Boris Kopitar: “I have been looking for the best solution for a long time”

This is a patient interview and general information, not individual medical advice. Every mouth is different, so the right plan can only be confirmed after a clinical examination and imaging.

“Not only for me, but for all of us, a big and beautiful smile with healthy teeth matters a great deal,” said Boris Kopitar in a relaxed conversation about his treatment at Ortoimplant DENTAL SPA.

At our clinic in Zagreb we combine implant surgery with a calm recovery in our DENTAL SPA, an approach shaped over more than three decades by our clinical lead, Dr Zdenko Trampuš. Boris Kopitar is one of the patients who chose fixed teeth on implants with us, and he agreed to share honestly how it went, including the parts he was worried about beforehand.

The interview

Please describe your experience at Ortoimplant. What problem did you have, and what solution were you offered?

My front teeth had been a problem for years. I had porcelain crowns fitted about twenty five years ago, and over time they simply gave out. I first came across the All-on-4 method at a trade fair and it stayed in my mind. When Dr Trampuš examined me, he was straight with me: the condition was serious, the remaining teeth could not be saved, and because I had lost a lot of bone in the upper jaw, a standard implant would not hold in one position. He explained that a longer implant anchored in the cheekbone, a zygomatic implant, would give the bridge the support it needed. I appreciated that he told me plainly what was realistic rather than promising the easiest version.

Were you worried about anything before the procedure?

Honestly, less than you might expect. Knowing how long Dr Trampuš had been doing this work put me at ease. My one real question was the obvious one: will it hurt? He did not oversell it. He said it should not hurt, and that turned out to be true for me.

How was the procedure itself?

It took a little over five hours, under sedation, so I was comfortable throughout. The remaining teeth were removed, the implants placed, including the one in the cheekbone, and a fixed temporary bridge was fitted the same day. When I came round, there really was no pain to speak of. Walking out with teeth again on the same day was the part that stayed with me.

How were you cared for afterwards?

I stayed overnight in the accommodation above the clinic. I was given soft food, fruit smoothies mostly, and painkillers to take if I needed them, though I barely did. Dr Trampuš checked on me the next morning before I went home. It felt looked after rather than rushed.

What is Dr Trampuš’s manner with patients?

Steady and professional. I have been coming back for follow ups for close to four years now and the feeling of being in safe hands has not changed. That matters as much as the surgery itself.

Did you try the spa services?

Yes, before and after the surgery, mainly to relax. It made the whole thing feel less clinical, which I did not expect but welcomed.

How often do you come back, and from how far?

I travel from Ljubljana, which is about an hour and a half away, for a check up once a year. If they ever asked me to come in between times, I would, but so far the annual visit has been enough.

How important is it to smile without hesitating?

Very. I can bite into an apple again without thinking about it, and I do not cover my mouth when I laugh. Small things, but they add up.

What would you say to someone who is hesitating?

Do not put it off. Go for the free first examination, ask everything you want to ask, and decide from there. In my case, it genuinely did not hurt, and I only wish I had done it sooner.

A note on the treatment behind Boris’s story

Boris’s experience is his own, and outcomes differ from person to person. It is worth setting his story against what the wider evidence shows, so expectations stay realistic rather than idealised.

The All-on-4 concept, a fixed bridge carried by four implants with immediate loading, has a solid track record in the literature. Systematic reviews report high long term implant survival, in the region of 95 percent and above over ten years and longer when treatment is carried out by experienced teams and patients keep up their maintenance visits.¹² These are averages from published studies, not a guarantee for any individual.

The zygomatic implant that Boris needed is a recognised option for people who have lost significant bone in the upper jaw and would otherwise face extensive grafting. Pooled data from systematic reviews put cumulative success at roughly 96 percent beyond five years, while noting real complications such as sinus issues, which is why this technique belongs in experienced surgical hands.³ We place zygomatic, pterygoid, subperiosteal and transnasal implants precisely so that a lack of bone need not mean a removable denture.

If you want to understand these routes in more depth, see zygomatic implants for patients with bone loss and fixed teeth with the All-on-4 method. For patients travelling to us from abroad, dental treatment in Zagreb, travel and logistics sets out how appointments, surgery and recovery are usually sequenced across a visit.

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