Dental implants in complex cases
Surgery planned to the millimetre on the digital model, including when there is little bone to work with.
What changes when a surgical team places the implant
An implant is a titanium screw that replaces the root of a tooth and carries a crown. That part is the same everywhere. What differs between clinics is how much is planned beforehand and what happens when the case turns out not to be routine.
Here the surgery is decided on a three-dimensional model of the jaw before anything is touched: where each implant goes, at what depth and at what angle, accounting for the dental nerve, the maxillary sinus and — above all — where the teeth need to end up.
Immediate loading: when it works and when it doesn’t
Fitting a tooth the same day depends on the stability the implant achieves in the bone during surgery. That is an objective measurement, not a sales promise: if it is reached, a fixed temporary is placed; if not, we wait for integration. Forcing it is the most common cause of early failure.
And if there is not enough bone?
It is regenerated, the sinus is lifted, or the anchorage moves to the cheekbone with zygomatic implants. A lack of bone lengthens the treatment plan, but it rarely cancels it.
Replacing one or two teeth in a healthy mouth does not need a surgical centre. That case is handled at our clinic in central Marbella, with the same team and the same records.
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Chewing function
You can bite and chew normally again, with no restrictions on your diet.
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Natural appearance
The crown is designed around your shape, shade and proportions, in harmony with your face.
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Stable and comfortable
Nothing moves or comes loose. Cared for like a natural tooth, with hygiene and check-ups.
At this clinic
How an implant is operated at the Nagüeles centre
Surgery begins long before the operating theatre. The CBCT and intraoral scan build a model of the jaw, and on that model we decide the position, depth and angle of each implant. A surgical guide is then made to carry that decision into the mouth.
Where the case calls for it we add navigated surgery: a camera connected to the system shows in real time where the drill is inside the bone. It allows work without raising the gum in areas where the margin for error is millimetres, next to the dental nerve or the maxillary sinus.
None of this is technology for its own sake. It does two specific things: it reduces the size of the operation — less swelling, fewer days of recovery — and it avoids the underlying problem of poorly planned implantology, which is placing correct implants in positions where decent teeth will not fit afterwards.
For straightforward replacement of one or two teeth, our clinic in central Marbella resolves the case without you having to come up here.
- Surgical guide made to measure from the CBCT.
- Navigated surgery in anatomically risky positions.
- Conscious sedation with anaesthetic monitoring.
- A written, closed quote before starting.
What kind of surgery each case needs
How surgery is prepared here
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Volumetric study
CBCT, scan and measurement of the bone available position by position. This is what tells us whether the case is straightforward, needs regeneration or calls for zygomatic anchorage.
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Digital rehearsal
The surgery is simulated on the model and the final prosthesis designed. The surgical guide is made from that rehearsal, not from an estimate.
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Theatre and follow-up
Guided or navigated surgery, sedation where appropriate, and more frequent checks than usual during the first weeks.
Who carries it out
The team performing dental implants in Nagüeles
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Clinical director · Implant surgeon
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Surgeon specialising in prosthetics
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Dr. Ricardo Recena
Implants and prosthetics
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Cynthia Cáceres
Surgical lead
Common questions
What patients usually ask us
01 What is the difference between being operated on here and at the central clinic?
The team and the records are the same; the type of case is what changes. Nagüeles has the operating theatre, and this is where the long surgeries happen — the ones needing bone regeneration or sedation, and full-arch rehabilitations. One or two teeth in a healthy mouth are resolved at the central clinic, without coming up here.
02 What is navigated surgery and how does it change the operation?
It is a system that shows the exact position of the drill inside the bone in real time, over the patient’s 3D image. It allows work without raising the gum in risky areas, next to the dental nerve or the maxillary sinus. For the patient it means a shorter operation and less swelling afterwards.
03 Will I be able to have the teeth fitted the same day?
It depends on the stability the implants achieve in the bone during surgery, and that is only known in theatre. If it is reached, a fixed temporary prosthesis is fitted within the first 24 hours. If not, we wait for integration. Promising immediate loading before operating is promising something that cannot yet be measured.
04 I have had surgery before and the implant failed. Can we try again?
In most cases yes, but first we need to know why it failed: infection, overload, position, or an underlying periodontal problem. Removing the implant, regenerating the bone in the defect and placing it again is routine here, although it means respecting the healing times.
05 Can I have surgery under sedation?
Yes. We work with different levels of conscious sedation, with anaesthetic monitoring throughout. It is the norm in long surgeries or for patients with dental anxiety. It is decided at the prior assessment, taking your medical history and current medication into account.
06 How long does the whole process take in a complex case?
If bone has to be regenerated first, expect several months between the first surgery and implant placement. If regeneration happens in the same session, the timescale shortens considerably. The specific figure comes from the prior study and goes in writing in the treatment plan; it is not estimated in the chair.
Other treatments you may be interested in
First assessment
Request your dental implants assessment
- We call you to understand your case before proposing anything.
- Diagnosis with digital planning and a fixed written quote.
- No obligation: if you do not need treatment, we will tell you.
Prefer to talk to us directly? 951 500 100 · WhatsApp