Expert Advice

Replacing a dental crown typically takes two appointments about two weeks apart. The first visit lasts 60 to 90 minutes for tooth preparation, impressions, and temporary crown placement. The second visit takes 30 to 45 minutes to fit and cement your permanent crown. As for pain, the procedure itself is done under local anesthesia, so you won't feel anything during the work. Some patients experience mild sensitivity for a few days afterward. At Picasso Dental Clinic, where I've replaced thousands of crowns since 2013, most patients tell me the discomfort is far less than they expected.

“There’s blood everywhere and it won’t stop.” The panic in Michael’s voice was clear through the phone at 11 PM. The Canadian businessman had finished his deep cleaning at another Hanoi clinic that afternoon, and six hours later he was still experiencing heavy bleeding that soaked through tissues within minutes. He didn’t know whether this […]

Professional teeth whitening in Vietnam typically costs between $150 and $400 USD depending on the type of treatment you choose. At Picasso Dental Clinic, where I've guided whitening treatments since 2013, in office laser or light activated whitening usually ranges from $250 to $400 for a complete session, while custom take home whitening kits cost $150 to $250 including trays and gel. These prices are 40% to 70% lower than similar treatments in Western countries, Australia, or Singapore. The cost variation depends on the whitening system used, whether you choose in office or at home treatment, how many sessions you need based on your starting shade, and the clinic's location and quality standards. Combination packages offering both in office and take home whitening provide the best value.

Porcelain veneers are custom fabricated ceramic shells made in a dental laboratory that offer superior aesthetics, stain resistance, and longevity of 10 to 20 years, but they cost more and require tooth preparation plus multiple appointments. Composite veneers are tooth colored resin material applied and sculpted directly on your teeth in a single visit, making them more affordable and reversible, but they typically last 5 to 7 years and are more prone to staining. At Picasso Dental Clinic, where I've placed both types since 2013, I help patients choose based on their priorities. If you want the most natural, durable, and stain proof result and can invest more, porcelain is ideal. If you need immediate results, want to minimize tooth preparation, or have budget constraints, composite veneers deliver excellent outcomes.

Most patients experience light bleeding for 24 to 48 hours after deep cleaning, with occasional spotting continuing for up to five to seven days as gums heal. At Picasso Dental Clinic, where I've tracked deep cleaning outcomes since 2013, I tell patients that seeing pink in your saliva when you spit is normal for the first few days, but heavy bleeding that soaks tissues or doesn't stop with gentle pressure needs immediate attention. Your gums were inflamed before treatment, and the deep cleaning removed irritants that were causing disease. As inflammation resolves over the next week to two weeks, bleeding should progressively decrease. By day seven, most patients across our Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City clinics report minimal to no bleeding with gentle brushing.

True dental crown allergies typically cause persistent inflammation where the crown contacts your gums, often appearing as redness, swelling, or a burning sensation that doesn’t improve with normal healing time. At Picasso Dental Clinic, where I’ve placed thousands of crowns since 2013, genuine allergic reactions most commonly involve nickel in metal alloys, though any crown material can theoretically trigger sensitivity. Key symptoms include chronic gum irritation around the crown margin, mouth ulcers that won’t heal, metallic taste, or generalized burning mouth sensation. What distinguishes allergy from other problems is the timing, symptoms usually develop weeks to months after placement rather than immediately, and they persist despite good oral hygiene and time. Across our Vietnam clinics, we see suspected allergies frequently but confirm actual material allergies in fewer than 1% of cases after proper testing.

You should stop vaping at least 72 hours before wisdom teeth removal, though longer is better. The heat, chemicals, and suction involved in vaping all increase your risk of dry socket, which is an extremely painful complication where the blood clot protecting your extraction site dislodges. More importantly, avoid vaping for at least five to seven days after surgery. At Picasso Dental Clinic, where I've performed thousands of extractions since 2013 treating over 70,000 patients, I've seen dry socket rates dramatically higher in patients who vape or smoke compared to those who abstain completely during healing.