Dental tourism in Costa Rica: planning your zygomatic implant trip

Before you book: the CT review

The ITI consensus recommends a CT or CBCT of the midface before zygomatic surgery, to assess the bone of the upper jaw and cheekbone and to check the sinuses. So you buy a ticket only once we know whether zygomatic implants make sense for you. Please send:

• Your CT or CBCT as DICOM files, not screenshots. No scan yet? Ask us which one to request where you live.
• Front and side photos of your smile and of any denture or bridge you wear.
• Your medical history and medications, including blood thinners and bone medications.
• Records of any previous implants or grafts.

The remote review gives a provisional plan. A 2020 evaluation of remote oral and maxillofacial surgery consultations notes that in-person appointments remain the default standard, and a 2020 protocol from Costa Rica's College of Dental Surgeons notes that a remote plan may change completely after the in-person visit. Your evaluation here confirms or adjusts it before any surgery.

The surgical trip

We aim to schedule surgery early in the stay, once the plan is confirmed in person, so there is time for check-ups before you fly. If the implants are firm enough, fixed provisional teeth can be attached soon after surgery: in the main randomized trial, patients had functional fixed teeth after 1.34 days on average. Whether that applies to you is decided during surgery.

Plan for real downtime. In that trial, patients with zygomatic implants reported on average 7.17 days of total and 12.17 days of partial impaired activity. Swelling, bruising and a soft diet are part of the first days.

Your length of stay is confirmed after your evaluation. For context only, a review estimates that dental tourists in general stay abroad about 15 days; that figure is not specific to zygomatic implants or to our practice.

Flying home after zygomatic implant surgery

The evidence here is thin, and we would rather say so. The one review we found on flying after dental treatment draws mostly on military aircrew, and its authors present their intervals as a starting point to be adjusted to each patient.

Zygomatic implants pass through or alongside the maxillary sinus, so using the sinus-lift interval as the minimum reference is a prudent extrapolation, not a study finding. Dr. Torres makes the final call after examining you. The review's intervals assume no pain, swelling or bleeding at the surgical site and no sinus symptoms when you fly.

• Book a changeable return ticket.
• After treatment, avoid diving, mountaineering and other activities with pressure changes, as the review advises.
• Pain, swelling, bleeding or sinus symptoms near your flight date: contact the office before flying.

The final-teeth trip, months later

The fixed provisional is not the final bridge. In the main randomized trial it was replaced by the final prosthesis 4 months after initial loading; that was the trial's protocol, not a rule. Your timing depends on how you heal and is set in your plan.

Expect follow-up between and after the trips: up to one year after loading, patients in that trial's zygomatic group needed on average 15.12 dental visits. Some check-ins can happen by video; others need Dr. Torres in person.

Hospital CIMA in Escazú and practical planning

Aftercare once you are home

The months at home matter. The ITI consensus notes that zygomatic implants may need a higher level of professional maintenance and that patient education in oral hygiene is paramount. In a large review of zygomatic implants, most failures were detected within the first 6 months after surgery, and sinusitis can appear even years later.

If you ever need care away from our office, for example in an emergency room, whoever treats you needs to know exactly what was placed. Before you fly home, make sure you have:

• A copy of your records: CT scans, surgical report and plan.
• The implant system (brand and model) and your bridge components, in writing.
• Your hygiene, diet and check-up instructions.

«durante la recuperacion de la cirugia muy atento el Dr. a evacuar cualquier inquietud.» (Our translation: “During recovery from surgery, the doctor was very attentive in answering any concern.”) Monserrat M., HuliHealth, Aug 11, 2024. Dr. Torres holds 5.0 across 104 patient reviews on HuliHealth; they cover his oral surgery practice in general, and none mention implants.

Once you are home: for bleeding that won't stop, trouble breathing or swallowing, swelling that keeps growing, fever or any change in your vision, go to your local emergency services first, then let us know. For anything else, contact the office.