Dental tours · Shanghai 上海
Shanghai
Crowns, Veneers & the City
A single ten-day trip for crowns, bridges or veneers at one of China's three national dental centres, with the lab days spent in Yu Garden, the former French Concession, along the Bund and in a canal town outside the city.
Trip length
10 days / 9 nights
Dental program
Crowns & veneers
Best time to go
March–May and October–November
Best for
Crowns, bridges and veneers; worn or discoloured teeth
Overview
A new smile in about ten days, with Shanghai's gardens and streets in between.
Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital is one of China's three National Centers for Stomatology, with around 1,000 dental chairs. Crowns and veneers fit a single trip: the teeth are prepared early, the lab makes the restorations while you explore, and they're tried in and fitted before you fly.
Ten days leaves room for a try-in and any adjustment, so nothing is rushed on the last day.
This route suits
- Adults who need several crowns or a bridge
- People who want veneers and prefer a conservative approach
- Travellers who enjoy cities, food and architecture
- Anyone combining with Hangzhou or Suzhou
Dental program · Crowns & veneers
What the dental care covers
Examination & plan
Nothing is treated until the plan and price are confirmed in writing.
- Consultation with a specialist dentist (English interpreting)
- Fresh panoramic X-ray or CBCT 3D scan
- Written treatment plan with brands, materials and itemised price
- Chance to ask questions and say no before treatment starts
Crowns, bridges & veneers
Preparation, temporaries, lab work and fitting in one trip.
- Tooth preparation and temporary crowns or veneers
- Shade matching and a digital design you approve
- Try-in, then final fitting and bite adjustment
- Conservative preparation for veneers wherever possible
Records & handover
So your dentist at home can look after the work.
- Written summary in English of everything done
- X-rays and scans to take home
- Implant brand, model and size recorded where relevant
- Follow-up video call with your coordinator after you return
The final treatment plan is set by the dentist after your examination and CBCT scan, not before. Background on each treatment is in our dental tourism guide, including implants and full-mouth restoration.
Not sure what treatment you need?
Send us a recent panoramic X-ray or CBCT and a few photos of your teeth. A dentist reviews them and suggests what your Shanghai trip should cover — free, with no obligation.
Treatment timeline
How many trips you need
| Visit | When | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Single trip | This itinerary | Preparation, temporaries, lab work, try-in and final fitting. |
| Afterwards | At home | Routine check with your own dentist, using the records and X-rays we give you. |
Built around healing
How this trip protects your treatment
- Examination and preparation on days 1–2, so the lab has a full week
- Temporaries fitted the same day; no visible gaps while you travel
- A try-in visit before the final fitting, so the shape and shade can still be changed
- Final fitting on day 8, with a spare day before you fly for adjustments
First clinic day
What happens at the clinic
| 09:00 | Meet your coordinator at the hotel; transfer to the hospital (bring your passport). |
|---|---|
| 09:30 | Registration, medical history and medicines reviewed with an interpreter. |
| 10:00 | Examination by a specialist dentist; panoramic X-ray or CBCT scan. |
| 11:00 | Treatment plan explained: options, brands, materials, number of visits and price, in writing. |
| Afternoon | Free to think it over. Treatment starts only once you've agreed the plan. |
Itinerary · 10 days / 9 nights
Day by day
- Day 1
Arrive & examination
- Airport pick-up and hotel check-in
- Afternoon: examination, X-rays and photos
- Written plan, materials and price
Overnight: Central Shanghai
- Day 2
Preparation
- Teeth prepared and temporaries fitted
- Shade matching
- Quiet evening
Overnight: Central Shanghai
- Day 3
Yu Garden & the Bund
- Morning: Yu Garden
- Evening walk on the Bund
Overnight: Central Shanghai
- Day 4
French Concession
- Wukang Road and Anfu Road on foot
- Afternoon free
Overnight: Central Shanghai
- Day 5
Digital design
- Review the digital design of your crowns or veneers
- Afternoon free
Overnight: Central Shanghai
- Day 6
Zhujiajiao
- Day trip to Zhujiajiao water town
Overnight: Central Shanghai
- Day 7
Try-in
- Try-in of the restorations; changes agreed
- Afternoon: museum or shopping
Overnight: Central Shanghai
- Day 8
Final fitting
- Final fitting and bite adjustment
- Evening river cruise
Overnight: Central Shanghai
- Day 9
Spare day
- Short review; any final adjustment
- Free day
Overnight: Central Shanghai
- Day 10
Depart
- Records handed over; transfer to Pudong or Hongqiao
Make this itinerary yours
Change the dates, add rest days, upgrade hotels or combine it with another route. Your coordinator sends a revised plan and itemised quote.
Travel
What you’ll see
Yu Garden & the old town
A Ming-dynasty classical garden of rockeries, ponds and pavilions, surrounded by the busy lanes of the old town bazaar.
Tip: Arrive at opening time, before the tour groups.
The Bund
The riverside promenade of colonial-era banks and hotels facing the Pudong skyline across the Huangpu River.
Tip: Walk it at dusk, when both sides of the river light up.
Former French Concession
Plane-tree-lined streets such as Wukang Road and Anfu Road, with old villas, cafés and small shops.
Tip: Good for soft food: cafés and noodle shops on every block.
Zhujiajiao water town
A canal town about an hour from the city centre, with stone bridges, old houses and boat rides.
Tip: Visit on a weekday; weekends are crowded.
Hospitals
Where the dental treatment happens
Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine 上海交通大学医学院附属第九人民医院
Public university hospital · National Center for Stomatology
Founded in 1920 and one of three National Centers for Stomatology named by the National Health Commission in 2020, with around 1,000 dental chairs. Its dental departments include oral implantology.
We use it for
- Crowns and bridges
- Veneers
- Implants
Shanghai Stomatological Hospital 上海市口腔医院
Public dental hospital · School of Stomatology, Fudan University
Shanghai's public dental specialist hospital, affiliated with Fudan University.
We use it for
- Crowns
- General dentistry
The hospital and dentist are confirmed after reviewing your X-rays, dates and availability. An English-speaking coordinator accompanies you to every appointment. Ask for the implant or material brand in writing in your quote.
Worried about pain or downtime?
Tell us what you're having done and when you fly home. We'll plan the clinic days so the hardest ones fall early, with rest days after surgery and soft-food-friendly restaurants nearby.
Aftercare
Travelling after dental treatment
Eating
Soft, lukewarm food for the first days after surgery or extractions. Chinese cities make this easy: congee, steamed dumplings, tofu, noodle soups. Ask for food that isn't spicy.
Activity
Gentle walking is fine. Avoid strenuous hikes, swimming, saunas and hot springs in the first days after surgery; your surgeon will tell you when.
Flying
Most people can fly a day or two after routine dental treatment. After a sinus lift, your surgeon may ask you to wait longer. Follow their advice for your case.
Alcohol & smoking
Both slow healing and raise the risk of implant problems. Avoid them for as long as your surgeon advises, ideally for the whole trip.
General guidance only. Your dentist gives you instructions for your own treatment, and those come first.
Practical tips
Before you go
- Veneers are permanent: ask the dentist how much tooth will be removed, and whether bonding or whitening could do the job instead.
- Shanghai pairs well with the Hangzhou route, about an hour away by high-speed train.
- Send a panoramic X-ray or CBCT taken in the last six months, if you have one, plus a few photos of your teeth.
- Bring a list of all your medicines with doses. Tell us in advance about blood thinners, diabetes, osteoporosis drugs or radiotherapy to the head and neck.
- Bring your passport to every appointment; hospitals use it to register you.
- Ask your home dentist whether they will maintain work done abroad. Most will, with the records we provide.
FAQ
Shanghai dental tour — answered.
- Can veneers be done in fewer days?
- Some clinics make them faster, but we don't recommend squeezing it. Ten days allows a try-in, changes to the shape or shade, and a spare day for adjustments before you fly.
- What material will my crowns be?
- Usually zirconia or lithium disilicate (e.max), depending on the tooth and your bite. The material and lab are named in your written quote.
- Can I get implants and the final teeth in one trip?
- Usually not. Conventional implants need about three to six months to fuse with the bone before the final crown or bridge is fitted. That's why our implant and full-arch routes are planned as two trips. On a full-arch trip you leave with fixed temporary teeth.
- Are the hospitals public or private?
- Every hospital on these routes is a public hospital, most of them university dental hospitals. Three of them, in Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu, are China's National Centers for Stomatology.
- Why are dental implants cheaper in China now?
- In 2023, China ran national volume-based procurement for implants: the average price of the selected implant bodies fell by 55%, to just over 900 yuan. China's healthcare security administration also asked tertiary public hospitals to keep the medical-service fee for a single routine implant to no more than 4,500 yuan. That cap covers the service fee only; the crown and any grafting are charged separately.
- How much does a dental tour cost?
- It depends on the treatment, which only a dentist can confirm after seeing your X-rays, plus the route and hotels. Send us an X-ray and your dates, and we'll reply with an itemised quote that names the implant or material brands.
- What if something goes wrong after I get home?
- Ask about the clinic's follow-up and warranty terms before you book, in writing. You leave with full records, X-rays and implant details, so your dentist at home can see exactly what was done, and your coordinator stays in touch after the trip.
- Can my partner come?
- Yes. A companion is helpful on surgery days, and they can join the sightseeing or book their own check-up.
Related guides
Other routes
Beijing · Implants & Imperial Sights
7 days / 6 nights · One to three missing teeth; first-time visitors to China
View routeHangzhou · Dental Check-up & West Lake
5 days / 4 nights · Check-ups, fillings, root canals, wisdom teeth
View routeChengdu · Full-Arch Implants & Pandas
12 days / 11 nights · A whole jaw of missing or failing teeth; loose dentures
View routeXi'an · Implants & the Terracotta Army
7 days / 6 nights · One to three missing teeth; history lovers
View routeGuangzhou · Crowns & Cantonese Food
9 days / 8 nights · Crowns, bridges and veneers; travellers from Hong Kong and South-East Asia
View routeShenzhen · Quick Dental Trip from Hong Kong
4 days / 3 nights · Check-ups and general dentistry; visitors already in Hong Kong
View routeShanghai, dental care included.
Get your itemised quote.
Share your dates, who’s travelling and a recent X-ray if you have one. We’ll confirm the clinic, dental program and hotels, and pace the sightseeing around your treatment.