Continuing dental treatment started abroad

Key rules

• Urgent work: Finish or stabilise infections, painful teeth, root canals in progress and temporary crowns before you move.
• New quote: Expect a Spanish dentist to examine you again and give their own plan and price.
• Records: Bring digital X-rays, treatment history and implant details, not just printed copies.
• Routine care: Cleanings and check-ups can wait until you arrive.

Finish urgent work before you go

Deal with anything urgent or unstable before you leave. That means infections, painful or decayed teeth, root canals in progress and temporary crowns. Leaving these half done risks pain or damage during the move, when you have no dentist yet.

Routine cleanings and check-ups can wait. Private dentistry in Spain is often cheaper than in the UK, US or northern Europe, so there is little reason to rush them.

Orthodontics and implants

Finish braces or aligners if you can, or get them well advanced. A Spanish clinic will usually re-assess you and quote again. Moving treatment started elsewhere can be costly.

For implants, complete any phase that is under way, such as a graft or an implant waiting for its crown. Take the implant brand, model and records with you. The FAQ below covers an implant that is only half done.

Price big non-urgent work in Spain

If major work is not urgent, get a quote in Spain first. You may find the price is better, and you avoid starting something you cannot finish.

Bring your records

Ask your current dentist for your clinical history and digital X-rays before you leave. The checklist below lists the records to request. Also bring:

• Notes on allergies, medications and medical conditions, such as reactions to anaesthetic, latex or antibiotics, and any blood thinners.
• Your dentist's contact details and a short summary letter.

Ask for these early. Clinics can be slow to send files once you have left.

What a Spanish dentist will do

Expect a new examination, new X-rays and a new plan and quote. Spanish dentists do not normally follow a plan or price issued abroad, because they take clinical and legal responsibility for the work. Your foreign records are used as background, and some clinics may take an earlier diagnosis into account. A few clinics that serve foreign residents may follow an existing plan, but rarely at the foreign price.

Your own dentist is the right person to say what is urgent in your case. Ask them before you set your moving date.

Dental records and X-rays to bring to Spain

• Ask your current dentist in writing for a copy of your clinical history and X-rays, and include a copy of your ID. Do this before you move, so a Spanish dentist does not repeat tests.

• Request recent X-rays: a panoramic one, plus any periapical (single-tooth) X-rays or 3D (CBCT) scans.

• Ask for the X-rays as digital full-resolution originals, not screenshots. For 3D scans, ask for the original DICOM files with a viewer included.

• Choose how to receive the files: email, a secure download link, or a USB stick or disc. Use printed films only as a last resort.

• Get a treatment history with dates, including crowns, bridges and root canals.

• Ask for implant details: brand, model, size, date and position.

• Collect orthodontic records: type of appliance, start date, planned end date and any retainers.

• Ask for your gum (periodontal) chart and details of any gum treatment.

• Ask for your dentist's contact details and a short summary letter, so the Spanish dentist can reach them with questions.

• Add a short summary in English if your records are in a less common language. Notes in English need no official translation or certification for a Spanish dentist.

Frequently asked questions

Will a Spanish dentist follow the treatment plan or quote I got abroad?

No, Spanish dentists do not normally follow a treatment plan or quote issued abroad. They do their own examination and X-rays, then give their own plan and price, because they take responsibility for the treatment. Your old records still help as background, and a few clinics serving expats may follow an existing plan, rarely at the foreign price.

Should I finish orthodontic treatment before moving to Spain?

Yes, finish braces or aligners before you move, or get them well advanced, because a Spanish clinic will usually re-assess you and quote again. Treatment started elsewhere can be costly to transfer. Ask your orthodontist for the appliance type, start date, planned end date and retainer details.

What should I do about an implant that is only half done when I move?

Complete any phase that is under way, such as a bone graft or an implant waiting for its crown, before you leave. Take the implant brand, model and records with you so a Spanish dentist can work with them.

Can routine dental work wait until I arrive in Spain?

Yes, routine cleanings and check-ups can wait, because private dentistry in Spain is often cheaper than in the UK, US or northern Europe. The same goes for non-urgent major work: get a price in Spain first, then decide.