Most of the planning for an interstate visit can be done before you spend anything on flights. You send us photos of your teeth and any X-rays or scans you already have, then talk with one of our dentists by video or phone about what treatment is likely to involve and how many trips it should take. Once you know that, booking travel becomes much simpler.
Patients come to us at Melrose Central from Canberra, Melbourne, Brisbane and regional New South Wales. Below is how the planning usually works, which treatments fit into a single trip, and which ones need you to come back.
Send photos and existing X-rays or scans first
A first conversation does not need you in the chair. Before you book anything, it helps to send:
- any X-rays or 3D scans taken in the last year or two, especially a full-mouth OPG
- clear daylight photos of your smile, taken from the front and from each side
- a treatment plan or quote from another dentist, if you have one
- a few lines about what you would like to change and what worries you
A dentist looks through these and then talks with you by video or phone. The call covers the likely treatment, a rough number of visits and how far apart they would be. For interstate patients, consults can be booked on any day Lumi is open, so you can plan around your own work and flights.
Photos and old X-rays only go so far. Gum health, the way your teeth meet and the state of existing fillings need to be checked in person, so the final plan and written quote are confirmed at your first visit. You will usually receive that plan in writing, often by email.
Lab work and healing decide how many trips you need
Two things stretch treatment over more than one visit: something being made in a laboratory, and your body needing time to heal. The table is a general guide only; your own plan may differ.
| Treatment | What the visits involve | Gap between visits | One trip? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitening with an in-chair session | One in-chair appointment, then take-home gel | The take-home part is done in your own bathroom | Usually |
| Composite bonding | Often a single appointment | None, or a few days if a second visit helps | Usually |
| Porcelain veneers | Planning, preparation, fitting | A few weeks while the veneers are made | Two trips, or one longer stay |
| Single implant | Consult and 3D scan, placement, crown | Several months of healing before the crown | Usually three trips |
| Full-arch implants | Consult and scan, surgery with fixed temporary teeth, reviews, final bridge | Several months before the final bridge | Several trips, with a few days in Sydney around surgery |
When it is safe, the consult and the first step of treatment can sometimes happen on the same trip, which removes one flight. Your dentist will tell you on the call whether that is realistic for you. If you find it hard to explain what you want, our guide to describing the smile you want lists the photos and notes that make the call more useful.
Veneers mean either two short trips or one longer stay
Veneers are the treatment people most often travel for. The design comes first: you can often see and try the proposed shape as a trial smile mock-up before any tooth is prepared, and our article on digital smile design explains how that plan is built.
After the teeth are prepared you wear temporary veneers while the porcelain is made. Interstate patients tend to choose between two short trips a few weeks apart, flying home in their temporaries in between, or one stay long enough to cover both appointments, which some people combine with work or family in Sydney.
If you go home in temporaries, read our guide to living with temporary veneers for eating, cleaning and what to do if one comes loose. The porcelain veneers page covers how veneer treatment is planned with us.
Implants and full-arch treatment take the most planning
An implant has to bond with the surrounding bone before it can carry a crown, and that takes months rather than weeks. For a single implant, plan on separate trips for the consult and scan, the placement, and the crown. Our implant treatment steps page walks through each stage.
Full-arch treatment runs differently. Many patients go home from surgery with fixed temporary teeth, and the final bridge is made after the gums and bone have healed. Allow a few days in Sydney around the surgery so we can check your bite and healing before you fly. The full-arch implant timeline sets out every appointment, and our week by week guide to eating with a provisional bridge helps once you are home. For an overview of the treatment itself, see full-arch implants at Lumi.
Travel adds a few extra things to think about.
When you can fly. This depends on what was done. Some procedures, such as a sinus lift, may mean waiting longer before flying. Our article on flying after dental implant surgery explains the usual advice, and your dentist will confirm the timing for you before you book a return flight.
Sedation. IV sedation is available at Lumi for implant surgery, alongside happy gas, inhaled pain relief and oral sedation (no general anaesthetic), and our IV sedation page explains how it works. If you would like to be sedated, mention it when you first call so it can be planned around your trip. With many types of sedation you cannot drive afterwards and need a responsible adult to take you home and stay with you, so most interstate patients bring a partner, relative or friend and stay the night nearby.
Budget. The payment plans page sets out how treatment can be paid for, which makes it easier to plan travel costs alongside it.
Whitening and bonding often fit into one trip
Lumi Refresh and Lumi Radiance both start with an in-chair session and continue with Boutique take-home gel and custom trays, so the part that needs you in the chair is a single appointment. Strongly coloured food and drink are best avoided for a short while afterwards, worth knowing if you are eating out while away. The teeth whitening page explains each option.
Composite bonding to close a small gap, repair a chip or reshape an edge is often finished in one sitting, because the resin is shaped directly on the tooth with no laboratory step.
Getting to the practice
Lumi Dental is at Shop LG16, Lower Ground Floor, Melrose Central, 35 Hope St, Melrose Park NSW 2114. We are open Monday to Saturday, with appointments until 9pm on Thursdays, and on Sundays by appointment.
- From the airport: a taxi or rideshare is the easiest option; travel time depends heavily on traffic.
- By train: Meadowbank and West Ryde are the nearest stations, a short taxi or bus ride away.
- By car: Melrose Central has free undercover parking.
- Where to stay: Rhodes, Sydney Olympic Park and Parramatta all have hotels a short drive away.
An early flight followed by a late morning appointment, or a Thursday evening appointment, can sometimes save a night of accommodation.
Follow-up once you are home
Not every review needs a flight. Healing after surgery and the look of new veneers can often be checked from photos and a video call. Your regular check-ups and cleans can stay with your local dentist, and we can send them your treatment records.
If something goes wrong at home, such as a temporary veneer coming off or pain after surgery, call us first for advice. A local dentist can usually manage a temporary repair if you need to be seen quickly. Swelling that is spreading across the face, a fever or difficulty swallowing needs a hospital emergency department straight away, wherever you are.
Common questions from interstate patients
Can I use my health fund if I live in another state?
Yes. Health funds are claimed on the spot through HICAPS, and extras cover works the same way whichever state you live in. What you get back depends on your policy, its annual limits and any waiting periods.
Do I need a referral from my usual dentist?
No. Recent X-rays and notes from your current dentist are useful because they can save repeating things, but you do not need a referral.
What if I need to come back for a review?
Many reviews can be done by photo and video. Visits that must be in person, such as fitting final veneers or an implant crown, are built into your plan from the start so you can book flights early.
To begin, book a free cosmetic consult or an implant consult at our Melrose Park practice and mention that you are coming from interstate, so we can arrange the photo review and dentist call first. Current offers are listed on the current deals page.
