How long do dental implant therapies take?” and the general duration of all dental therapies are the most common questions from our patients.
In this week’s blog from Dental Center 4Smile, we continue our series on the duration of dental therapies.

What are dental implants?

Dental implants are titanium replacements for lost roots of one or more teeth. They are made from biocompatible material (titanium) and fuse (osseointegrate) with the surrounding bone.

What are the dental therapies that involve dental implants?
How long do dental implant therapies take?

Each dental implant therapy takes from 3 to 6 months, depending on whether it’s for one or both jaws.

The duration of therapy for the lower jaw is 3 months, for the upper jaw is 6 months, and when both jaws are treated, the complete therapy takes 6 months.
The difference in therapy duration is due to the osseointegration period of the dental implant, as the lower jaw is denser, and that’s why it takes less time.

All on 4 and All on 6 are the only therapies for edentulous jaws that have a faster process of placing fixed teeth compared to other therapies. Read about All on 4 and All on 6 therapies in our blog How long does the ALL ON 4 and ALL ON 6 therapy last?.

Dental implant therapy is divided into 4 phases.

4 phases of dental implant therapy
  1. Phase – Implant placement

Implant placement is done in one session with Dr. Ivan Antolković. The placement of 1 dental implant takes about 10 minutes.

  1. Phase – Opening dental implants and placing gingiva formers on dental implants

This phase requires one appointment with Dr. Ivan Antolković.

  1. Phase – Taking impressions for the final work

The third phase involves taking impressions for the final work, whether it’s a single ceramic crown or a complete denture for the entire jaw.

  1. Phase – Placing the finished work

The fourth phase consists of 2 to 3 appointments with Dr. Antolković to try out dental crowns or dentures, achieve top-notch functionality, and the desired aesthetics of your smile.

If you are a patient coming from abroad, fixed work on implants will require you to come to our clinic 2-3 times in a period of 6-8 months. Also, on your last visit, it will take us 7 days to complete the work before we can send you home with a new smile!
On the other hand, ALL ON 4 and ALL ON 6 therapy will require you to come 2 times in a period of 6 months.

Organizing a trip to your new smile might sound complicated, but Dental Center 4Smile team is here to organize everything for you and guide you through the process.
We will accommodate you near our clinic, organize your rides from and back to the airport and be available for you during your whole treatment.
We will also provide you post-operative care, all the necessary medication and stay available to you, even when you go back to your home country! 

We are aware that today’s pace of life is fast, and it’s difficult to find and allocate time. Therefore, we will plan your therapy in advance and arrange appointments that suit you. The only thing you need to do is to accept in advance that there are time protocols that must be followed for quality and long-lasting work.