If you are now reading this post, chances are high that you are a candidate for dental travel. And you are probably looking to fit in the dental treatment you have long needed as part of your travel plans. Now that dental tourism is a common phenomenon for many, this is no surprise – especially for our team, which has successfully treated hundreds of overseas patients for years. It’s no wonder, too, that we have heard the question, “How long do dental treatments take?” countless times. Therefore, we prepared this post.
As a prospective patient for our dental centre Turkey offerings at Smile Team Turkey, you might have come across our many posts about dental tourism if dental tourism is what you have in mind. While we have covered the other aspects, it’s understandable you’re looking for more to answer your question of how long dental treatments take. Consequently, it will impact the length of your vacation and the total travel budget. No worries, we’re here to help.
However, all patients are unique, as their treatment plans are. That’s why we tend not to mention exact numbers for duration or prices. However, we’d like to provide some basics so you will have a rough idea about how to plan your dental trip by finding decent answers for how long dental treatments take.
“How Long Do Dental Treatments Take?” – The Answer Depends on the Need
Here are the dental procedures we are offering and answers to how long dental treatments take:
Basic Dental Procedures
These are the most basic and simplest and are commonly included in a larger treatment package; therefore do not alter the overall dental trip. However, it won’t hurt to address them briefly so you will have an idea.
And especially if you’re a patient accustomed to performing regular dental hygiene habits, these procedures become shorter.
Scaling and Polishing – This procedure is a matter of minutes. It is for removing the debris, plaque and tartar that have stuck around your teeth. As much as it sounds simple, this basic procedure prevents infections and cavities and is recommended every 6 months.
Dental Fillings – One of the most common and basic procedures, fillings take a couple of hours. Dental fillings are necessary to fill the cavity due to infected teeth.
Inlays and Onlays – Usually, it takes two appointments to get inlays and onlays. Similar to dental fillings, these procedures replace the old filling or restore chipped tooth parts. The first appointment is to have the mould of your damaged tooth so a dental inlay or onlay can be produced in the lab. You also get a temporary cover or filling until the second appointment.
Your temporary restoration will be removed at the second appointment, and the inlay or onlay will be nicely fitted, bonded, and polished.
Gum Contouring – Requiring 1 to 2 hours, gum contouring, or gum shaping, is effective in shaping uneven gum lines.
Teeth Whitening
If performed by a professional, teeth whitening usually takes 2 hours. As much as we would like each of our patients to experience the advantages of teeth whitening, here is an important thing to consider. What is natural tooth colour? Have you thought about this? Natural teeth colour has many shades, ranging from white to yellow, so here is a friendly reminder to not fall for teeth-whitening home remedies that promise immediate results. These false promises will bring more harm than good.
Root Canals and Tooth Extractions
What about the question, “How long do dental treatments take?” regarding more serious dental issues? Let’s start with the most common ones that almost everyone experiences at least once.
Root canal treatment usually takes 2 to 3 hours. Teeth with multiple roots, however, might take longer and require multiple visits to a dental surgeon.
As for tooth extraction, it only takes less than an hour to extract a regular tooth, while wisdom teeth are a bit different. The procedure might exceed one hour, then, depending on how developed it is.
Crowns and Veneers
On average, getting veneers takes around 3 weeks for 3 to 4 visits. The first visit is just the consultation, maybe including x-rays and impressions. The second is to prepare your tooth for a more precise impression to send to the lab. The final one is to bond the veneers to your teeth.
Crowns often require two appointments, first to make the mould and the second to put the finalized crown in place. Both appointments last about half an hour and are usually two weeks apart.
Cosmetic Dentures
All types of dentures require multiple visits to your dentist, with various patient conditions expanding the process from 6 weeks to 3 months. The good news, though, a possible 3 months-long process will include consultations, tooth extractions if necessary, impressions, pre-fitting, and final adjustments. However, getting an immediate denture typically takes a couple of weeks until the finalized version is complete.
Dental Implants and Bridges
Dental bridges require two visits, each lasting about an hour to an hour and a half. The dentist shapes the anchor teeth or the implants during the first appointment so that the bridge will be placed perfectly in the second appointment.
Here comes a confusing one for our guests with the question of how long dental treatments take in their minds. Dental implants are usually the most complex procedures that can be completed in stages, taking around 6 months. We have an in-depth guide for this: https://smileteamturkey.com/blog/dental-implant-in-just-4-steps/
Here we believe you will find more relative answers for how long dental treatments take.
And How Long Do Dental Treatments Take in Turkey? Is There Any Difference?
The answer is no! With its facilities and world-class equipment, our dental centre in Turkey offers services and treatments no different than their equivalents worldwide.
Some patients might hesitate to get treated during a nice stay because they do not know how long dental treatments take.
However, treating your dental issues in Turkey is part of a great vacation package without giving up on the quality, breaking your budget, or waiting any additional time.
You can read our previous post at https://smileteamturkey.com/blog/all-on-six-dental-implants-in-turkey/