The most useful advice about moving here usually comes from people who have actually done it. This week we spoke to Linda, a dental hygienist at SweDent Dental Clinic in La Zenia. She moved from Sweden three years ago with her husband and their two children.
What follows is her experience and her view, in her own words where possible. It's one family's story and one professional's perspective, not dental, legal or financial advice.
Why they left Sweden
The sun came first. "Mainly, at first, it was the climate," Linda says. "We wanted the heat and the sun." The family had talked about moving to Spain for years, but what finally made the decision was rising gang-related crime back home.
At first they felt the crime and violence weren't in their neighbourhood, so they could stay. But when it started to get closer, they decided to sell the house and move.
Why the Orihuela Costa, and why they rented first
Before they moved, the family had been looking for a holiday home on the other side of Alicante and didn't know this part of the coast at all. Once they decided to move permanently, the Orihuela Costa made more sense.
"We don't speak Spanish," she explains. "This is so international, so it's easier for us with work, and for the kids with school and everything like that. That's why we chose this area."
They didn't buy straight away. "We rented first, so we could see what we would like before we bought." In the end they rented for almost two years before buying a house. For more on this approach, see our guides to renting before buying and renting first in Orihuela Costa.
A clinic with an international patient list
According to the clinic's own website, SweDent was founded in 1997 by Monika Bramsell, described there as the first Swedish dentist in the South Costa Blanca area. It is now run by two Swedish dentists, Monika and Melanie Bramsell, from the Tres Coronas building in La Zenia.
Linda's role is check-ups, cleanings and whitening. Her patients come from "everywhere": Swedish, Norwegian, Irish and British residents, some Spanish patients, full-time residents and holiday-home owners. "In general more of a higher age group," she says, "but it's starting to come more families here as well."
The clinic covers general dentistry, including implants, and refers patients to a specialist when a case is particularly complicated.
Why patients come to see her
"I feel like a lot of people come to me particularly for a cleaning," Linda says. Some patients tell her that hygiene appointments back home felt rushed: "just, like, ten minutes in and out."
Others come because they're in pain, or because treatment costs less here than in the UK, as she understands it. We haven't compared prices ourselves, so ask any clinic for a quote before treatment.
Choosing a dentist when you're new
Linda is honest that it's hard to judge a dentist before you've been. "I don't know how, as a client, you would really know, if it's the first time. But look at reviews, maybe."
She's careful to say she has no first-hand experience of how dentists work in other countries. She simply hears from her patients that it feels different. Her practical suggestion is to look at how a clinic explains things. When she does a check-up, she tells patients "really what I see", often showing them a picture or pointing it out in the mouth. She also explains how the problem happened and what they can do to stop it coming back.
Language matters too. Linda speaks Swedish, English and some Spanish, and her colleagues also speak German and Czech.
If you're nervous, or embarrassed
This is where Linda was most emphatic. For nervous patients: "Give them time. Try to be calm, relaxing, tell them everything so they are prepared for what's coming."
And if you've been putting off the dentist because you're embarrassed about the state of your teeth: "You don't need to be embarrassed. This is what we do. You don't have to feel ashamed to come here."
If you're in pain
A first visit usually starts with a check-up. If someone is already in pain, she says, "we can give injections so it feels comfortable for the patient while we do the check-up as well."
Anyone in a lot of pain goes straight to the dentist, who will usually take an X-ray as well as examining the tooth. After that, the treatment plan is worked through "piece by piece" between the dentist and the hygienist.
Her one piece of advice
"In general it doesn't matter where you live," she says. Brushing, and interdental cleaning between the teeth: "That's the most important part."
How often you need a professional cleaning is individual, Linda adds, so ask your dentist or dental hygienist what's best for you.
Booking an appointment
You don't need to register in advance to become a patient. Linda says you can book by email, WhatsApp or phone, "whichever way they prefer", or simply come in to reception. Your details are taken on your first visit.
According to SweDent's website, the clinic is at Calle Diamante 5, La Zenia, Orihuela Costa (03189). You can phone 966 730 019 or 639 841 104, or email info@swedent.com. Opening hours are 9am–4pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and 9am–6pm on Tuesday and Thursday. Check the website for current details before you visit.
Schools: her experience so far
Linda's children are 12 and 10. Her eldest has just started at the local state secondary school, and her youngest is at a state primary school nearby. "So far she's really happy with the school and everything," she says of her eldest. She rates the primary school highly too, while stressing it's one family's experience.
A few practical points from her experience:
- State ("community") schooling is free. Parents buy workbooks and stationery, and most textbooks are provided at school.
- There used to be waiting lists for primary places, but "they opened the new school, and then it eased up a lot".
- "As long as you have your padrón, you can apply to the school." The padrón is your registration with the local town hall.
Admissions rules and places change from year to year, so check with the school and the Ayuntamiento de Orihuela for your own situation. Our schools and family life guide and moving with children guide cover the basics.
Buying a home: "You need a lawyer"
Linda browsed the property portal Idealista to draw up a shortlist, and a relative who works as a local estate agent contacted the selling agents for her. The purchase wasn't straightforward. The seller's agent and her lawyer "didn't see eye to eye", paperwork was missing, and "everything took time". Her advice is simple: "You need a lawyer."
She found hers through her accountants, a firm that also handles legal work. Whoever you use, make sure your lawyer is independent and acts only for you, not for the seller or the agent. It's worth budgeting time as well as money for the process.
This article reflects Linda's personal experience and opinions, shared in an interview with Move to Costa Blanca in September 2026 and checked by Linda before publication. It is general information, not dental, legal or financial advice. For your own situation, speak to a qualified dentist, lawyer or other professional.