DENTAL GUIDES
Dental guides
Good treatment decisions usually begin with a better question. These guides focus on the points that are easy to oversimplify when comparing dental treatment abroad: how much tooth tissue is involved, whether a procedure is staged, when imaging changes the plan, what risk factors matter and what you should clarify before you travel.
Implants and missing teeth
Dental implant or bridge?
An implant may preserve healthy neighbouring teeth but involves surgery and healing.
What happens before dental implant treatment?
Implant planning is more than measuring bone on a scan.
Do I need a CBCT scan for dental implants?
A useful distinction is between initial assessment and presurgical implant planning.
What does “not enough bone” mean?
It can mean insufficient ridge width, insufficient height, an unfavourable ridge shape or a close anatomical structure.
Can an implant be placed immediately after extraction?
Sometimes.
Immediate implant, temporary tooth and immediate loading are not the same thing
Immediate placement means putting an implant into the socket at extraction.
How smoking affects dental implant planning
Smoking is not an automatic ban on implant treatment, but it is not a trivial lifestyle detail either.
Is diabetes a contraindication to dental implants?
Not automatically.
Peri-implant inflammation: what should you look for?
Bleeding during cleaning, swelling or discharge around an implant should prompt dental assessment, even without pain.
How long do dental implants last?
There is no honest single expiry date for a dental implant.
Dental implant aftercare
Implant aftercare has two very different phases: the early period after surgery and the long-term maintenance of the implant and restoration.
Veneers, crowns and colour
Porcelain veneers or zirconia crowns?
A porcelain veneer covers mainly the front of a tooth.
Porcelain veneers or composite bonding?
Composite bonding is placed directly and can often be added or repaired with little tooth reduction.
Do teeth always need to be shaved for veneers?
Some teeth can receive veneers with little or no preparation.
Crown or veneer: the basic difference
A veneer covers part of the tooth.
Zirconia and other all-ceramic crowns
Zirconia is an all-ceramic material.
Why can teeth feel sensitive after whitening?
Temporary tooth sensitivity is a common adverse effect of peroxide-based whitening.
Teeth whitening or dental cleaning: which addresses the problem?
Dental cleaning removes plaque, hardened deposits called calculus, and some surface stains.
Why do gums, lips and the bite matter in smile planning?
The appearance of a smile depends on more than tooth shape and shade.
Are no-prep veneers suitable for everyone?
No.
Restorations, roots and tooth symptoms
After root canal treatment: caring for the tooth
After root canal treatment, protect the tooth until its final restoration is complete, keep it clean and follow the instructions given at your appointment.
When is root canal retreatment considered?
Root canal retreatment may be considered when a previously treated tooth has persistent or new disease that can reasonably be addressed by reopening its canals.
Could pain when biting mean a cracked tooth?
A cracked tooth may cause a sharp pain when biting or releasing pressure, intermittent temperature sensitivity, or discomfort that is hard to locate.
Does a deep cavity always need a root canal?
No.
Filling, inlay, onlay or crown: how is the choice made?
A filling repairs a defect, an inlay fits within the cusps, an onlay covers one or more cusps, and a full crown surrounds more of the prepared tooth.
Why can a root-treated tooth hurt again?
A root-treated tooth can hurt because the living tissues around its root remain sensitive, the bite is overloading it, a crack or restoration problem is present, or persistent or new disease has developed.
Does every root-treated tooth need a crown?
No.
Do fillings, crowns and veneers whiten with natural teeth?
Ordinary tooth bleaching does not reliably lighten fillings, crowns or veneers in step with natural teeth.
When should an old dental filling be replaced?
A filling does not need replacement simply because it is old or has a stained edge.
Cavities in baby teeth: why they need assessment
Baby teeth can develop pain, infection and difficulty functioning before they are ready to fall out.
Daily care, symptoms and dental visits
Dental anxiety: preparing for your first visit
Tell the practice that you are anxious before the appointment and explain what is difficult for you.
Toothache: when to seek urgent help
Toothache needs prompt dental assessment when it is severe, worsening, persistent or accompanied by swelling, fever, discharge or pain on biting.
Caring for your mouth after a tooth extraction
Protect the clot in the extraction socket, avoid disturbing the wound and follow the instructions given for your procedure.
Bleeding gums: causes and when to get checked
Repeated gum bleeding is a reason for a dental assessment, even when it does not hurt.
Why are my teeth sensitive?
Short, sharp pain with cold, sweet food or brushing can come from exposed dentine, but decay, a crack, a restoration problem or pulp inflammation may feel similar.
Do all wisdom teeth need to be removed?
No.
How to brush your teeth: a routine you can adapt
Brush twice daily for about two minutes with fluoride toothpaste, including before bed.
Bad breath: dental and gum-related causes
Persistent bad breath often has an oral source, such as tongue coating, plaque, gum inflammation, trapped food or a damaged tooth or restoration.
When should a child have their first dental visit?
Plan the first dental assessment when the first tooth appears and no later than the first birthday.
What causes tooth decay?
Tooth decay develops when repeated acid production in dental plaque causes tooth mineral to be lost faster than it is replaced.
Dental floss or interdental brushes: which should you use?
Floss may be suitable where tooth contacts are too tight for a brush.
How often should you have a dental check-up?
The appropriate interval depends on current oral health and the risk of new disease.
Why do teeth become darker over time?
Teeth can look darker because of deposits or stains on their surfaces, changes within enamel and dentine, or a problem affecting one particular tooth.
How often do you need professional teeth cleaning?
There is no fixed six-month cleaning schedule that suits every mouth.
Why brushing before bed matters
Brushing with fluoride toothpaste before your main sleep period removes plaque and provides fluoride when salivary flow will be lower.
How is a tooth-preserving cosmetic option chosen?
A tooth-preserving plan identifies what needs changing, checks for disease and compares suitable ways to address the concern without unnecessary loss of healthy tissue.
Plaque and tartar: the difference that matters for cleaning
Plaque is a soft bacterial film that repeatedly forms on teeth.
What are the options for one missing tooth?
One missing tooth may be managed with an implant-supported crown, a conventional or adhesive bridge, or a removable partial denture.
Appointments and information
Dental implants: planning and timing
- Dental implant or bridge: how is the decision made?
- What happens before dental implant treatment?
- Do I need a CBCT scan for dental implants?
- What does “not enough bone” mean?
- Can an implant be placed immediately after extraction?
- Immediate implant, temporary tooth and immediate loading: what is the difference?
Dental implants: risk, longevity and maintenance
Veneers, crowns and bonding
Whitening
How to use these guides
A guide can help you understand the decision before you contact a dentist, but it cannot tell you which treatment is right for an individual tooth. Where a decision depends on examination, imaging, gum condition, bite or existing restorations, the guide says so explicitly.
For international patients, the guides also highlight the questions that affect travel: whether treatment is staged, what may change after examination, what information can be reviewed remotely and what follow-up is needed after you return home.