Treatment that fits a school year
Anything with a laboratory stage — veneers, crowns, implants — runs across several appointments and some weeks of healing or fabrication. For teaching staff that is easier to plan around terms than to squeeze into them.
Starting a case at the beginning of a term break often means the visits that matter most fall when you are not teaching. If you have a timeframe in mind — a wedding, a retirement, a milestone birthday — tell us at the assessment and we will work backwards from it rather than forwards from today.
What people in teaching most often ask us about
Whitening. Years of staff-room coffee and tea do what you would expect. Whitening lightens natural tooth structure but will not change the colour of existing fillings, crowns or veneers — so a white filling on a front tooth stays exactly the shade it is while everything around it lightens. Sometimes that means a filling needs replacing afterwards to match. Sensitivity during and shortly after treatment is common and usually settles.
Wear on the front teeth. Clenching is common in work that carries sustained low-level stress, and the first sign is usually shortened, chipped or flattened edges on the upper front teeth. Composite bonding can often rebuild those edges without removing tooth structure, which makes it the more conservative starting point.
Veneers. Preparation for a porcelain veneer usually removes enamel permanently. Our veneers page compares porcelain and composite honestly, including the risks of each.
Claiming
On the spot through the terminal. Benefits depend on your cover, waiting periods and remaining limit — you get an itemised written quote with item numbers and can check it against your own policy before deciding.
Call 08 8102 0951.
FAQ
Who can join Teachers Health? Teachers Health is a restricted fund for teachers, education staff and their families.
Can I book treatment during the school holidays? Yes, and it is worth booking early because those weeks fill first. If you tell us your timeframe at the assessment we will work backwards from it, so the visits that matter most fall when you are not teaching.
Will teeth whitening change the colour of my fillings? No. Whitening lightens natural tooth structure but does not change the colour of existing fillings, crowns or veneers. A white filling on a front tooth will stay the shade it is while the tooth around it lightens, which sometimes means a filling needs replacing afterwards to match.
How long do veneers take from start to finish? Composite veneers are often placed in one to two visits. Porcelain usually takes two to three appointments, because of the laboratory stage, plus a review. Complex cases take longer. Preparing a tooth for a porcelain veneer usually removes enamel permanently.