Treatment Information & Considerations
Dental treatment has potential benefits, risks and limitations. Whether a procedure is appropriate depends on your oral health, medical history and individual needs. The information below describes important risks, recovery and alternatives for the procedures listed. Outcomes and recovery vary, and further treatment may be needed. Your treating clinician will discuss the options relevant to you, including no treatment where appropriate, before you consent. You may seek a second opinion.
Seek emergency care for difficulty breathing or swallowing, rapidly increasing facial or neck swelling, uncontrolled bleeding, unusual unresponsiveness or severe deterioration.
Veneers (Porcelain & Composite) – Information & Considerations
Veneers cover the front surfaces of selected teeth. They do not move teeth position but may offer limited correction to the underlying jaw relationship. Oral health, remaining tooth structure and bite affect suitability; decay or gum disease may need treatment first.
Porcelain veneers: Preparation may remove enamel, but not always. This is irreversible and may leave an ongoing need for a restoration. Risks, while infrequent, may include sensitivity, gum irritation or recession, cracking, chipping or loss of bonding, and decay around the margins. In heavy preparation cases, the tooth's pulp can be affected and may need root canal treatment. Fit, colour and appearance may differ from expectations; repair or replacement may be necessary over time.
Composite veneers and bonding: Resin is bonded to selected tooth surfaces. Preparation varies; any enamel removal is irreversible. Due to material limitation, staining, wear, chipping or loss of bonding can occur. Sensitivity, gum problems and further treatment are possible. Maintenance, polishing, repair or replacement will be needed over time.
Recovery and care: Getting used to the tooth shape or bite may take several days; in rare cases, it may take 2-3 weeks before all symptoms subside. Follow the dentist's instructions for temporary restorations, eating, cleaning and review. Contact the practice for persistent or increasing pain, a loose veneer or a bite that feels wrong.
Alternatives depend on the reason for treatment and may include no cosmetic treatment, limited bonding, whitening or orthodontics. A crown has different indications and preparation requirements, and is not always the recommended treatment.
Invisalign – Information & Considerations
Clear aligners move teeth over time in suitable cases. Treatment requires assessment of the teeth, gums, bite and supporting bone. It may require attachments, elastics, enamel reduction between teeth, extractions or additional orthodontic treatment; any enamel removal is irreversible.
Risks and limitations: Pressure, tenderness, mouth irritation and speech changes can occur. Tooth decay, gum inflammation or recession, root shortening and loss of tooth vitality requiring further treatment are possible. Some movements may not be achieved, and refinements or a change of treatment may be needed. Risk varies with dental health, previous trauma and the movements planned.
Treatment and recovery: Follow the prescribed daily wear, cleaning and review schedule. Discomfort may be more noticeable during the first few days after starting or changing aligners, but persistence and severity vary. Contact the practice for severe or worsening pain, persistent ulcers, loose or damaged appliances, or a sudden bite change. Overall treatment length cannot be guaranteed.
After treatment, long-term retention and review are usually needed. Teeth can still move over time. Alternatives may include braces, another suitable orthodontic approach or no treatment, depending on the clinical assessment.
Dental Implants & All-Teeth-On-Implants – Information & Considerations
Dental implants are titanium root replacements that support a crown, bridge or denture to replace missing teeth. Treatment involves surgery and may need several stages, bone grafting or sinus procedures. Suitability depends on oral and general health, bone, medicines and other risk factors.
Risks and limitations: post-operative pain, swelling, bruising, bleeding, infection and delayed healing after the surgery can occur. Injury to nearby nerves is very rare and may cause temporary or permanent changes in sensation; upper-jaw treatment can involve the sinus. An implant may fail to integrate with the bone or may be lost later. Inflammation and bone loss around an implant can occur. The crown, bridge or denture can wear, loosen, chip or fracture and need repair or replacement. Further surgery or a different replacement option may be necessary; successful replacement is not assured.
Recovery and care: Discomfort and swelling are often noticeable in the first few days and may last longer. Some blood-stained saliva can occur initially; persistent active or heavy bleeding requires prompt advice. Healing and staged treatment can take months. Follow individual instructions about eating, cleaning, medicines, activity and review. A temporary or immediately fitted restoration does not mean normal chewing is immediately appropriate. Seek prompt care for increasing swelling, fever, worsening pain or new altered sensation.
Alternatives may include a denture, tooth-supported bridge or no replacement, depending on the case. Implants and their restorations need ongoing maintenance and are not lifetime guarantees.
Teeth Whitening – Information & Considerations
Whitening may lighten natural teeth, but the degree and duration of colour change vary. Some discolouration responds poorly. Crowns, veneers and tooth-coloured fillings do not whiten in the same way, so colour differences can remain.
Risks and suitability: Tooth sensitivity and irritation of gums or other soft tissues can occur. Incorrect use can cause harm. A dental assessment is needed to identify decay, gum disease, existing sensitivity or other factors that affect suitability. Tell the clinician about pregnancy, breastfeeding, allergies and previous reactions so the proposed method can be assessed.
Treatment and recovery: In-chair and take-home methods use different products and schedules. Follow the specific instructions provided; do not increase concentration, wear time or frequency yourself. Sensitivity or irritation is often temporary and may last a few days, but can persist. Stop using the product and contact the practice if pain or irritation is significant or does not settle. Results may fade; repeat treatment is not automatically appropriate.
Alternatives may include no whitening, removal of surface stains where clinically indicated, or assessment of the cause of an individual discoloured tooth. Whitening is optional and cannot promise a particular shade or improved confidence.
Gummy Smile Contouring – Information & Considerations
Gum contouring changes the amount or shape of gum tissue. Some plans require removal of supporting bone as well as gum tissue (crown lengthening); these are different procedures with different recovery needs. Assessment is needed to identify the cause of gum display and whether treatment is appropriate.
Risks and limitations: Pain, swelling, bleeding, infection, delayed healing, tooth sensitivity, recession and changes to spaces between teeth can occur. Infection is possible even when aftercare is followed. The gum position may change during healing or regrow, and the final appearance may differ from expectations. Removing tissue can expose tooth or restoration margins and may require further treatment.
Recovery and care: Tenderness and swelling may affect eating and cleaning for several days. Healing and stabilisation of the gum position may take weeks or longer, particularly when bone is treated. Further restorations may need to wait. Follow the clinician's procedure-specific diet, cleaning, activity and review instructions. Seek prompt advice for persistent bleeding, fever, increasing swelling or worsening pain.
No cosmetic treatment is an option. Alternatives depend on the cause and may include managing gum disease or orthodontic assessment; treatment of healthy tissue is not automatically required.
Dental Braces – Information & Considerations
Braces move teeth using brackets and wires. Suitability, treatment length and review frequency depend on the teeth, gums, bite and planned movements. Extractions or other procedures may be needed in some cases.
Risks and limitations: Discomfort and irritation from brackets or wires can occur, particularly after fitting or adjustment. Cleaning can be more difficult, with risks of permanent enamel marks, decay and gum inflammation. Gum recession, root shortening and loss of tooth vitality can occur. Root shortening is not confined to rare cases; its extent and significance vary. Appliances may break, and some planned movements may not be achieved.
Treatment and recovery: Tenderness often improves over the days after an adjustment, but responses vary. Follow cleaning, diet, appointment and appliance-care instructions. Contact the practice for severe or worsening pain, persistent sores, a broken wire or bracket, or a change that concerns you. Treatment may need modification or may need to stop if dental health deteriorates.
Retainers and review are usually needed long term after active treatment. Tooth movement can still occur. Alternatives may include clear aligners, other orthodontic approaches or no treatment after assessment.
Dental Extractions (Including Wisdom Teeth) – Information & Considerations
Extraction removes a tooth and is irreversible. Assessment determines the clinical reason, whether the tooth can be restored, and whether monitoring or removal is appropriate. Wisdom teeth do not all need removal.
Risks and limitations: Pain, swelling, bruising, bleeding, infection, dry socket and difficulty opening the mouth can occur. Infection can occur despite following aftercare. Nearby teeth or restorations may be damaged. Lower wisdom-tooth surgery can affect nerves, causing temporary or permanent changes in feeling or taste. Upper-tooth removal may create a connection with the sinus. Further treatment may be needed.
Recovery and care: Initial soreness and swelling may last several days; symptoms after surgical wisdom-tooth removal may take around one to two weeks to improve, while deeper healing takes longer. Follow individual instructions for bleeding control, cleaning, food, smoking and activity. Blood-stained saliva differs from active bleeding: persistent or heavy bleeding needs prompt advice. Seek review for worsening pain after initial improvement, fever, increasing swelling or persistent altered sensation.
Alternatives depend on the tooth and may include restoration, root canal treatment, monitoring or specialist assessment. Discuss any replacement need.
Sleep Dentistry – Information & Considerations
Sedation and general anaesthesia are different approaches. The appropriate option depends on the planned treatment, health, medicines and individual assessment. Monitoring reduces risk but does not remove it.
Inhalation sedation: A gas mixture is breathed through a nosepiece. You remain awake and able to communicate; local anaesthetic may still be needed. Dizziness, light-headedness or an uncomfortable sensation can occur. Tell the team if you feel unwell. Medical conditions, pregnancy and a blocked nose may affect suitability. Recovery must be checked before you leave. Follow the individual eating, escort, driving and activity instructions; restrictions differ from IV sedation.
Intravenous conscious sedation: Medicine given into a vein can reduce anxiety and cause drowsiness; you normally remain able to respond. Local anaesthetic is usually still needed for dental treatment. Possible effects include dizziness, nausea, bruising, memory changes and delayed alertness. Breathing can slow or oxygen levels can fall; allergic reactions and other serious complications are possible. An appropriately qualified team must assess, monitor and manage recovery. Arrange an escort and responsible adult support. For at least 24 hours, follow the team's restrictions on driving, machinery, alcohol, important decisions and caring for others; restrictions may last longer.
General anaesthesia: You are unconscious and an anaesthetist manages the anaesthetic. Effects can include nausea, dizziness, drowsiness and a sore throat. Risks include dental injury, aspiration, breathing or heart problems and serious allergic reactions; rare serious harm, including death, is possible. Follow individual fasting, medicine, escort, activity and recovery instructions. Recovery depends on the anaesthetic and dental procedure.
Alternatives may include supported treatment with local anaesthetic, staged treatment, a different sedation method or an appropriate referral. Seek urgent care for breathing difficulty, unusual unresponsiveness or severe deterioration after discharge.
Root Canal Therapy – Information & Considerations
Root canal treatment aims to salvage a tooth’s hard tissues while removing the inflamed or infected pulp by cleaning, disinfecting and filling its root canal system. Appointment needs vary; an appropriate final restoration and review are required.
Risks and limitations: Tenderness, pain or swelling may occur during or after treatment. Infection can persist or return. Narrow, curved, blocked or missed canals may limit treatment outcome. Instruments can separate within a canal; accidental damage or perforation of the tooth and injury from cleaning solutions are possible. An existing restoration or the tooth can fracture. Further treatment, specialist referral, root-end surgery or extraction may be required.
Recovery and care: Tenderness commonly occurs for a few days, but persistent or worsening symptoms need review. Follow the clinician's instructions about pain relief, eating, temporary restorations and completing treatment. Contact the practice for increasing pain or swelling, fever, or a lost temporary filling.
Alternatives may include extraction, with discussion of replacement options, or other treatment if suitable. Leaving an infected tooth untreated can allow the problem to progress. Tooth retention is not guaranteed.
Tooth Fillings – Information & Considerations
Fillings, inlays and onlays replace missing or damaged tooth tissue in suitable cases. Material and preparation depend on individual assessment; removal of tooth tissue is irreversible.
Risks and limitations: Sensitivity or gum tenderness can occur. The bite may need adjustment. A restoration or the remaining tooth may chip, crack, wear or become loose, and decay can develop around or beneath a restoration. The tooth's pulp can remain or become inflamed, particularly after deep treatment, and root canal treatment or extraction may be needed. Material reactions and colour limitations are possible.
Recovery and care: Sensitivity may improve over days but can last longer. Protect numb lips and cheeks and follow the dentist's eating and cleaning instructions. Temporary restorations need care until treatment is complete. Contact the practice if pain is severe, increasing or persistent, the bite feels high, or the restoration breaks or comes loose.
Alternatives depend on the condition of the tooth and may include monitoring early lesions, a different restoration or a crown; a non-restorable tooth may need extraction. Ongoing review is needed and no restoration is permanent.
Crowns & Bridges – Information & Considerations
A crown covers a prepared tooth; a bridge replaces one or more missing teeth. Conventional tooth-supported, adhesive and implant-supported bridges have different preparation and maintenance needs. Your dentist should explain the type proposed and why.
Risks and limitations: Preparation for a crown or conventional bridge removes tooth tissue irreversibly. Sensitivity, gum irritation or recession, decay, loss of bonding, chipping or fracture can occur. A supporting tooth may develop pulp problems requiring root canal treatment, or may be lost. A bridge can place demands on supporting teeth, and both the restoration and underlying teeth may need further treatment. Fit, colour and appearance may differ from expectations. Repair or replacement may be needed.
Recovery and care: Teeth or gums may be tender or sensitive for several days or longer after preparation or fitting. Follow instructions for temporary restorations, eating and cleaning around and beneath a bridge. Seek review for increasing or persistent pain, a bite that feels wrong, or a loose restoration. Continued care reduces some risks but cannot guarantee success.
Alternatives depend on the problem and may include a filling/onlay, another bridge design, a denture, an implant or no replacement. Appointment number and timing depend on the plan.
Tooth Contouring – Information & Considerations
Tooth contouring removes a limited amount of enamel to change a tooth's shape. Enamel does not grow back, so the change is irreversible. Assessment is needed to check tooth health, enamel thickness and bite; it cannot correct all shape or alignment concerns.
Risks include sensitivity, a change in bite or appearance that differs from expectations, and weakening or damage if too much tissue is removed. Further restorative treatment may be needed. Sensitivity can occur for a few days or persist; contact the dentist if it continues or the bite feels wrong. Follow the aftercare instructions provided.
Alternatives depend on the concern and may include no cosmetic treatment, limited bonding or orthodontic assessment. The amount of contouring, appointment needs and recovery experience are individual.