The science of dendrochronology has over the past decade advanced significantly, as the paper by Sarah Pearson in this volume clearly shows. However, there has not been an equal increase in the understanding of the general reader or user of tree-ring dating as to how to assess a date for validity of match, dating precision, and how this might be interpreted in dating a building or artefact. This paper outlines the process of dating, and attempts to highlight some of the problems associated with using tree-ring dates, setting forth a number of suggestions as to how these may be overcome. Examples of how precise felling dates may be reconciled with documentary dates have been summarised, to allow a more informed approach to the interpretation of felling dates; and the dendrochronological evidence for timber stockpiling is presented. Finally, the process of estimating missing sapwood rings is reviewed, and with the data generated over the past decade, new sapwood estimates are proposed which substantially reduce those previously used for the British Isles as a whole.