If you’re visiting Croatia, it could make sense to take advantage of the country’s low-cost dental care and keep on top of your dental health. Dental fillings in Zadar, a pretty city on the Dalmatian Coast, are less than half the price you’d pay at home, making this one way of saving money while ensuring small dental problems don’t become bigger ones.

Dental fillings are one of the mainstays of preventive dental care. That is to say that treating a tooth with decay can prevent any decay from becoming a bigger problem requiring more complex treatment, such as a root canal, or even an extraction.

Tooth decay is caused by acid-producing bacteria that erode teeth. The first line of defence against them is a good oral hygiene regime. This means cleaning teeth at least twice a day, flossing in between the teeth and having regular dental check-ups and professional teeth cleaning to remove tartar—the hardened plaque that irritates gums, causing gum disease.

Bacteria thrive in environments caused by sugary, sticky drinks and foods—so keeping the mouth clean makes it more difficult for them to get a foothold.

According to The Lancet, oral diseases are currently presenting a huge global health challenge with tooth decay, gum disease and oral cancer affecting over half of the world’s population. These diseases can almost always be treated successfully, but the key is early detection. If patients aren’t going for regular check-ups, then preventive measures are not being carried out.

The average cost of fillings in Zadar is more than 50% lower than back home:

Please note that these are approximate estimates. Please check individual listings on our site for the latest prices.

Dental fillings generally only take five minutes or so to carry out. If you have a large tooth with multiple areas of decay, or your dentist has to remodel the tooth if a large area of decay has been removed, then it will take longer.

Obviously, the whole process will take longer, but you should be in and out of the clinic in an hour or so, depending on the extent of your treatment.

The dentist will first examine your mouth, ask you about your history and if you have any dental problems. X-rays may be taken if you have a problem with one of your teeth, or if the dentist wants to ascertain the extent of any tooth decay. After a discussion with you about filling materials and the type you require, the dentist will begin work on removing the decay.

Filling materials have moved on since the days of unsightly, silver amalgam fillings, which are also  controversial due to their mercury content. You can now choose tooth-coloured composite, or porcelain, which will give you a much better cosmetic result that blends in with your natural teeth.

The dentist will begin the treatment by administering local anaesthetic into the gum, numbing the area around the tooth requiring a filling. Once the anaesthetic has taken effect, after a few minutes, the decay will be removed using hand tools. The resulting cavity is cleaned and the filling material applied. After it quickly hardens, the filling will be shaped, smoothed and polished to complete the procedure.

Dental facilities in Zadar are of a high standard, as long as you know where to look. Croatia’s dentists are well-trained and qualified, having received years of training at dental school, just like your dentist at home. They must all be registered to practice with Croatia’s dental governing body. Dental clinics, particularly those treating international patients, have excellent facilities. They are modern and are equipped with the latest diagnostic and therapeutic technologies to carry out dental procedures that range from the simplest to the most complex.

Dental Departures ensures that all the facilities on our website are up to standard. We do this by running our own background checks to confirm dentist qualifications and their professional memberships. We check legal/criminal records, collect real patient reviews and carry out onsite clinic visits.

If there’s something we don’t like, we don’t partner with that facility and you won’t find them listed on our website. Our site also contains other useful information to make it easy for you to choose a clinic, such as prices, clinic photos and location maps.

Some of our top-rated clinics in Zadar where you can go for your dental fillings include:

• Dr. Bilan Centar Detalne Medicine
• Zara Dental Centar

Connect with Dental Departures’ Customer Care Team to find out more about dental fillings in Zadar. They can book an appointment for you, or help with other information, including hotel bookings. Other convenient online booking options are displayed below.

Sources:

Peres, Marco A. et al. Oral Disease: A Global Public Health Challenge. The Lancet. 20 July 2019. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(19)31146-8/fulltext" target="_blank

Higuera, Valencia. Tooth Cavities. Healthline. 15 November 2017. https://www.healthline.com/health/dental-oral-health-cavities" target="_blank

Nordqvist, Christian. What is Periodontitis? Medical News Today. 18 January 2018. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/242321.php" target="_blank

Mouth Cancer. MacMillan Cancer Support. Website accessed: 20 July 2019. https://www.macmillan.org.uk/information-and-support/head-and-neck-cancers/mouth-cancer" target="_blank

Bazilchuk, Nancy. Are Mercury Dental Fillings Really That Dangerous? Science Nordic. 22 February 2018. http://sciencenordic.com/are-mercury-dental-fillings-really-dangerous" target="_blank