Frequently asked questions

General

There are several reasons for this, but first of all, let us stress once more that the lower quality of the work performed is not one of them. The reasons are the lower cost of the staff working in Croatian clinics, since the cost of living in Croatia is still lower than in most other EU countries. That, of course, does not mean that the people working in Croatian clinics are underpaid, they make a very decent living for Croatian standards. The other reason for lower prices is the price of real-estate, either bought or rented out long term, which is still comparably lower in most Croatian places than it is in England or Italy. Those two factors are the ones most significantly impacting the lower "overheads" in Croatian clinics, as compared to the clinics in Western Europe, where most of the clients come from. And you have to keep in mind that many clinics in your countries are just chargning premium prices, basically overpricing their customers, which is one of the reasons many of their patients have decided to look elsewhere for high quality dental work at much more reasonable prices.

The answer to that question is two-fold. First of all we need to look into the materials used, and it's imperative for a potential patient to understand that almost all Croatian clinics use exactly the same materials as other clinics do. That point is most easily understood for the dental implants: our clinics use the same dental implant systems as their colleagues elsewhere - Straumann, Astra tech and Nobel biocare are the go-to manufacturers for dentists interested in quality everywhere in the world! The second part of that answer lies in the staff. School of Dental Medicine in Zagreb has a long, well respected tradition as an institution that produces high-quality doctors, and Croatian clinics usually manage to employ the best candidates graduating from that school. They are highly motivated to learn even more, and the clinics provide them with those opportunities, as they are continually educated, mentored by the best Croatian dentists, helped by other highly motivated staff and rewarded by the new, improved smiles of their patients. The growth of the Croatian dental tourism is steady, continuous but sustainable, which means that Croatian clinics are able to maintain the highest standards of quality, which is proven by the very high success rate of their procedures and highly positive experiences of former patients.

There are no hidden costs, and we can't stress that enough! We know how much patients hate their clinics charging them for neccessary aspects of the procedures, such as anesthesia or post-op drugs additionally, and we promise never to do that. Once you've arrived to Croatia and an initial examination was performed by a doctor at one of Croatian clinics, a detailed plan of treatment will be presented to you, and it will include the prices for each of your subsequent (if needed) visits and procedures performed during them. And we will commit to those prices, throughout the process.

If you send us your existing treatment plan prepared by another dentist, we will be able to give you an approximation of your treatment with us and its price. If you don't have an existing treatment plan but you do have an orthopantomogram (panoramic radiograph of both your jaws), we will send you and approximate offer and the tentative treatment plan (which can be modified once you make your first visit and our dentists are able to make a full, detailed in-person examination of your teeth). The final, master treatment plan will be created at your first visit and will include the number of visits, work that needs to be performed at each visit, the prices for the procedures and the duration of each visit.

Dental implants

Implants are screws that serve as an artificial substitute for a lost tooth root and are installed in the upper or lower jaw. Dental implants are typically made of titanium, a biocompatible material that is accepted by the body and serves as a strong and sturdy foundation for replacement teeth.

Croatian clinics mostly install implants produced by renowned Swedish producer Astra Tech or Swiss producers Straumann and Nobel biocare; all of them have a lifetime guarantee.

The market offers a wide variety of implants from different manufacturers, but unfortunately, not all are as good and reliable. The highest quality materials by trusted manufacturers that guarantee a long-term solution will cost a bit more initially, but is much less likely to cause problems in the future, which might end up costing you even more (both in terms of money and time).

Dental implants are usually done in two procedures. At the first visit, you will have a fitting, have 2-D and 3-D X-ray images taken, and after a detailed analysis of the case the implant will be placed by an oral surgeon. After the implant surgery is completed, the patient is given detailed instructions on further behavior and will schedule a check up appointment. After osseointegration, or the coalescence of the implant with bone (which usually takes 2-6 months), there will be a review to see if you may need additional surgery to place the abutment — the piece where the crown will eventually attach.

Dental prosthetics

The difference is in making: zirconium ceramic crowns are entirely made of ceramic, while metal-ceramic has a base made of metal alloy (white gold, titanium, chrome, cobalt, nickel) that is coated with ceramics.

With high quality oral hygiene and regular exams, they can last up to ten years. The lifetime depends on the quality and the type of material as well as the patients' habits.

The advantages of zirconium ceramic crowns are their biocompatibility (the ability of the organism to accept a foreign body without rejection), better natural light, better imitation of the natural tooth, and the fact that with them you can't get an allergic reaction to metals. The ceramic crown is more expensive because of the high quality materials used and because it is more complex in its making. Aesthetically, zirconium crowns look absolutely natural while metal ceramics are seen as "artificial".

The dental bridge is a fixed prosthetic used when fixing a broken tooth. It can substitute one or more of your teeth, and the determination is made by the dentist during the examination. The dental bridge returns the aesthetics and functionality of the teeth.

When installing the dental bridge, it is necessary to grind the two adjacent healthy teeth and therefore it is better to set the bridge to the implant and preserve the healthy teeth.

The base of metal ceramic crowns is made of noble metals: white gold, titanium, nickel, chromium or cobalt. Titanium and white gold are most commonly used because allergic reactions are extremely rare.

Exactly the same as you would with natural teeth: daily oral hygiene and regular checkups at the dentist's or oral hygienist's.

Fixed dentures are fixed on the patient’s own teeth as they are attached to the natural tooth root or implants. Unlike fixed, semi-fixed prostheses can be removed with special instruments and thoroughly cleaned during examination at a dentist's. Mobile prostheses are easily removed and replaced by the patients themselves.

Veneers are wafer-thin, custom-made shells of tooth-colored materials designed to cover the front surface of teeth to improve your appearance. These shells are attached permanently to the front of the teeth changing their color, shape, size, or length.

Conservative dentistry

The regular removal of tartar (also called calculus) and plaque is necessary, both for the health and the beauty of the tooth. If they are not regularly removed, they become fertile ground for the development of microorganisms that lead to damaging the enamel, cavities, and other periodontal diseases.

Dental cavities (caries) are caused by the action of acids on the enamel surface. The acid is produced when sugars (mainly sucrose) from the food or drinks react with bacteria present in the dental biofilm (plaque) on the tooth surface. Caries can eventually spread to the dental pulp and root canal, which leads to the destruction of the tooth if not treated on time.

Caries damage is repaired by fillings (seals) or "inlay/onlay" upgrades. We differentiate between ceramic (embossed) and amalgam (gray) fillings. Ceramic is more aesthetically acceptable and is not harmful to human health. "Inlay" and "onlay" upgrades are similar to a filling. These are used when the damage is too large for a filling, and they are made in the lab to the imprint of the prepared dental cavity. An ”inlay" is used to upgrade the upper surface of the crown, and an “onlay” is used if you need to upgrade the top and side surface of the tooth's crown.

Aestetic dentistry

Tooth polishing is a mechanical dental cleaning procedure with the aid of a fluoride and rotating brush paste. Scouring is used when the deposits can not be removed by ultrasonic cleaning and polishing, and this is a special spray technique with sodium bicarbonate.

Teeth whitening at the dentist's begins by removing any tartar and plaque from your teeth. After that, the professional whitening product is applied directly to the teeth. Then light (most commonly used these days) is applied to the product, causing the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide contained in the whitening gel. This decomposition releases the oxygen that passes through the enamel and dentin, where it changes the color of the tooth, but not damaging any part of the tooth. The results can be seen in only one, 30-minute treatment. Usually, however, several appointments are needed to achieve the desired results, as recommended by the dentist. There are other, less effective methods of teeth whitening, some of which can be performed at home, and your dentist can also help you with a recommendation.

Bleaching is generally safe, but some patients can experience some sensitivity after the treatment. Feelings of awkwardness and numbness are normal in the process of bleaching with the professional whitening agents and light-inducing lamps, but they generally disappear after the treatment.

Maintaing excellent oral hygiene at home, a change in lifestyle habits (reduction or complete avoidance of coffee, tobacco, red wine and other colored drinks) and adherence to the instructions of your dentist will help your teeth stay pearly white longer after the procedure.

Your dentist is the only person who can give you the answer to that question. It depends on various circumstances, other problems you might have, how fast your teeth darken and stain and your wishes.

Oral surgery

Apicoectomy is a procedure that is performed when the root of the tooth makes a cyst that can not be cured using other procedures. The top of the tooth root is removed in a way that the surgeon makes a cut in the gums and a hole in the jawbone to get to the root of the tooth. This removes the diseased tissue, the wound is sewn, and due to the natural renewal of the bones the opening closes very quickly.

Oral cystectomy is a surgical procedure that removes dental cysts that appear as a reaction to the constant infection coming through the dental pulp of the infected tooth. They most commonly occur in the bone part of the jaw and a cut through the mucous membrane and the bone has to be made, so that the cyst can be removed completely.

Wisdom teeth are the last set of teeth to develop, and sometimes they emerge from the gum line but our jaw is not large enough to allow room for them. More often, a wisdom tooth fails to align properly with other teeth, or fails to fully emerge through the gum line and becomes impacted between the jawbone and the gum tissue. Impacted wisdom teeth can result in swelling, pain, and infection of the gum tissue surrounding the wisdom teeth, and in extreme cases even cause permanent damage to the jaw.

When remnants of a tooth root remain, the removal of this residual root is performed using the method called surgical extraction. The remnant will sometimes be left behing as a result of an incomplete prior extraction or extensive tooth decay.

Periodontology

Periodontitis is a disease of the gums. It is the most common dental disease after cavities, and occurs due to poor oral hygiene and bad habits. Periodontitis is caused by the bacteria that are retained and multiplies in the pockets of tartar and plaque.

Periodontitis can be hereditary, and the high risk groups include patients with diabetes (their risk is seven times higher than in healthy people), followed by smokers and people with elevated cholesterol and triglycerides.

Periodontitis can be prevented with regular oral hygiene, using dental floss and disinfectant mouthwash, as well as timely removal of tartar and plaque. It can be cured depending on the stage at which the disease is found - if therapy begins immediately, there is a good chance that it can be successfully cured.

Endodontics

A root canal is the portion of the tooth through which the nerve passes, from the tip of the root to the pulp chamber. Dental pulp is a combination of soft connective tissue, blood vessels and the nerve.

In most cases, a root canal be treated in 2 visits, and it is possible that there could be more visits, depending on the individual case. Once the root canal procedure is completed, the tooth remains functional, but cured of potential problems, such as inflammation of the pulp.

Pulp is not crucial to the longevity of the tooth, so if the procedure was done properly the tooth can last for a lifetime. The factors which might shorten its life span are your oral hygiene routine and how often you visit your dentist for check-ups.

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