Boris Kopitar: “My problems are behind me now”

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 confident, beautiful smile with flawless teeth matters a great deal,” Boris Kopitar said in an interview 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 how it went.

The interview

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

I had serious problems, mainly with my front teeth. Twenty-five years ago a dentist fitted porcelain crowns over four of my upper teeth, and I was happy with them. A good five years ago the condition under the porcelain got worse, so something had to be done. I came across the clinic quite by chance at a trade fair in Komenda and decided there and then to go for the free first examination on Ilica in Zagreb. Dr Zdenko Trampuš and his team examined me thoroughly, found the condition alarming and explained the planned surgery in detail. He told me that all my remaining teeth would have to be removed and that, because there was too little bone, he would also need to place a fifth implant in the cheekbone, a so-called zygomatic implant in the upper jaw.

Were you worried about anything before the procedure?

Dr Trampuš has so much experience and so many successful operations behind him that, to be honest, nothing worried me. I left everything to the whole team. Just in case, I only asked him whether it would hurt a lot, and he told me firmly that it should not hurt.

How was the procedure itself?

It began with sedation, so it really did not hurt, although I was still responsive. Everything took a good five hours in a comfortable reclining chair. First they removed the teeth, then placed the implants and prepared everything for the temporary teeth. When they woke me from the sedation, there really was no pain.

How were you cared for afterwards?

Straight after the procedure they put a cooling mask on my face for about an hour to prevent swelling, and then fitted the temporary teeth, so I was not without teeth for even an hour. Because a patient must not drive for a few hours after the procedure, and I had driven there myself, they put me up in the apartment above the practice, made me a fruit smoothie and suggested I rest until morning. Just in case, they suggested I take a painkiller so I would not wake up in the night, but to tell the truth there was no pain. In the morning Dr Trampuš came to see me and gave me advice for my recovery, and by eleven I was already driving home.

What is Dr Trampuš’s manner with patients?

With so much experience he knows that complete patient satisfaction is the key to trust, so today, almost four years after the operation, I can say that I am always welcome at his clinic. I have always felt safe in his chair, and I know I can trust him.

Did you try the spa services?

The spa is there for patients who are waiting before surgery, so they can relax in pleasant surroundings. After my operation, before going home, I relaxed in the spa.

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

I have had no problems at all since the procedure, and I am happy to drive to Zagreb for a check-up once a year. From Ljubljana it is a good hour and a half. If the team suggests an extra check-up, I go along with that.

How important is it to smile without hesitating?

Not only for me, but for all of us, a confident, beautiful smile with flawless teeth matters a great deal. It also means a lot to me when friends test whether I dare to bite into an apple, and I do it without a second thought.

What would you say to someone who is hesitating?

If you have problems like mine, decide as soon as possible to do something for yourself. You could start with just the free examination. And one more thing: it really did not hurt.

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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