Po obejrzeniu zdjęcia zęba dentystka dodała, że nowa plomba powinna wytrzymać kilka lat.

Po means after here, and it is followed by a verbal noun: obejrzenie = watching / looking at / examining.

So:

• po obejrzeniu = after looking at / after examining

This is a very common Polish structure:

• po przyjściu = after arriving
• po przeczytaniu = after reading
• po zjedzeniu = after eating

In this sentence, po obejrzeniu zdjęcia zęba means after examining the image/X-ray of the tooth.

Because po requires the locative case in this meaning.

The base noun is:

• obejrzenie = the act of looking at / examining

But after po, it changes to the locative:

• po obejrzeniu

This is one of the patterns learners need to memorize:

• po + locative

So:

• po filmie = after the film
• po obiedzie = after dinner
• po obejrzeniu zdjęcia = after examining the image

It comes from the verb obejrzeć, which is a perfective verb meaning to look at / to examine / to watch and finish doing so.

From obejrzeć, Polish forms the verbal noun:

• obejrzenie = the act of viewing/examining

Then, after po, it becomes:

• po obejrzeniu

Using the perfective base makes sense here, because the action was completed before the dentist added her comment.

Zęba is in the genitive singular of ząb (tooth).

The phrase zdjęcie zęba literally looks like a picture of a tooth or an image of the tooth.

This is a very common noun pattern in Polish:

• zdjęcie kota = a picture of a cat
• opis problemu = a description of the problem
• kolor domu = the color of the house

So:

• zdjęcie = image / photo / X-ray
• zęba = of the tooth

In everyday Polish, zdjęcie usually means photo/picture, but in medical or dental contexts it can also mean an image, including an X-ray.

In a sentence about a dentist and a filling, many learners will correctly feel that this could mean a dental X-ray rather than an ordinary photograph.

So zdjęcie zęba in context is best understood as something like:

• the image/X-ray of the tooth

The exact English wording depends on the translation you were given, but grammatically Polish simply uses zdjęcie.

Because dentystka is the female form: female dentist.

• dentysta = dentist (traditionally masculine form)
• dentystka = female dentist

Since the verb is also feminine:

• dodała = she added

the sentence clearly tells you the dentist is a woman.

Polish often marks gender more explicitly than English.

Not exactly. Dodała literally means added.

So the idea is:

• the dentist said something, and then added another remark

In English, depending on style, you might translate it as:

• added
• added that
• sometimes simply said, if you want smoother English

But the Polish verb specifically suggests an additional comment.

Also, dodała is:

• past tense
• feminine singular
• perfective

So it means she added.

Że means that and introduces a subordinate clause.

So:

• dentystka dodała, że... = the dentist added that...

This is extremely common in Polish after verbs of saying, thinking, knowing, noticing, etc.:

• powiedział, że... = he said that...
• myślę, że... = I think that...
• wiem, że... = I know that...

In English, that is often optional, but in Polish że is normally expressed.

Because nowa plomba is the subject of the clause nowa plomba powinna wytrzymać kilka lat.

The subject stays in the nominative:

• nowa = new
• plomba = filling

So:

• nowa plomba = the new filling

Both words agree in gender, number, and case:

• plomba is feminine singular
• nowa is also feminine singular nominative

This is a very useful structure:

• powinna = should
• wytrzymać = last / hold up / endure

Together:

• powinna wytrzymać = should last / should hold up

Powinien / powinna / powinno agrees with the subject:

• on powinien = he should
• ona powinna = she/it should
• ono powinno = it should

Since plomba is feminine, the sentence uses powinna.

Wytrzymać often means to withstand, to endure, or to last.

In the context of a filling, it means the filling should remain functional for that amount of time.

So:

• plomba powinna wytrzymać kilka lat = the filling should last several years

It is a very natural choice in Polish for things like materials, repairs, batteries, shoes, fillings, etc.

Examples:

• Te buty wytrzymają zimę. = These shoes will last the winter.
• Bateria wytrzyma dwa dni. = The battery will last two days.

Because after kilka (a few / several), Polish uses the genitive plural.

The noun is:

• rok = year

Its genitive plural is:

• lat

So:

• kilka lat = several years

This is a common pattern with quantity expressions:

• kilka dni = several days
• kilka miesięcy = several months
• kilka godzin = several hours

So lat is not random — it is the required case form.

Yes, it is irregular, and learners simply need to get used to it.

The forms of rok include:

• nominative singular: rok
• nominative plural: lata
• genitive plural: lat

So in a phrase with kilka, you get:

• kilka lat

This is one of the most common irregular nouns in Polish, so it is worth memorizing early.

Not completely. Polish word order is more flexible than English because case endings show grammatical roles.

The original sentence:

• Po obejrzeniu zdjęcia zęba dentystka dodała, że nowa plomba powinna wytrzymać kilka lat.

is natural and neutral.

You could also say:

• Dentystka dodała po obejrzeniu zdjęcia zęba, że nowa plomba powinna wytrzymać kilka lat.

That is also understandable, though the original version sounds smoother and more natural in many contexts.

Polish often puts time/background information first:

• Po obejrzeniu... = After examining...

This sets the scene before the main action.

Yes. In Polish, plomba can also mean a seal placed on something to show it has not been opened or tampered with.

But in dental context, plomba very naturally means filling.

So here:

• nowa plomba = the new filling

The context makes the meaning clear.

Because the sentence describes completed events and a likely result.

You have:

• obejrzeniu from obejrzeć — the examination was completed
• dodała from dodać — she added the comment as a completed act
• wytrzymać — to last successfully for a period

Polish aspect is very important. In this sentence, the perfective forms fit well because the story moves through completed actions:

1. the dentist examined the image
2. she added a comment
3. the filling should last for several years

This is a good example of how Polish aspect helps shape the flow of the sentence.