After All-on-4 or All-on-6 at TB Dent in Trebinje, you can fly or take a long drive two days after surgery. The first trip takes two days: implants on the first day, a temporary fixed bridge on the second. So book your return flight for no earlier than two days after surgery. The second trip, three to four months later, takes five working days. If you are having a single implant, bone grafting or a sinus lift, the surgeon tells you the exact time before flying, depending on the procedure.
How soon can you fly after dental implant surgery?
After an All-on procedure at TB Dent, you can fly or drive long distances two days after surgery. We do not recommend travelling earlier. For the first few days cold compresses and soft food are a must.
Swelling lasts a few days and is usually mild, because we give a dexamethasone injection during surgery. Bruising is common and fades on its own. We prescribe painkillers and antibiotics, so keep them with you when you travel.
What about a sinus lift or bone grafting?
With All-on-4, bone grafting is rarely needed, because the back implants are placed at an angle. If you do need grafting or a sinus lift, the surgeon tells you individually when you can fly. Whether you need either shows on your CBCT scan, so you know before you buy your ticket.
How do you plan the first trip?
The first trip for All-on-4 or All-on-6 at TB Dent takes two days. On day one, any remaining teeth are removed, the implants are placed and a scan is taken. On day two you get a temporary fixed bridge, which you later fly home with. You spend one night without teeth while the technician makes the bridge.
The order matters: first the CBCT scan and plan, then the appointment, then the flight. The surgeon, Dr Darijo Pandžić, comes to the clinic twice a month, so the surgery date is agreed at least 30 days ahead, and earlier for July and August. We usually operate on Saturday mornings.
Which airport should you fly to?
The closest airports are Dubrovnik, a 40-minute drive, and Tivat, about an hour and a half. Transfer from either airport is free, both ways, and we arrange it together with your appointment. Bosnia and Herzegovina is not in the EU, so you need your passport; entry rules for UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens are in our guide to dental tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
When is the second flight?
The second trip is three to four months after the first, once the implants have fused with the bone. It takes five working days: on day one the temporary bridge is removed and a scan taken, on day four there is a try-in, and on day five you get the final bridge. You have two free days in between.
About 30 percent of our implant patients come from overseas. If you can travel only once a year, you can keep the temporary bridge until your next visit and get the final bridge then. We discuss this before treatment starts.
What should you take home?
Take your implant passport, which you receive on the day of surgery and which lists the manufacturer, type and position of every implant. You also get a written warranty and, for your insurer, a report with every procedure and price plus a fiscal receipt. Take your prescribed medicines too.
What the implant passport contains, read in Dental implant passport.
What if a problem starts once you are home?
If something needs fixing after you get home, you come back to Trebinje and we see you straight away, without waiting for an appointment. The trip is at your own cost. With the implant passport, a dentist at home can also repair the work.
Check-ups are one month after the final bridge, then every six months. They are a condition of the five-year warranty on the bridge, so plan them into your travel. If you are still choosing between four and six implants, read All-on-4 or All-on-6.
What if you need just one implant?
A single implant takes about 15 minutes to place, but treatment has four visits: placement, uncovering after three to four months, a scan about 20 days later and the crown a few days after that. For a patient from abroad that means at least two trips. We agree how to combine them, and when you can fly, before your first visit. Which implant system to choose is covered in Straumann vs Neodent.
Questions patients ask about flying after dental implants
How many days after All-on-4 can I fly?
Two days after surgery. We do not recommend flying or a long drive before that.
Can I fly with a temporary bridge?
Yes. You get the temporary fixed bridge on the second day and fly home with it.
When should I book my flight?
Once you have your plan based on a CBCT scan and an agreed surgery date. Appointments are booked at least 30 days ahead, because the surgeon comes twice a month.
Is the airport transfer free?
Yes. Transfer from Dubrovnik and Tivat airports is free, both ways.
How many times do I need to fly for All-on-4?
Twice: a first trip of two days and a second of five working days, three to four months later.
Can I have my consultation in English?
Yes. The consultation is free, it can be done remotely before you travel, and it is led by the surgeon who will do your treatment.
This article is also available in German.
