Keen for a holiday? Want a new look? Got bad teeth? These seemingly unrelated questions are being answered by a new type of travel: cosmetic surgery and dental tourism.

More and more people are avoiding prohibitively expensive cosmetic surgery costs or dental bills by heading to far-flung destinations and seeking out the treatment there.

And tourism operators have sprung up to hold the hands of those opting for overseas treatment.

As Roy Watson, director of Absolutely Thailand Dental Makeover Vacations puts it, this type of service takes the worry out of travelling to an unfamiliar country and deciding which health provider to go to.

"We look after the client from the moment they get off the plane until the moment they fly out again," he says.

Watson runs dental trips to Chiangmai in Thailand.

"As a guide, the dental costs there are about a quarter to a third of the price they are in New Zealand. The clinics are of the very highest standard and have the ISO international quality standard certification, so any concerns of patients about substandard care are alleviated."

"Take into account the opportunity to travel abroad and enjoy the most European city in South America, with passion and entertainment to rival any major city in the world, and you have a substantial package," says Gooch.