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Ceramic veneers are thin shells made in a dental laboratory and bonded to the visible surface of the tooth. Pressed ceramic (lithium disilicate, for example) is produced by injection under pressure, while feldspathic ceramic is layered by hand by the technician; both hold their colour and resist wear better than composite applied directly in the surgery. Composite is completed in a single appointment and is easy to repair, but it stains and loses its gloss over time. Veneers change the shape, the colour and the proportions of the teeth and can optically mask slight crowding, but they do not move teeth: correcting the position is a matter of orthodontic treatment, and sometimes it is preferable to straighten the teeth first and only then discuss veneers. Which option suits you depends on the condition of the enamel and on the aesthetic goal; we settle that at the consultation, before any tooth preparation.

Usually 0.3–0.7 mm of enamel is removed from the visible surface, but the amount is decided tooth by tooth. In selected cases, with intact enamel and enough space, veneers can be done with minimal preparation or none at all; if the tooth already has large fillings or wear, more reduction is needed. It is important to know that preparation is irreversible: a prepared tooth will need a restoration in the future as well. That is why the exact amount is established on the basis of the 3D scan and the digital treatment plan, and the plan is discussed and agreed with you before any irreversible step.

There is no fixed number: what matters is how many teeth show when you smile, usually between 6 and 12 front teeth. Treatment is planned symmetrically: if one central incisor is restored, we include the one on the opposite side, otherwise the difference in shape or shade becomes visible. Sometimes two teeth are enough; sometimes it is more balanced to treat the whole visible zone. The number is decided at the clinical assessment, together with you, before any decision is made.

Ceramic veneers are designed as long-lasting restorations, but the real lifespan depends on hygiene, on the bite and on habits, so it cannot be promised for an individual case. Care is the same as for natural teeth: gentle brushing with a non-abrasive toothpaste, daily interdental cleaning, including at the gum margin of the veneer, and regular check-ups. Avoid horizontal forces: biting your nails, opening packaging with your teeth, chewing hard objects. Untreated bruxism is one of the common causes of chipping or debonding; if you grind your teeth, we will discuss a night guard. Ceramic does not change shade with whitening: if you would like lighter teeth, the whitening is done before the shade of the veneers is chosen.

It depends on the material, on hygiene, on the bite and on the condition of the tooth underneath. All-ceramic crowns (zirconia, lithium disilicate) and metal-ceramic crowns are designed to function for many years; in some patients they last considerably longer, in others less, which is why no specific lifespan can be promised. On metal-ceramic crowns, the metal margin may become visible if the gum recedes. Most often a crown is lost not because the material fails, but because of decay at its margin or fracture of the supporting tooth, which is why cleaning the gum margin and attending check-ups matter at least as much as the material chosen.

The difference is how much of the tooth they cover: an inlay restores only the cavity inside the tooth, an onlay also covers one or more cusps, and a crown covers the tooth completely. The choice depends on how much healthy tissue remains and on the risk of fracture: inlays and onlays preserve more of your own tooth, but need walls thick enough to withstand chewing. When a tooth is root-treated or heavily undermined, a crown protects it better against fracture. The decision is made after clinical and radiographic examination, sometimes only once the old filling has been removed and the real amount of sound tooth can be seen.

No, it does not normally hurt: neither of them involves painful manoeuvres, even though they can feel unpleasant. A conventional impression, with silicone or alginate, may trigger a gag reflex in sensitive patients, especially on the upper arch. Intraoral scanning removes impression material entirely: a small scanner passes along the arch and builds the virtual model in a few minutes, with breaks whenever you need them. If you know you have a strong gag reflex, tell us in advance: we can choose the method and the position that are more comfortable for you.

Almost anything, with a few precautions. Avoid very hard foods (bones, stones in fruit, nuts in their shells, hard sweets, ice) and cut hard foods such as carrots or apples into pieces instead of biting into them with your front teeth. Very sticky foods can pull off temporary restorations. Veneers and thin ceramic edges are more sensitive to impact than a crown that covers the whole tooth. If after cementation the restoration feels 'too high' when you bite, come back for an adjustment: an unbalanced bite is one of the common causes of ceramic chipping.

That can only be answered after a clinical examination and a CBCT scan, but the basic conditions are: sufficient bone in height and width at the site, healthy gums, good oral hygiene and no uncontrolled general health conditions. Particular caution is needed with uncontrolled diabetes, antiresorptive therapy (bisphosphonates, denosumab), especially intravenous, radiotherapy to the head and neck, and untreated gum disease. The latter must be stabilised first, otherwise the risk of peri-implantitis rises. Smoking does not rule out an implant, but it is associated with poorer healing and with a higher risk of complications and of failure. Implants are placed after bone growth is complete, as a rule after the age of 18.

During the procedure you should not feel pain: local anaesthesia blocks the pain, although pressure and vibration remain perceptible; if you do feel pain, tell us at once, because the anaesthetic can be topped up. Discomfort comes after the anaesthesia wears off: swelling, sometimes bruising and moderate pain for a few days, usually controlled with the medication recommended. Like any surgical procedure it also carries risks: bleeding, infection, delayed healing and, depending on the site, temporary changes in sensation; we discuss these specifically for your case before consent is signed. If you are anxious, tell us: we can work more slowly, with breaks, and in certain situations conscious sedation is possible, carried out together with an anaesthetist. In the first few days, cold compresses applied from the outside, soft cold food, rest and stopping smoking all help; on the first day do not rinse your mouth vigorously, so that the clot is not disturbed, and brushing is resumed gently, avoiding the operated area, in line with the instructions you are given. Call the practice if the pain or the swelling increases after the third day, if a fever appears, a persistent bad taste, or bleeding that does not stop with pressure from a compress.

Usually between four and nine months. The stages are: placing the implant, the osseointegration period during which the implant anchors in the bone (as a rule three to six months, less in the lower jaw and more in the upper jaw or after augmentation), fitting the abutment and taking an impression or scan, then making the crown, which is fixed with a screw or with cement. In selected cases with good primary stability, a temporary restoration can be fitted earlier, but this does not shorten bone healing. If bone grafting or a sinus lift is needed, the overall duration increases. You receive a plan with the stages and the estimated timings for your situation.

An implant is designed as a long-lasting solution, but there is no lifespan that can be promised individually: the outcome depends on daily hygiene, on regular professional cleaning appointments, on smoking, on untreated bruxism and on general health. The main cause of late loss is peri-implantitis, an inflammation that destroys the bone around the implant and that rarely hurts in its early stages, which is why it is monitored at check-ups, by probing and radiographs. The crown on top has its own lifespan and can be remade without replacing the implant.

For an adult with good oral health, a check-up every 6 months together with professional cleaning is a reasonable benchmark. The interval is individualised according to risk, though: with gingivitis or periodontitis, frequent decay, a dry mouth, smoking, implants or extensive restorations, check-ups are more frequent, sometimes every 3–4 months; at low risk the interval can be longer. A check-up is not only about looking for decay: it also covers the gums, the existing restorations and an examination of the soft tissues. Your dentist sets the interval that suits you and reviews it over time.

Scaling is the removal of tartar, that is, mineralised plaque that brushing can no longer clean away. Tartar keeps the gum inflamed and promotes periodontitis, the disease in which the bone supporting the tooth is lost. The procedure is done with ultrasonic and hand instruments; carried out correctly it does not remove enamel, but it can leave temporary sensitivity to cold, especially where the gum has already receded. After scaling, teeth may look 'longer' or the gaps between them wider. This is not an effect of the procedure but the inflamed gum settling down. In patients with periodontitis, cleaning above the gum is not enough: treatment below the gum line and regular maintenance appointments are needed.

Brush for at least 2 minutes, twice a day, with fluoride toothpaste, covering every surface. The modified Bass technique is the one commonly recommended: a soft-bristled brush placed at 45° to the gum line, short vibratory strokes on the spot, followed by a sweeping movement from the gum towards the biting edge. Pressure should be light. Pressing hard and using hard bristles wears the enamel and encourages gum recession. Electric brushes, oscillating or sonic, generally remove plaque better and many have a pressure sensor. Brushing on its own does not reach between the teeth, where decay and gum inflammation frequently start: add daily flossing or interdental brushes of the size that suits your spaces, which your dentist can advise on. In the evening, after brushing, it is better to spit without rinsing with water, so the fluoride stays on the teeth.

No, a healthy gum does not bleed when brushed. Bleeding is a sign of inflammation, most often gingivitis caused by plaque; at this stage it is reversible with correct brushing, interdental cleaning and scaling. If bleeding persists after 2–3 weeks of proper hygiene, you need a check-up: it may be periodontitis, the disease in which the supporting bone is lost. Periodontitis does not heal in the sense of returning to the state before it: with treatment and with maintenance appointments repeated over the long term, its progression can be halted and the disease kept under control, but the bone and the attachment already lost do not grow back on their own, and without maintenance the disease can flare up again. That is why early detection matters. Bleeding can also be linked to certain medications (anticoagulants), to pregnancy or to general health conditions, one more reason not to ignore it.

Through the appointment form on the website, by email, or with a message on Messenger or Instagram. It helps if you say why you are coming (first consultation, pain, routine check-up, continuing a treatment), which time slots suit you and, if you have them, any relevant previous investigations or treatments. We will contact you to confirm the day and time. If you are in pain or have swelling, say so from the start: we try to see you as soon as possible.

Your ID, any recent radiographs or dental records you have, and a list of the medication you take. We also need information about known general health conditions (diabetes, cardiovascular disease, clotting disorders, treatment for osteoporosis) and about allergies, particularly to anaesthetics, antibiotics or latex. Bring your health card if you wish to use publicly covered services. This information is not a formality: it concretely changes how anaesthesia, an extraction or a surgical procedure is planned.

Payment cannot be arranged through the website: it depends on the treatment proposed and on each patient's situation, so we settle it at the practice. Before treatment begins you receive the plan in writing, with the stages and the associated costs, so that you know what to expect and can decide without being rushed. Complex treatments, such as prosthetic or implant rehabilitation, proceed in stages in any case, and every stage is discussed before it is begun. For any question about payment, you can ask us at reception or at your consultation.

Contact the practice through the channels shown on the site (a message on Messenger or Instagram, or email), and if we are closed, contact an emergency dental service. Call 112 straight away if there is rapidly spreading swelling, difficulty breathing or swallowing, a high fever or bleeding that will not stop. These situations cannot wait. If a permanent tooth has been knocked out completely by a blow, time matters a great deal: hold it by the crown only, never by the root, do not scrub it, do not brush it and do not remove the tissue still clinging to the root. If it is dirty, rinse it for a few seconds with saline or with milk (failing those, for no more than 10 seconds under cold running water), then, if you can, put it straight back into the socket in its natural position and bite gently on a clean handkerchief to hold it in place: immediate replantation gives it the best chance of survival. If you cannot manage that, do not let it dry out. Keep it in milk or in saline, never in plain water, and come in as quickly as possible, ideally within the first hour. A knocked-out baby tooth is not put back, but the child must still be seen by a dentist. Until you reach us, an ordinary painkiller can help; do not place aspirin on the gum, as it burns the mucosa.