer thickness ordered — not a standard aggressive reduction applied to every case.
4. Temporaries as a test drive. Temporary veneers are placed before the final ceramic is bonded. This gives you a real-world preview of the shape, length, and proportions. If anything needs adjusting — a tooth length that feels too long, a shade that looks different under natural light — it is adjusted at the temporary stage, before the permanent ceramic is made.
5. Final bonding and aftercare handover. The final ceramic veneers are bonded and the bite is checked. Written aftercare instructions are provided before you leave the clinic. For Australian patients flying home within a few days of bonding, the aftercare document is written to be shared with your regular dentist in Australia for any follow-up queries.
The Portrait Sitting protocol exists because Dr. Nguyen identified the most common source of patient dissatisfaction with cosmetic veneers — shade or shape approved in a single rushed appointment, then regretted once bonded. Every stage of the protocol is designed to remove that risk.
Qualifications and training
Dr. Nguyen holds Vietnamese national dental qualifications and has completed postgraduate cosmetic dentistry training. She has been practising at Picasso Dental Clinic in Ho Chi Minh City for 8+ years — all within the same clinical environment, refining the same protocols across 2,000+ veneer cases.
The 2,000+ figure is a documented case count at clinic level. It is confirmable in writing before you book.
What Australian patients experience
Australian patients flying from Sydney or Melbourne for veneers or a smile makeover typically follow this structure with Dr. Nguyen:
Before travel. Submit photos and the free quote form. Dr. Nguyen responds with shade and shape recommendations, a proposed veneer count, and a written AUD plan within 24–48 hours. Most patients have a WhatsApp or video call with her prior to flying.
Day 1. Consultation, photography, shade and shape discussion, wax-up assessment. No preparation happens on day 1 for standard veneer cases — the Portrait Sitting stages are completed first.
Day 2–3. Preparation and temporary placement (where the protocol includes temporaries). You leave with temporaries and an opportunity to assess the shape and length before final ceramic is confirmed.
Day 4–5 (or following trip for full cases). Final bonding, bite check, aftercare handover.
The written plan you receive before travel will confirm the specific itinerary for your case — some cases complete in a single trip; others are staged over two visits depending on complexity.
Treatments Dr. Nguyen is lead clinician for
- Porcelain veneers (Emax Press, full-coverage, and minimal-prep cases)
- Composite veneers
- Smile makeovers
- Teeth whitening (in-chair and take-home)
- Pre-prosthetic cosmetic assessment
- Composite bonding and edge shaping
Implant and full-arch cases are led by Dr. Tran Thanh Phong — see /team/dr-tran-thanh-phong/.
What to verify before booking a cosmetic case
Australian patients booking veneer or smile makeover treatment with Dr. Nguyen are encouraged to confirm in writing:
- That Dr. Nguyen is the named lead clinician for your case
- That the Portrait Sitting protocol (including temporary veneers) applies to your treatment plan
- The veneer material proposed (Emax Press, zirconia, or composite) and why
- The written AUD total, including lab fees and any follow-up included in the plan
- Aftercare provisions and how to contact Picasso from Australia if a question arises post-treatment
Next step
For Australian patients considering veneers or a smile makeover at Picasso, the first step is sending clear photos.
Request a free AUD quote — send front-on and profile smile photos. Dr. Nguyen reviews every cosmetic case personally and responds with shade recommendations, a proposed veneer count, and a full AUD plan within 24–48 hours.