Europe Dental Treatment

Cheap Dental Treatment in Croatia

Why consider Croatia for dental treatment?

Croatia is located in Central Europe, bordering Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, and Bosnia Herzegovina and has a long coastline stretching from the east coast, from Prevlaka in the south to cape Savudrija in the west.  As a former Yugoslav republic Croatia has been independent since 1991 and is fairly new on the medical and dental tourism circuit but offers great savings and top quality private dental treatment.

Croatia has a natural beauty and plenty to offer the visitor pre and post treatment, with lakes, waterfalls, woods mountains and a magnificent coastline.  In the capital, Zagreb, the center is vibrant with a lively cafe culture which attracts musicians and artists and pavements of cool types sipping endless Espressos, while the Istrian Peninsula has more than a hint of Italy about it.

As the country’s capital and the social, cultural and economic hub, many private dental surgeries are located in Zagreb, as well as the Istrian town of Rovinj, a beautiful fishing village with lots of seafront bars, coffee houses and restaurants.  Combining your dentistry needs with a holiday in Rovinj is an excellent idea - with its ancient walled center, islands, rocky beaches and clear blue water which is perfect for snorkeling - Rovinj is a dream location and the quality of care and the cost of dentistry is highly competitive. 

At Dr Popadic’s Implantoprosthetic center in Rovinj for example, one patient reports having four implants and the fixed acrylic bridge on these implants for€5,000 (approximately £3,456) and at the Doblanovic Dental Practice in Zagreb dental implants cost €800 (£550), a metal-ceramic crown €200 (£140), root canal treatment (per root canal) €50 (£35) and bleaching is €300 £220.  To get an idea of how much can be saved consider that in a private dentist surgery in the UK dental implants cost between £1,500 and £2,000 per tooth and bridging £300 to £500.

Furthermore, dentists study for many years to train and qualify, keeping up to date with the latest approaches in dental implants, cosmetic dentistry and prosthetics.  The surgeries in Croatia which specialize in medical tourism, have modern high tech dental equipment and English speaking staff.

Croatia has four seasons and two climatic zones.  Inland, visitors can enjoy temperate continental weather and a pleasant Mediterranean climate along the Adriatic coast with plenty of sunshine, dry hot summers and mild, humid winters.  The best time to visit Croatia is spring and autumn if you want to avoid the really hot weather, but if you’re keen to spend recuperative time on the beaches then July and August are ideal! 

Croatia is a short two hour flight away from the UK and return fares can be grabbed from as little as £39 with Wizzair (dependent on season and offers available), so combining your dentistry with a holiday or short break in this stunning country should be given serious consideration.

Accreditations and qualifications

Dentists in Croatia study at The School of Dental Medicine in Zagreb, founded in 1948 as the Department of Odontology within the Medical School and the only institution of its kind in Croatia.  In 1962 the establishment became one of the faculties of Zagreb University. 

The School of Dental Medicine is dedicated to fostering education, research and patient care and has an educational program similar to other European countries which lasts for five years.  After this, one more year of practice is obligatory before state exams are taken.  

After graduating, a student is entitled DDS or DMD (Doctor of Dental Surgery, or Doctor of Dental Medicine).  Thus follows one year of internship under supervision of mentors (professors and authorized practitioners), and finally, after passing the state examination, a young doctor is authorized to practice dentistry by him/herself.  Postgraduate programs for specializations last three to four years and upon finishing these programs a doctor receives a title such as Specialist of Oral surgery. 

Many of Croatia’s dentists undertake training courses all over the world which provide invaluable knowledge and include internships in world educational centers such as The School of Dentistry at The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the Global Institute for Dental Education (gIDE) which is established by professionals in order to go beyond the ordinary UCLA schedule running courses in implantology and dentistry in the UCLA facilities, as well as the Nobel Biocare Center in Sweden under supervision of leading world specialists.

Dentists must belong to the Croatian Dental Chamber, the independent and autonomous professional association of doctors of dental medicine in Croatia.   Other official organizations include the Croatian Society of Periodontology, the Croatian Medical Association, the Croatian Society for Dental Implantology and the Croatian Society for Education in Implantology.