10 Things About Dental Implants

Over the past few decades, dental implants have become the standard way to replace a missing tooth. Bridges and removable dentures still have their place, but implantology has moved on to the point where, for most people, an implant placed where the tooth used to be is the more predictable long term choice. Below we answer the questions patients ask us most often, in plain language and without overselling the idea.

1. What is a dental implant?

An implant is a small titanium post that takes over the job of a natural tooth root. It is placed into the jawbone, and over a few months the surrounding bone grows against its surface and holds it firmly in place, a process called osseointegration. Titanium is used because the body tolerates it well and rarely reacts to it. Once the implant has healed, we attach a crown, a bridge or a full arch of teeth on top of it. So the implant is the foundation, not the visible tooth itself.

2. Who is a candidate for implants?

In principle, most adults who are missing one or more teeth and are in reasonable general health can be treated. What matters is a proper indication: the amount and quality of bone, the health of the gums, and any medical conditions that affect healing. Some situations, such as uncontrolled diabetes, heavy smoking or active gum disease, need to be managed first, because they raise the risk of the implant not integrating. This is exactly what the first examination and a CBCT scan are for, to see whether implants are sensible for you and, if so, which approach fits your anatomy. first examination and CBCT diagnostics

3. Why choose an implant over a crown or a bridge?

A conventional bridge relies on the neighbouring teeth, which have to be ground down to carry it. An implant stands on its own and leaves the healthy teeth around it untouched. It also does something a bridge cannot: because it sits in the bone, it keeps the bone loaded and helps slow the shrinkage that normally follows tooth loss. That said, a bridge or a denture can still be the right answer in particular cases, for reasons of cost, timing or medical history, and we will tell you honestly when that is so.

4. Is there an upper age limit?

There is no age at which someone is automatically too old for an implant. General health and healing capacity matter far more than the number on a birth certificate, and we routinely treat patients in their seventies and eighties. It is worth noting that some long term data suggest survival is marginally lower in older patients, so age is one factor we weigh, alongside medication, bone quality and overall fitness, rather than a barrier in itself.

5. Can almost anyone be treated today, even with little bone?

To a large extent, yes, and this is where implantology has changed the most. In the past, a patient who had lost a lot of bone was often told that implants were not possible, or that they faced lengthy bone grafting first. Today there are well established techniques that anchor implants in the bone that remains, which means many people who were previously turned away can now have fixed teeth. The next few sections describe the main options. Choosing between them is a clinical decision based on your scan, not a one size fits all recipe.

6. The All-on-4 method

All-on-4 restores a whole jaw using four implants, two placed straight at the front and two angled at the back to make the most of the available bone. A fixed bridge is then secured to them. Because the angled implants often avoid the need for grafting, many patients can receive a fixed provisional set of teeth quickly, sometimes on the same day. Systematic reviews of the concept report high implant survival, in the region of 95 percent and above over several years of follow-up, though the authors also stress that results depend on good maintenance and that biological complications can appear over time.³ Where more support is needed we may use additional implants, an approach usually called All-on-6. All-on-4 and All-on-6 fixed teeth

7. Zygomatic (cheekbone) implants

When the upper jaw has almost no usable bone left, standard implants have nothing to hold on to. Zygomatic implants solve this by anchoring into the cheekbone, or Zygoma, which is dense and stable. They are considerably longer than ordinary implants, up to around 60 mm, and they let us avoid major bone grafting and sinus surgery in the most difficult upper jaws. This is a demanding technique that belongs in experienced hands. Published systematic review data put cumulative success at roughly 96 percent beyond five years, which makes it a reliable option for severe upper jaw atrophy rather than a last resort.⁴ solutions for patients with little or no bone

8. Pterygoid implants

Pterygoid implants are another way to reach solid bone at the very back of the upper jaw, in the pterygoid region. They are useful when the back teeth are missing and the bone there is too thin for a standard implant, and they can allow a fixed bridge without a sinus lift. Like zygomatic implants, they call for specific surgical experience and careful planning from a three dimensional scan.

9. Subperiosteal implants

A subperiosteal implant is a custom titanium framework that rests on the bone, beneath the gum, rather than inside it. Modern versions are designed digitally from a CT scan and made to fit the individual jaw precisely. They are reserved for selected cases of extreme bone loss where implants placed into the bone are not feasible, and they give us one more option for patients who would otherwise struggle to have fixed teeth.

10. How often will I need check-ups afterwards?

An implant is not fit and forget. Long term studies show that implants themselves are very durable, with survival around 95 to 96 percent at ten years and roughly four out of five still in place at twenty years, but those figures depend heavily on regular professional care and good home hygiene.¹² The main long term risk is peri-implantitis, inflammation of the gum and bone around the implant, which is largely preventable and treatable when caught early. We usually recommend routine reviews and professional cleaning, and at our clinic recovery and maintenance can be supported by our DENTAL SPA protocol, which includes therapies such as hyperbaric oxygen, ozone, lymphatic drainage and magnetotherapy to aid healing and comfort. DENTAL SPA recovery protocol

A note on how we work

Our practice is led by Dr Zdenko Trampuš, who has spent more than three decades in implantology and was among the early adopters of these techniques in the region. For anxious patients we offer treatment under analgosedation, and complex cases are planned with guided implantology and CBCT imaging so that the surgery is as precise and predictable as possible. The first examination is free, and it is the right place to get honest, specific answers about your own situation.

Frequently asked questions