Patient guide · For patients
A guide for those looking for a Persian-speaking dentist in Izmir: gum health, less invasive implant options, pre-assessment and aftercare.
For Persian-speaking patients who live in Turkey or travel from abroad for treatment, the hardest part of implant and gum treatment is sometimes not the surgery itself but fully understanding the options. Is a bone graft needed, would a short implant work, how many visits will it take, what happens after returning home? This guide answers the questions people looking for a Persian-speaking dentist in Izmir most often ask, and explains how treatment usually unfolds.
One Anatomy. Two Surgical Philosophies.
After tooth loss the jaw loses width as well as height. When the ridge is too narrow for a standard implant, two different paths can be taken; both are documented in the literature.
Thin alveolar ridge: schematic bucco-lingual cross-section. Ridge width ≈ 5 mm.
Standard-diameter implant + guided bone regeneration (GBR)
Narrow-diameter implant (3.3 mm), no augmentation
| Augmentation-driven path | Anatomy-driven path | |
|---|---|---|
| Implant diameter | Standard (≈4 mm) | Narrow (3.3–3.5 mm) |
| Additional procedure | Graft + membrane | None |
| Surgical field | Crest + cheek side | Crest only |
| Timing | Same session or staged | Same session |
Two philosophies, one goal:
Minimally invasive implantology.
Implant treatment asks the patient to make an informed choice between several options. Saying "yes" is not easy without understanding the difference between bone augmentation and a less surgical alternative, along with the risks and healing time of each. A systematic review of language barriers in healthcare, covering 14 studies with 300,918 participants in total, reported that language barriers lead to miscommunication between patients and health professionals and reduce satisfaction on both sides, quality of care and patient safety (Al Shamsi 2020). Most of the studies came from the US and none were specific to dentistry; still, the core message applies to oral health as well: a treatment plan that is not understood leaves the patient uneasy, even when it is carried out well.
For this reason, the examination and treatment plan can be discussed in Turkish or Persian, with terms, alternatives and aftercare instructions explained in the language the patient is comfortable with. For the spelling of the name and contact details, see the information page for Persian-speaking patients.
One of the most common reasons for losing teeth is gum disease (periodontitis). If it is left untreated before implants are placed, the same inflammatory process can affect the tissues around the implant. A meta-analysis pooling 16 studies found that, compared with periodontally healthy patients, those with periodontitis had a significantly higher risk of implant loss (risk ratio 1.69) and of peri-implantitis, inflammation around the implant (risk ratio 2.17) (Sgolastra 2015).
This does not mean that someone with periodontitis cannot have implants. It means that the gums are treated first, inflammation is brought under control, and implants are planned afterwards. If some of the remaining teeth can be saved this way, the number of implants needed may change as well. For the stages of gum treatment, see the periodontal surgery page.
After tooth loss, the jawbone gradually shrinks. In the upper back jaw the sinus, and in the lower jaw the nerve canal, narrow the space left for an implant. The classic solution is to build the bone up: extensive bone grafts or an open sinus lift through a window in the side wall of the sinus. These methods are well documented, but they can mean an additional surgical site and a longer overall treatment.
A minimally invasive approach first asks: can a plan be built around the bone that is already there? In suitable cases, the tools for this are short implants, narrow-diameter implants, a closed sinus lift performed through the implant site, and flapless, guided surgery. In a multicentre randomised trial, 101 patients with 5–7 mm of bone height in the upper back jaw received either a 6 mm short implant or an 11–15 mm implant with a sinus graft. At one year of loading, none of the re-examined implants had been lost; mean surgical time was 52.6 minutes in the short-implant group and 74.6 minutes in the graft group (Thoma 2015).
These results come from a one-year follow-up and reflect selected cases. The ITI consensus report stresses that implants of 6 mm or shorter show higher variability and lower predictability than standard implants (Jung 2018). Where bone has been lost extensively in both height and width, a graft or an open sinus lift may still be the right choice. For more detail, see the short implants page.
The most frequent question from patients travelling from afar is how many trips the treatment will take. There is no single answer, but the process usually includes these steps:
In some cases, a less invasive plan can remove an extra surgical session and the healing time of a graft. This is not possible in every case, so travel should be planned after the examination, with a realistic schedule.
Treatment is not over once the implant is placed and the crown fitted. A systematic review and meta-analysis on maintenance therapy reported that regular peri-implant maintenance plays a role in preventing biological complications and that a history of periodontitis is associated with peri-implantitis; the authors suggest recalls at least every 5–6 months, tailored to risk, and note that complications can occur even under maintenance (Monje 2016).
Practical tips for patients returning to their home country:
Most implant treatments need at least two phases because of healing time: surgery, and the prosthesis months later. In some cases a provisional tooth can be provided in the meantime; whether this is possible depends on the bone and is decided after the examination.
Yes, a recent panoramic X-ray or CBCT scan is useful for a pre-assessment. It gives a general direction; the definitive plan is made after a clinical examination and, if needed, new 3D imaging.
No. Short implants, narrow-diameter implants or a closed sinus lift are considered in suitable cases where the bone is above a certain threshold. If bone loss is advanced, a graft may give a more predictable result.
Which treatment suits you can only be decided after a clinical examination and 3D imaging. A pre-assessment can start from a panoramic X-ray or a CBCT scan you already have.
This article is for general information and does not replace an examination or a personal treatment plan.
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