Savina Dental Clinics

Savina Dental Clinics is a private dental and implant practice with two clinics: one at SkyParks Business Centre next to Malta International Airport in Luqa, and one in Victoria, the main town of Gozo. The first Savina clinic opened in Gozo in 1985, and the practice has since treated local residents and visitors from overseas at both sites. Its principal dental surgeon is Dr Joseph Xuereb.

The airport clinic is the one most relevant to a UK traveller, because it is a two minute walk from the arrivals area, with free parking in the adjoining airport car park. Savina is listed in our directory of dentists in Malta, and this page describes what the practice offers, not medical advice. A free e-consultation lets you ask questions before you travel.

Forty years of firsts in Maltese dentistry

Savina has introduced a long list of innovations to the islands. It was the first dentist in Malta to introduce new ways of giving dental anaesthesia, became a mercury-free practice, and pioneered gum surgery as an alternative to losing teeth. In 2003 one of its staff became the first Invisalign certified practitioner for adults on the island, and in 2009 the practice introduced stem cell banking from teeth, followed soon after by the first 3D cone beam CT scanner in a Maltese dental practice.

In 2011 Savina was the first to bring digital shade taking to Malta, a way of matching the colour of a restoration to your own teeth. The SkyParks clinic opened in 2013, offering the latest implants, veneers, laser surgery, piezosurgery, cone beam CT scans, same day porcelain crowns and bridgework, and laser tooth whitening. Since 2007 Savina has also been the International Visiting Centre for Malta for Zimmer dental implants, a network of reference practices set up by Zimmer Inc. of California.

The Malta and Gozo clinics

The Malta clinic sits on Level 1 of the SkyParks Business Centre, a short walk from the arrivals hall at Malta International Airport. Appointments usually avoid long queues and waiting lines, and pricing is transparent. For a visitor with a few free hours between a flight and a hotel, or before flying home, that location is the main attraction. The clinic is also used by people who live in Malta.

The Gozo clinic is the original Savina practice. It opened in 1985 at 7 Sir Adrian Dingli Street in Victoria, and it serves local and international patients. Victoria is the island's capital, and its Citadel, the Cathedral of the Assumption, Rundle Gardens and the It-Tokk open air market are all close by. If you are staying in Gozo, you can book at this clinic rather than crossing to the main island.

The treatments on offer

Preventive care covers a dental check-up, dental cleaning, a 15 minute oral cancer test, saliva testing and custom mouthguards. Restorative dentistry includes bonding, fillings, dental crowns, bridges, dentures, root canal treatment, gum grafts, sinus lifts, wisdom teeth removal and tooth extraction. Root canal treatment removes the infected nerve and pulp from inside a tooth, which is then cleaned and sealed.

Aesthetic dentistry includes smile makeovers, cosmetic dentistry, dental implants, teeth whitening, dental veneers and Lumineers, a thin type of veneer. Dental implants are presented as the closest option to healthy natural teeth, for eating, smiling and talking with confidence. For straightening teeth, Savina offers orthodontic braces, Invisalign removable clear trays, and lingual braces, and it has added TMJ and jaw muscle therapy, a hands on service from a certified therapist at both the Malta and Gozo clinics.

There are also pages for dental sedation, dental anaesthesia, dentistry for children and oral hygiene, along with emergency information, so one practice can cover the routine needs of a family. Savina also offers stem cell banking from teeth, an option it introduced in 2009. Savina publishes indicative pricing and treatment guides that set out the pros and cons of each procedure and the alternatives.

Technology and equipment

The Gozo clinic has four fully equipped treatment suites, registered dental hygienist services, panoramic and full digital X-ray, Scanora cone beam CT scans, and on demand 3D CT scan processing for implant planning. Cerec equipment makes same day porcelain crowns and veneers, and ZOOM! and Smartbleach KTP laser whitening handles tooth whitening. The clinic also has a KTP surgical laser, an intra-oral video camera, Diagnodent decay detection and a dental laboratory.

Savina works with Straumann and Zimmer implant systems, and it practises mercury-free dentistry. The SkyParks clinic offers the same range of laser surgery, piezosurgery, cone beam scanning, same day crowns and bridgework, and laser whitening, so visitors can have a treatment planned and completed within a short stay where the case allows.

Your first visit and e-consultations

A first appointment starts with a comprehensive examination: a full mouth visual check of the teeth, gums and soft tissues, an examination of your bite and jaw joints, an oral cancer screen, and X-rays or other tests as required. You then receive treatment options, an explanation of why each treatment is needed and what it involves, and a full treatment plan with an estimate of costs before work begins. The practice takes care with sterilisation and uses disposable items where appropriate, and it explains treatment in plain terms.

Patients are asked for background information such as a medical history at the first visit, and patient forms can be printed and completed in advance. If you want to ask questions before booking, the practice offers free e-consultations to both local and international patients, and appointments can be requested for either the Skyparks clinic in Malta or the Victoria clinic in Gozo. Our guide to flights to Malta from the UK and our pages on London Heathrow to Malta and London Gatwick to Malta help you plan the journey.

The dental team

Dr Joseph Xuereb qualified from the University of Malta in 1985 and has practised exclusively at Savina in Malta and Gozo since 1994. He completed postgraduate study at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, at San Raffaele in Milan and with the Zimmer Dental Education Institute, and he is a Fellow of the International College of Dentists. He is also a diploma tutor for the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Dr Anthony Farrugia graduated in 2007, spent five years practising in the UK, and focuses on aesthetic dentistry. Dr Alison Borg, who graduated in 2013, holds a master's degree in restorative and cosmetic dentistry, and Dr Melanie Cefai, who graduated in 2016, holds a master's degree in aesthetic dentistry from Frankfurt. Dr Tanja Kobolt graduated in Slovenia in 1989 and trained in cosmetic dentistry and implant prosthetics in Nuremberg. Dr William Borg, who graduated in 2012, now holds a practice administration role. Several of the team are certified Invisalign providers.

Dr Anthony Farrugia has more than 17 years of experience and Dr Tanja Kobolt more than 36 years. Supporting them are dental hygienists Paul Debrincat, Caroline O'Connor and Francesca Cardona across the Malta and Gozo clinics, dental nurses, clinic managers, a dental technician and reception staff, and Elsie Xuereb is the director and business manager.

Combining dental care with a stay in Malta or Gozo

Savina welcomes overseas patients and publishes tourist information for those combining treatment with a holiday. For somewhere to stay near the airport clinic, our guide to where to stay in Malta and our guide to hotels in Malta compare the areas, and visitors to the Gozo clinic can read our Gozo guide and our guide to hotels in Gozo.

Between appointments you can see the capital through our Valletta guide, the old capital in our Mdina guide or the island's best beaches, and our guide to things to do in Malta has more ideas. To arrange a visit, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to Savina.