Where it anchors
The zygomatic implant is longer than a conventional one and is fixed in the cheekbone (the zygoma), a dense structure that does not resorb the way the upper jaw does after tooth loss.
Natal, Brazil · CRO-RN 2966
You were told there was not enough bone.
That sentence ends most implant consultations. It should not end yours without a second look. Zygomatic implants anchor in the cheekbone rather than the upper jaw, which is why severe bone loss does not rule them out.
Why you are here
A bone graft is not the only route
Most patients who reach this page have already heard one of three answers: that they need a graft first, that they should wait, or that implants are simply not possible for them. All three assume the implant has to go into the upper jaw.
Who it is for
Patients with severe atrophy of the upper jaw, failed conventional implants, or a graft that was ruled out or did not take. It is a route for the cases where the usual route closed.
What it is not
It is not a first-line treatment. If you have enough bone for conventional implants, that is the simpler operation and it is the one you should have.
What the evidence shows
Long-term data, not marketing
You should be able to check what a surgeon tells you. Both references below are peer-reviewed systematic reviews, cited so you can read them yourself.
A systematic review of 4,556 zygomatic implants in 2,161 patients reported a 95.21% survival rate at 12 years. Reported complications included sinusitis in 2.4% of cases, infection in 2.0%, paresthesia in 1.0% and oroantral fistula in 0.4%.
Chrcanovic BR, Albrektsson T, Wennerberg A. Survival and complications of zygomatic implants: an updated systematic review. J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2016;74(10):1949–64. doi:10.1016/j.joms.2016.06.166
An earlier review across 42 studies reported 96.7% survival at 12 years, and concluded that the technique “requires very experienced surgeons”.
Chrcanovic BR, Abreu MHNG. Survival and complications of zygomatic implants: a systematic review. Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2012;17(2):81–93. doi:10.1007/s10006-012-0331-z
Those figures describe a body of published cases. They are not a prediction about your case, and no honest surgeon can give you one before seeing your imaging.
Who would treat you
One surgeon, one protocol
Dr. Daniel Cunha Coutinho graduated in dentistry from UFRN and holds a specialist qualification in Implantology from FOP-UNICAMP. He has practised in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, since 2005, and has concentrated his training on zygomatic implant surgery — one of the more demanding procedures in the specialty, indicated for severe maxillary atrophy where conventional implants are not viable.
- CRO-RN 2966
- Specialist in Implantology · FOP-UNICAMP
- Dentistry · UFRN
- Practising since 2005
If you are travelling
How treatment works from abroad
Coming from another country changes the logistics, not the clinical standard. This is the sequence, stated plainly so you can plan.
Remote review
You send your history and any imaging you already have. If a CT scan exists, it is the single most useful thing you can send.
Honest triage
You are told whether the case looks suitable before you book a flight — including when it does not. A remote opinion is preliminary by definition.
In-person assessment
Examination and imaging in Natal confirm or change the preliminary opinion. The plan is agreed before anything is scheduled.
Surgery and follow-up
Post-operative review is planned around your return date, with remote follow-up afterwards and a documented record you can hand to a dentist at home.
What cannot be decided online. Suitability for zygomatic implants depends on imaging and clinical examination. Any opinion given before that — here or anywhere else — is provisional, and treatment is never scheduled on the basis of one.
Before you write
Questions we are asked most
I was told I need a bone graft first. Does that rule this out?
No — it is close to the opposite. The zygomatic technique exists precisely for anatomies where grafting was ruled out, declined or did not take, because the implant anchors in the cheekbone rather than in the grafted area.
Can you tell me if I qualify from photographs?
Not reliably. Photographs show almost nothing about available bone. A CT scan allows a useful preliminary opinion; the definitive one still requires an in-person examination.
What language will I be treated in?
English. Written contact is handled in English and Portuguese, so please write in English rather than your own language — it keeps the clinical detail accurate. Messages to the clinic reception are normally answered within minutes during clinic hours.
How long should I plan to stay in Brazil?
That depends entirely on the plan agreed for your case, and it is one of the things settled before you travel rather than after you arrive. Do not book non-refundable travel before the plan is confirmed.
What does it cost?
Brazilian dental regulation (CFO Resolution 196/2019) prohibits publishing treatment prices or advertising on price. Figures are given individually, after assessment, in writing.
Is a previous failed implant a problem?
It is common in the patients seen here and it is part of the assessment rather than an obstacle to it. Bring whatever records you have from the earlier treatment.
Read before deciding
Written for patients, not for search engines
Zygomatic implants in Brazil
The full explanation of the procedure, who it is indicated for, and what the published evidence supports.
Is Brazil safe for dental implants?
How Brazilian dental regulation works, what a CRO number means, and what to verify before choosing any clinic abroad.
What determines the cost of implants in Brazil
The factors that move the figure, and why a responsible quote cannot be given before assessment.
Why patients travel for implant treatment
What foreign patients are actually looking for, and the questions worth asking before crossing a border for surgery.
You cannot know without looking.
Send your history and imaging. You will be told honestly whether this is a case for zygomatic implants — including when it is not.