THE multi-colour bruise from painful dentistry is still there for all to see.

But, just a few inches above this painful sight lurked a wide grin which suggested the pain had been neutralised.

Neil Lennon had little to smile about last week, having a bit of cow bone grafted into in his lower jaw, then being left feeling he had his teeth kicked in by his own players' performance against Ajax in Amsterdam.

Winning at Dingwall against Ross County - even if it was an emphatic 4-1 canter - will never make up for losing a key Champions League game.

But as the bounce back from that bitter disappointment, it hit the spot, just as Virgil van Dijk and Joe Ledley did with a brace of headers apiece.

As the Hoops prepared to go their separate ways for yet another international break, they did so with a display which confirmed the rocket fired in their direction at the end of the game in the Amsterdam ArenA had found its target.

Asked if changing half his outfield players from Ajax to Ross County was a clear message to everyone that the manager would not shy away from doing what he felt was required to get the required response, Lennon said: "Absolutely, yes.

"It was a necessity to make changes from playing on the Wednesday night to the Saturday lunchtime.

"But we were looking for the likes of Nir Biton, Teemu Pukki and Tom Rogic to come to the party, and two of them certainly did that.

"I thought Biton and Pukki were excellent."

However, it was not so much about who Lennon brought in, but who he moved out, either to the bench or from the picture altogether.

Mikael Lustig was injured - his hip playing up again - but Georgios Samaras, Kris Commons, Beram Kayal and Anthony Stokes got time off to reflect on what they failed to do in midweek.

Last year, Dingwall would not have been the chilly venue of choice for those handed the chance to come in and show what they could do.

Two draws and a dramatic defeat was Celtic's record there against the then SPL new boys.

Maybe it's the fact County now have a beautiful swathe of lush green grass instead of the duss and mud bowl last term.

Perhaps it is a bad case of second-seasonitis, which has made Derek Adams' side much less doughty as opponents.

Or perhaps it was simply Celtic's players got their game heads on and responded to Lennon's demands for atonement after the horror of Holland. Most likely it was a combination of all of the above, but what was never up for debate was the result.

Not even the robust and confrontational style of the likes of Mihael Kovacevic - who wanted to go toe-to-toe with Ledley and Scott Brown at every opportunity - could knock Celtic off their stride.

Lennon was critical of Hibs' tough tactics a few weeks ago, but is not upset if teams wants to test the courage of his players, both mentally and physically.

"It's other teams' prerogative to do that," conceded Lennon philosophically.

"I didn't think there was anything malicious in any of the challenges on Saturday. There was a bit of toing and froing, but nothing sinister.

"My players handled it and I asked for a reaction, and I got that. I was pleased with the way we looked in that formation, and I was pleased with the way we played."

With van Dijk heading them 2-0 up with good finishes either side of half-time, and a fired-up Ledley matching the Dutchman's feat as he appeared to vent his anger at having been required to wait so long to start a game and remind everyone exactly what he can bring to the side, County must have felt as though they had been put through the spin cycle of a washing machine.

Not even a goal from substitute forward Ivan Sproule to briefly make it 2-1 could knock Celtic off their impressive stride.

Skipper Brown was never going to let that happen, leading from almost the front as he was pushed up just behind the front men, and reminding everyone what Celtic are currently missing in Europe as he waits to serve the final match of his three-game ban.

Similarly, Biton is out of circulation in the Champions League after his red card against Ajax at Parkhead.

And, in a rare start for the side he joined in August, he showed glimpses of what he can bring when he fully adjusts to the pace and the demands of the midfield battlefield.

Ross County could have increased their revenue from the matchday by enforcing a congestion charge for the area just in front of their penalty box, so deep were they pushed back and so determined Celtic were to flood the final third.

It was perhaps no wonder, therefore, that the goals came from crosses from wide, with Emilio Izaguirre providing most of them.

Indeed, at times it appeared the entire match had been set up as a training exercise to allow the Honduran defender to hone his crossing.

Darnell Fisher also greatly benefited from another start for the Champions and, even if it was not his best day, the teenager continues to make a positive impression.

Unfortunately, James Forrest did not as he was pushed forward to link up with Pukki.

The man who will today join up with the Scotland squad appears to be lacking confidence, whether in terms of fitness or form, and his decision-making reflects this at the moment.

Perhaps the international break will allow the highly-talented 22-year-old winger the opportunity to reflect on what he needs to do to revisit his very best.

Celtic could certainly do with that as they start the countdown to the crunch Champions league group H game against AC Milan a fortnight tomorrow.