Dental implants in the Dominican Republic: a patient guide

Hexa Smile is the company coordinating care. The clinics perform treatment, and the dentists make medical decisions. A coordination company’s name does not replace the responsible professional’s name or identify the clinic where surgery would happen.

The project documents connect care with S.O.I. FACE in Santo Domingo and Asenjo One Visit Dentistry in Punta Cana. Assignment of individual cases is to be confirmed. Do not assume both dentists participate in every surgery.

Ask the proposal to identify the surgeon and the person making the prosthesis, the structure of artificial teeth. If one professional supervises another, ask what each person does. One dentist’s cases do not become the personal experience of someone operating without that dentist.

An exequatur is authorization to practice a profession in the Dominican Republic. You can request it, the relevant training documents and the clinic’s operating license. The clinic license authorizes the center to provide the services listed in it.

Dr. Miguel Asenjo publishes copies of professional documents on his website. The project research reviewed degrees and a clinic license listing validity through October 2029. These documents were published by the professional. They were not verified directly with the issuing institutions.

Dr. Carlos Contreras Columna appears in a profile from the Dominican College of Dentists. The research also found independent references to his training and professional activity. Check the full name. Another surgeon named Carlos Contreras practices in Mexico and is a different person.

Credentials do not establish how many full-mouth cases each professional has treated with a particular technique. Those counts and follow-up results are to be confirmed. Ask for dates and checkup records as well as photographs.

An implant is the support placed in bone to hold a prosthesis. The technique described by these clinics uses one-piece corticobasal implants. Corticobasal means they seek support in hard areas of bone. It should not be called All-on-4, which is a different approach.

Avoiding bone grafts is a goal of this technique. Your doctor confirms whether it applies to your case at the evaluation with your test results. A graft adds material to increase the available bone. Avoiding one requires assessment and imaging. It does not mean everyone can receive the same surgery.

The review by Habash and colleagues describes limited evidence for basal implants. Ask which alternatives the dentist considered. A consultation should allow discussion of treatment limits as well as speed. The first delivery date is only one part of the plan.

Immediate loading means attaching the prosthesis on the same day or within the first few days. Evidence supports that approach in selected cases. It does not establish when you can return home or eliminate later checkups.

According to the doctors at the partner clinics, a transitional prosthesis is placed on surgery day so the mouth is not left without teeth. About 24 hours later, the clinic delivers the definitive fixed prosthesis. Healing, checkups and possible maintenance are still needed. The surgery schedule is to be confirmed. Whether the plan includes later adjustments or replacement is also to be confirmed. Ask about every stage before arranging travel around a number of hours.

If the proposal includes G-CAM, that means dental acrylic with graphene. Graphene is in the prosthesis, not in the implants. Its FDA 510(k) clearance concerns the material. It does not prove how long full-mouth treatment will last or replace a clinical explanation of the proposed use.

The clinics’ price is to be confirmed. Request the currency and scope of the proposal. An arch means the upper or lower set of teeth. Check whether the amount covers one arch or both.

Ask for imaging, surgery and the prosthesis to be itemized. Ask about medication, checkups and possible adjustments, too. Lodging, transportation and a companion’s inclusion are to be confirmed. The word package is not a complete service list.

Deposit and refund terms are to be confirmed. Ask what would happen if the in-person evaluation changed the plan. If you are considering financing, request the complete terms. Financing availability and conditions are to be confirmed. A quoted payment needs those details to be useful.

The CDC recommends talking with your usual physician before receiving medical care abroad. It also recommends reviewing insurance and arranging who would treat complications after you return. This guide does not determine which medication to take or change.

The required stay is to be confirmed. The dentist must determine when you can fly. CDC guidance warns about risks from combining surgery and flying, but it does not set a universal dental waiting period. Receiving your teeth does not itself clear you for departure.

If you plan to stay with relatives, confirm transportation to appointments. If you choose a hotel, check the terms for extending your stay. These are travel arrangements. They cannot replace the schedule set by the clinical team.

Request your treatment record. The CDC recommends retaining documentation to support continuing care. Ask for an English version to share with a US professional, and ask how to obtain the original images.

The record should identify the implants and prosthesis material. Also request the instructions you received and a clinical contact. How these clinics provide that record and schedule follow-up is to be confirmed. Requesting a document is different from a confirmed promise about its delivery.

The research did not confirm a US network treating this system. Ask who could provide an in-person examination. The written warranty and travel coverage for repairs are to be confirmed. Living near a dentist does not establish that the professional has the components or will accept the case.

• Which clinic would treat me, and who would perform each part?
• Which documents establish your training and the center’s license?
• Which options do you see after reviewing my images and history?
• What does the estimate include, and what could change after examination?
• Which checkups does the plan require, and when could I travel?
• Who would treat me at home, and which records should I bring?
• What would the warranty cover if I needed a repair or another trip?