Dental implants can be done rather quickly. The surgery itself takes about 40 minutes per implant, but we have had many people leave the day after surgery. In these cases, we would use sutures that come out on their own after 5 days, so that you don’t need to see a doctor or dentist to have them removed.

When a bone graft is necessary, or the bone quality and size is not appropriate, the general protocol states that you should wait three months with the lower jaw and four months with the upper jaw before placing the prosthesis over the dental implants. In those cases you will need to visit Costa Rica twice. For the first stage you will need to stay one week, and in the second stage, 14 days.

For the surgical stage you will need to stay for 3 days in Costa Rica.

For the prosthetic stage you will need a stay of 14 days in Costa Rica.

With the new techniques available we can perform the one stage technique, which means we can place a fixed prosthesis the same day we place dental implants. This can be achieved when the bone quality and size is adequate. It can be done in one stage, with a stay of 21 days in Costa Rica, in only one visit. About 20% of our patients are treated with this technique. Every day more patients are available to this technique.

So, for example, if you need implants, crowns, and some teeth require root canals

Day 1. Consult and treatment planning. Initial oral exam (four films, diagnostic photographs, prophylaxis and scaling, oral hygiene instruction, topical fluoride application).
If you are ready, we would start the root canal treatments and the built up.
Day 2. Initial implant placement: This procedure is performed in our office under a local anesthesia. For those who prefer it, we can also use IV sedation.
Day 3. Control of the implants
Day 4. Fly out
After the implant has had time to integrate into your jaw bone (usually three months in the lower jaw and four months in the upper jaw).