Dental Implants in Side, Antalya

Are you a candidate?

Most healthy adults who have lost a tooth can have an implant. What decides it is the bone: an implant needs enough height and width of jawbone to be stable, and the 3D scan (CBCT) at your first appointment measures exactly that. The photos or panoramic X-ray you send beforehand tell us whether bone is likely to be the question; the scan answers it.

Three things lower the odds and are dealt with first: gum disease, which has to be treated before surgery; smoking, which roughly doubled the rate of implant loss in a large meta-analysis; and diabetes that is not well controlled. None of them is an automatic no, but each changes the plan. Our article on implants with smoking, diabetes or gum disease explains what that means for you.

When there is not enough bone

Bone shrinks after a tooth is lost, fastest in the first months. If the scan shows too little, there are options: a bone graft placed with the implant or before it, a sinus lift in the upper back jaw, or narrower implants where they are safe. These can add a healing period before the implant goes in, and your written plan says which applies before you book flights. Our guide to not having enough bone for implants explains each option.

Your two visits, step by step

• Visit one, 3‑5 days: examination and 3D scan, then implant placement under local anaesthesia, which takes 30‑60 minutes per implant. You have a check before you fly home.
• At home, 2‑4 months (up to 6 in the upper jaw): the implant fuses with the bone. Where the gap shows, a temporary tooth covers it.
• Visit two, 4‑7 days: a digital scan or impressions, the laboratory makes the crown, and it is fitted and checked before your flight.

The first days after surgery

Expect some swelling and tenderness for 2‑3 days, managed with standard painkillers. For the first days: soft food, no smoking, no alcohol at first, and no sea or pool until the wound has closed. Our holiday aftercare timeline sets out the rules day by day, so the rest of your stay can still be a holiday.

Looking after an implant for decades

An implant cannot decay, but the gum and bone around it can become inflamed (peri-implantitis) if plaque is left there. Brush twice a day, clean around the implant with an interdental brush and have a check and professional clean every 6 months. You leave with a record of the implant brand, size and position, so any dentist at home can look after it, and the written 10-year guarantee covers the implant. Read more on follow-up and the guarantee after you fly home.

Implant, bridge or denture?

An implant is not the only way to replace a tooth. A bridge is quicker and needs no surgery, but the neighbouring teeth are cut down to hold it; a removable denture is the least invasive start, but it moves and does not stop bone loss. Our comparison of implant, bridge or denture sets out who each one suits.