FAQ

A dental implant is a small titanium screw which gets inserted into your jawbone during a simple, painless procedure. After a couple of months the implant becomes fused with the bone (the process is called osseointegration). At this point, a dental crown or replacement teeth (a bridge) can be mounted on the implant(s). Dental implants are the closest solution you can get to a natural, healthy teeth, since they help us replace not just the missing tooth, but also the root!

With the success rate that ranges between 95 and 99 percent (depending on the source), dental implants represent one of the safest dental procedures. As any surgery, dental implant surgery also poses some minor risks, which range from infection to damage to surrounding tissue, but problems are extremely rare and can be easily resolved. In a very small percentage of cases (around 2 – 3%) dental implants are not integrated into the bone and the procedure needs to be repeated.

No need to worry, you will not feel a thing! In fact, every dental implant procedure is performed with the area of insertion anesthetized (basically, the same that happens when you are having a filling done), so the only thing the patient feels is the slight discomfort of the anaesthesia shot. Pain-free dentistry is our mission; we understand that the largest portion of ‘dental pain’ is of psychological nature, i.e. linked to fear. Rest assured that at our clinic you will be well taken care of, the procedure carefully explained to you and that every step shall be taken in order for your stay at our studio to be not just a successful, but also a pleasant if not even a relaxing experience.

The price of an implant is determined by a series of factors, the producer being the key variable. Different brands use different materials, and invest different amounts into R&D, thus producing implants of different quality. Thus, the proper question is not ‘how much does an implant cost’, but rather ‘what is the cost of implant by a given producer i.e. brand’. At our Dental Studio Vukanovic we only use world leading implants: a) our Premium brand implant is the Nobel Biocare implant; b) our Standard segment implant is the Alpha Bio-Tec, If you would like a quote for your specific needs, please contact us and we will send you a full cost estimate.

An implant – or more of them – are inserted i.e. fitted in a single visit. Fitting one implant is a procedure that lasts only about 20 minutes, whereas the most complex implantological procedures (such as the All-on-4 or All-on-6) last for a couple of hours (2-3 usually). After the implants have been inserted into the jawbone, we need to wait between 3 and 4 months before we can fit the definitive tooth or teeth on the implants. In the meantime, the patient has the provisional teeth (which aesthetically and functionally perfectly mimic the definitive dental solution).

All-on-4 is the name used to refer to the dental i.e. implantological protocol whereby it is possible to restore a full denture to an edentulous patient in one day. Typically, a fixed prosthesis containing anything between 10 to 14 teeth is fixed on the implants within 24 hours of implant surgery. The All-on-4 procedure enables patients with badly damaged teeth, or patients who do not have teeth in their upper or lower jaw (or both) to get a new smile with 10 – 14 teeth extremely quickly, with little or no fatigue, and supported by a small number of implants. In fact, what makes the technique revolutionary is that thanks to the particular placement i.e. positioning of implants, a full set of teeth is perfectly supported by – and perfectly fixed on – four implants only.

You can read more about the All-on-4 procedure HERE.

Dental implants are made of titanium, a biocompatible material that is used to make other prosthetic parts such as hip or shoulder prosthesis.  Titanium is, indeed, chosen because it is the most biologically compatible of all metals and, as such, the allergy to it is virtually not attested. This, however, does not mean that all implants will integrate. Between 1 and 2 % of inserted implants fail to integrate into the bone. The main reason for this is either biological (people with poor bone structure, underlying illnesses) or very poor hygiene post implant insertion. Statistics have shown that no surgeon or dental centre has a success rate of 100%. With a success rate of above 98%, our Dental Studio has an above average success rate. If an implant fails to integrate, the procedure is repeated (with no additional cost).

People who have had teeth missing for a long period of time, tend to have problems with their jaw bone, which – not being stimulated by the root of the tooth – starts to retract with time. Consequently, there might be insufficient bone for an implant to be inserted. But DO NOT DESPAIR! Bone defects can, thanks to modern techniques of bone restructuring i.e. augmentation, be repaired.

A dental crown – is a ‘cap’ or ‘cover’ that is placed over a worn out, discoloured, badly shaped or even missing tooth, to restore its normal shape, size, function and overall aesthetic impact of your denture. Thanks to modern materials and procedures, crowns nowadays both functionally and aesthetically perfectly mimic natural teeth. Before placing a crown, your dentist will prepare the teeth (or alternative structure, such as implant) underneath and then take an impression which is sent to the laboratory where the crown is produced. While you wait for your permanent crown to be ready, you may get a temporary crown.

On average, the lifespan of a dental crown is put between 5 and 15 years. We have had patients whose crowns have lasted for over two decades. Generally speaking, we like to say that for at least 10-15 years you should be fine PROVIDING that you take good care of your crowns. This means that you have to protect your crowns from mechanical wear and follow good hygiene practices. More specifically, like a natural tooth, a crown can break, so you need to make sure you do not chew very hard food, ice, do not bite your nails or pencil ends, or exercise other type of strong mechanical force that could damage your crown. Furthermore, while cavities cannot damage the crown itself, cavities can affect the structure under the crown. This means that crowns or no crowns you need to BRUSH YOU TEETH twice a day, clean the space between your teeth every day, and have regular teeth cleaning sessions (at least every six months) at your dentist.