Aftercare
Dental tourism aftercare when you return home
By SmileJet Editorial Team · Published May 2026
What to do, when to do it, and how the SmileJet aftercare network works once you are no longer in Phnom Penh.
First week home
Days 1 to 3 home (the post-flight days): Your jaw will feel slightly more tender than the last day in Phnom Penh — the long flight increases minor inflammation. This is normal. Soft food, warm saline rinses, ibuprofen if needed.
Day 4 to 7: Most patients are fully back to normal eating, with the exception of avoiding sticky foods on freshly bonded veneers for 7 days. Your coordinator WhatsApps within the first 7 days with a check-in.
Suture removal (if applicable): Non-dissolving sutures from implant placement are typically removed at 7 to 10 days. SmileJet coordinates this — either with a recommended local dentist or your home GP/dental hygienist. Cost is typically nominal (US$30 to US$50) and not covered by the SmileJet guarantee since it is routine, not re-treatment.
What to flag immediately: Persistent throbbing pain after day 5, swelling that increases rather than decreases, fever, or unusual drainage from the surgical site. WhatsApp the coordinator the same day. Do not wait.
First month
Hygiene routine adjustments: Brush gently around the treated area for the first 2 weeks. Resume normal flossing from week 3 for crowns and veneers; for implants, use the soft interdental brushes your dentist provided rather than dental floss for at least 6 weeks while the gum tissue settles around the abutment.
Diet: Avoid extremely hard foods (whole nuts, ice, hard candies) on freshly placed implants and crowns for 30 days. The bonding strength reaches its full level over weeks rather than days.
Coordinator check-ins: Continue weekly for the first month. Ask any question. Many patients have small concerns ("does this look right?", "is it normal that it feels like this?") that are entirely routine but worth confirming.
Local dentist appointment: Book a routine hygiene visit at month 1. Hand over the treatment summary your Phnom Penh clinic provided. This pre-empts the "what was done?" question on future visits and creates a baseline record at home.
Months 2 to 12
Routine 6-month hygiene visits. Your local dentist or hygienist cleans around your new dental work twice a year. They have the records; they know what was done. Cost is whatever your local dental hygiene cost is.
Quarterly coordinator check-in. Once a quarter, your SmileJet coordinator messages to ask how everything is holding up. Often it is a 30-second exchange ("all good, thanks") but it keeps the relationship live.
Implant and bonding stability checks. At your 6-month and 12-month local hygiene visits, the dentist will check implant stability and crown/veneer bonding. Any flag is sent through to us; we coordinate with your Phnom Penh clinic.
Annual review at month 12. The treatment coordination support period closes. We ask whether you want to be flagged for any future SmileJet trips or stay in light contact for occasional updates.
If something goes wrong
The treatment coordination support covers re-treatment for clinical failures. The process is documented in detail on our guarantee terms page. Briefly:
- WhatsApp your coordinator with photos and a description.
- We open a guarantee case file within 24 hours during work hours.
- A clinical assessment (remote video or local) within 5 business days.
- If covered, we schedule re-treatment in Phnom Penh — or our HCMC sister network if return travel to Phnom Penh is impractical.
- SmileJet and the partner clinic cover the clinical cost; you cover travel.
- A new treatment coordination support period applies to the re-treatment work.
For minor issues that do not require re-treatment (a slight crown adjustment, a chipped composite filling), your local dentist can handle it. The cost is whatever your local dentist charges — typically minimal.
Get a Phnom Penh quote
Aftercare support is included for 12 months on every SmileJet-matched treatment.