Many people book the return flight first and ask about the treatment second. They land with four days in the city, a plan that needs six, and the rest of the holiday turns into a rush between appointments. Dental work is one of the few reasons to travel where the calendar matters as much as the treatment.
Many visitors combine a family visit, a trip to stay for a while or a business journey with getting dental work done, and for a large number of people, getting dental implants in Dubai in this way is a good solution. It does, however, only work if the trip is planned around the treatment rather than fitted in next to it. The following explains exactly what takes place, step by step, and details what you should deal with before you travel.
Table of contents
- How long an implant really takes
- The checks that happen before anything is placed
- What decides how many trips you need
- A realistic plan for your first trip
- Flying home after your implant procedure
- The gap between visits, and the second trip
- Small things visitors forget
- Conclusion
- Contact us
How long an implant really takes
Getting dental implants involves more than just one appointment. A tooth implant consists of three components: a titanium post which is placed into the jawbone, a small connector known as an abutment, and the crown that is the one you see and use to chew. These different parts reach the patient at separate times.
The post is put in first, and then it has to bond with the surrounding bone, a process which usually takes several months depending on the location and how you heal; only after this bond is firmly established can the permanent crown be placed, and in the meantime most patients wear a temporary tooth so that the gap remains invisible.
In some instances a temporary crown can be put in place on the same day that the post is inserted, while in other cases the area has to be left to settle first. However, in all cases the final work is carried out many months later and this is the aspect that tourists most frequently fail to take into account when making their plans. It is generally more realistic to take two shorter trips than one long one.
The checks that happen before anything is placed
An implant plan is based on a proper scan and not on photographs. Before the implant surgery takes place, a CBCT scan is performed. This is a three-dimensional X-ray which shows the height and thickness of your bone, the position of the nerve and how close the sinus is. The teeth and gums are then scanned digitally using an intraoral scanner, having in this way replaced most of the putty impressions that people recall from past years.
The medical history is just as important; control of diabetes, the use of blood thinners, medication for the bones, any heart conditions and smoking all influence how the site heals, and any of these factors can cause the plan to change.
You can begin some of this preparation at home by sending your current X-rays together with a list of your medications to the clinic a few weeks in advance so that they can get a general notion of what might be involved. However, it is only after a face-to-face examination and a new scan that any specific plan can be confirmed, since the surgery has to be planned according to your bones as they are at the present time and not on the basis of older images.
What decides how many trips you need
The truth is that it’s your scan that determines the procedure, not your schedule. The simple approach involves inserting a single tooth implant into solid bone together with healthy gums, that being one visit for the implant and a separate one for the crown.
There are a number of factors which extend that timeline. When the bone is thin or lacks depth a graft will be necessary and this means that several months of healing have to take place before the implant can be placed. In some cases an upper back tooth will have to have a sinus lift for the same reason. If the tooth is still in position and is infected then the socket generally has to settle after the tooth is removed. In the case of multiple implants or a full arch the sequence is altered once again.
At the consultation ask two questions and put the answers down. The first should be how many separate visits will be required by this plan? The second should be what would cause that number to change? Getting the answers to these questions on the first day is better than finding out half way through that the trip had been too short.
A realistic plan for your first trip
Five to seven days is about the right amount of time to proceed with the placement. It may be possible to do it in fewer days, but if anything needs to be checked over there will be no room left.
- On day one we have a consultation, carry out a CBCT scan, take digital scans, carry out a medical review and then agree on a treatment plan before any procedure begins. Blood tests are sometimes asked for.
- On the second day we have surgery, which could involve taking out a tooth, putting in the implant and fitting a temporary. Instead, reserve an entire morning or afternoon rather than a single slot between two meetings.
- On the third day we have a calm day; discomfort is usually most noticeable at this stage, and the entire plan consists of resting, eating light food and taking whatever the dentist has prescribed.
- On the fourth or fifth day you will have your review appointment, at which your bite will be checked, the temporary arrangement adjusted and the area examined.
- On day six or seven: have a buffer ready in case anything does need looking at and then conclude the journey in a more gentle manner.
If possible, remain near the clinic since, at the wrong time of day, the traffic in Dubai turns a ten-minute trip into one hour in each direction. For a few days, omit the desert safari, the water sports and the gym, and take care regarding the heat because dehydration causes recovery to be more difficult than it has to be. When sedation is given, you must not drive afterwards and should have a companion with you.
Flying home after your implant procedure
Swelling and stiffness typically develop in the first two or three days after your implant procedure, so most people find an immediate long flight to be uncomfortable. Moreover, the cabin pressure can make the throbbing seem more intense than it would if you were on the ground. Where possible, stay at least two or three nights between having the implant and your departure.
Make sure that the medicines you are taking are packed in your hand luggage, in their original packaging and with your prescription. In some countries painkillers are subject to restriction, so it’s important that you check the rules applicable to you before you travel with them. Also take a soft snack because airline food is usually not appropriate during the early days. Drink a lot of water and observe the aftercare instructions which were given to you, including any things you have been told to avoid while the area is healing.
If you are feeling unwell in the morning before the flight, it is better to call the clinic rather than go on board and hope it will improve.
The gap between visits, and the second trip
Before you leave the hotel, find out if your stitches will dissolve on their own or if they need to be removed. In the case where they do need removing, you should either get the procedure done by a dentist at home or plan your departure for after that appointment.
Don’t forget to collect all the necessary documents as well. If you have a copy of the CBCT scan, the treatment report and the implant card which shows the brand and reference number, then any dentist anywhere in the world will be able to carry out work on your tooth implant many years from now. Most travellers never think to ask for this and it avoids a great deal of trouble later.
The second visit is shorter and simpler: a few days are generally enough for fitting the abutment, taking the scan or impression for the crown, carrying out a try-in and then fitting the final tooth. You should book it once your dentist has confirmed that the bone has completed its work.
Small things visitors forget
- Travel insurance usually does not provide coverage for dental treatment that you have planned while abroad. It’s better to check your policy rather than make an assumption.
- Since the timings for public holidays, weekends, and Ramadan change the availability of appointments, you should confirm the dates in writing.
- Make sure to list every medicine and supplement that you are taking, including any that are herbal, since some of these can influence bleeding.
- It’s best to have your free days at the end and not at the beginning of the trip.
Conclusion
As long as you plan the treatment in stages rather than having it all done in one visit, implant treatment works well. The implant is inserted on one occasion, the bone then heals over the following months and the crown is fitted during a second, shorter visit. If grafting is needed it just adds another waiting period.
From your first visit you should take with you your scans, your implant card and a definite date for the next stage. Once you have arranged those items, having dental implants in Dubai can easily be incorporated into a trip, no matter whether you were there for a wedding, a conference or for a week of sunshine.
Contact us
The Magnum Dental Clinic has patients attending it every day of the week at four sites in Dubai, and appointments can be arranged in advance by telephone when you are intending to visit.
Name: Magnum Dental Clinic – DSO
Address: SIT Tower 101, Nr Choitram Super Market, above Baskin Robins Ice-cream, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Phone: +971 54 336 3340
Disclaimer: The article provides general information on implant treatment and the planning of travel. It cannot take the place of a dental consultation. The particular treatment plan you need can only be determined by a qualified dentist after he or she has examined you.
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