Last fact-checked: 1 August 2019

Save over 65% on the cost of dental implants in Zagreb compared to the prices at home.

 Croatia’s capital city offers affordable prices to overseas patients from places like the UK and Eire—and with Dental Departures, you can choose your dentist with confidence thanks to our easy-to-search list of pre-screened providers.

A dental implant is essentially a substitute tooth root. It is embedded into the jaw bone, underneath the gum line so you don’t see it. A replacement tooth, otherwise known as a crown, is permanently attached to it; to all intents and purposes it looks, feels and acts exactly like one of your own teeth.

Dental implants are suitable for patients with the healthy jaw bone. If you have lost your tooth through advanced gum disease (periodontitis) , then it may not be possible to have a dental implant due to the lack of viable jaw bone for the implant to integrate with. In these circumstances, all is not completely lost, as you may be able to have a bone graft procedure to increase the amount of bone. However, this is an additional surgical procedure that will incur a further expense. Plus, the bone graft will need time to “take,” meaning you will return to complete your implant procedure within three to six months.

Cigarette smokers may not be eligible, either. Smoking not only compromises the body’s natural healing ability (which will be a major problem immediately after the placement of an implant), but it also causes ongoing problems throughout the life of the implant. These days, many dentists refuse to place implants in smokers because it has such a detrimental effect on the long-term success of the procedure. If you are a smoker, it’s seriously worth considering giving up if you want to have dental implants.

Dental implants are undoubtedly the best way to replace missing teeth, but the prices at home may well be off-putting. This is why more and more people are travelling overseas to undergo dental procedures; even taking into consideration the cost of flights and accommodation, you should still make considerable net savings with implants in Zagreb.

The Croatian capital has an excellent tourist infrastructure with everything you need for your trip to go smoothly, regardless of whether you’re an avid traveler or not. With the Croatian government actively promoting health tourism, it is likely to become even more popular as international patients flock to take advantage of its high-quality, value-for-money medical and dental facilities.

Zagreb is an interesting city to visit. The Old Town’s meandering cobbled, medieval streets are lined with quirky shops, museums, dining options and bars—just the thing if you enjoy wandering aimlessly and seeing where the roads take you. The city may not have the immediate appeal of Croatia’s gorgeous Dalmatian Coast, but it is much fairer to compare it to other European cities, such as Budapest or Prague, where it actually compares quite favourably in terms of attractions, value for money and amenities.

With average flight times of around two-and-a-half hours from the British Isles, Zagreb is a convenient location for dental tourists who don’t want to travel long-haul to better-known dental tourism locations, such as Thailand or Mexico. You’ll be saving on your airfare, too, with plenty of low-cost airlines providing frequent, cheap flights to Zagreb from cities throughout the UK and Ireland.

The table below shows how much the average prices for dental implants in Zagreb are compared to your home country:

Note: the prices above are approximate. Please check our current prices for your selected clinic for estimated costs of treatment.

The dental implant procedure is carried out in two stages, which will usually require two trips to your dentist in Zagreb.

1: Implant Placement: During your first trip, the dentist in Zagreb will carry out the necessary tests and an examination to ensure you are a suitable candidate for dental implants. If confirmed, the implant procedure can proceed. (Note. A dentist at home can also advise whether you are a suitable candidate if you’re not sure.)

To commence the procedure, a local anaesthetic is administered to numb the area where the implant is to be placed. Next, a small incision is made in the gum to make a flap. The dentist opens this to access the jaw bone. A small hole is made in the bone and the implant inserted into position, and the gum flap stitched back into place.

A period of at least three months is required to allow the implant and bone to fuse together in a process called osseointegration. It is this process that creates a strong base for your new tooth to be attached. You will need to be in Zagreb for around 10 days for this part of the procedure, although your dentist will give you more detailed information then and there.

2: Crown (replacement tooth) attachment: Upon your return to Zagreb after three months or so, the dentist will attach your new tooth. Once again, your mouth will be numbed with local anaesthetic and the dentist opens up the gum again to expose the implant. An abutment is attached to the implant, with the top of the abutment protruding through the gum. The crown is attached to the abutment, completing the dental implant procedure. You will need to be in Zagreb for around a week for this part of the procedure.

What About the Quality of Dental Implants in Zagreb?

The standard of dental care at the best clinics in Croatia is generally excellent, particularly at clinics providing services to overseas patients. As a member of the European Union, the country is subject to Europe-wide regulations on minimum hygiene and safety standards, so there’s no need to worry that the regulations aren’t in line with those at home.

Dental training is thorough in Croatia, and all dentists must be registered with the respective governing body, the Croatian Dental Chamber, in order to practice. Specialists must undertake ongoing training throughout their careers and are likely to be members of international professional organizations, such as the International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI ).

That said, you should always do some research to ensure you’re booking with a reliable facility. This is where Dental Departures comes in to help. We carry out our own background checks so that when you choose and book your dentist with us, you can be assured they have already been fully pre-screened.

Our checks include legal/criminal records, dentist qualifications, professional memberships and patient reviews. We also include clinic photos, prices and location maps in our listings, so you have all the information you need at your fingertips to enable you to make your own choice.

Some of our top clinics in Zagreb for dental implants include:

? Dental Implant Krhen

? B.Dent

Dental Departure’s Customer Care Team is on hand 24 hours a day if you’d like to find out more about dental implants in Zagreb. 

Get in touch to book an appointment or obtain a free quote. You can also book directly online via any of our clinic listing pages.

Sources:

Nordqvist, Christian. What is Periodontitis? Medical News Today. 18 January 2018. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/242321.php

Major Bone Grafting (Using Bone from Outside the Mouth) and Dental Implants. Guys & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. Leaflet Number: 2847/VER3. November 2016. https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/resources/patient-information/dental/major-bone-grafting.pdf

Murphy, Caleb. Smoking And Tooth Implants: How it Affects the Success Rate. Authority Dental. 8 April 2019. https://www.authoritydental.org/smoking-tooth-implants

5 Reasons Why Healthcare is The Next Big Thing in Croatian Tourism. TimeOut. 12 February 2018. https://www.timeout.com/croatia/things-to-do/5-reasons-why-healthcare-is-the-next-big-thing-in-croatian-tourism

Burhenne, Mark. Your First Dental Implant Procedure: What to Expect. Ask the Dentist. 17 June 2019. https://askthedentist.com/dental-implants