Dentistry in Rovinj, Croatia

My wife is in her 50’s and had become what is commonly regarded as ‘long in the tooth’. This vivid expression is related to age in horses and whilst not wishing to make such a comparison with my dear other half, a hijacking of a substantial amount of her natural calcium by bearing our three children and a lifetime of daily chomping had eventually reduced her upper compliment of teeth to only seven and the front gums had receded enough for her to fit the description.

She had tried a couple of semi dentures to fill some of the obvious gaps that had appeared over the years and it soon became apparent that a very sensitive ‘gagging’ condition would prevent her from ever having the usual common type of false teeth that family dentists fit.

We had heard about fast implants and all in one procedure whilst in the United States. Prices varied but in New York we were quoted $20 - $26,000.This was too high a price for us so we started to look closer to home.Our own dentist in the UK said that he was unable to do the work required and that it would probably cost around £1500 per tooth to do.This would also involve a six month wait after each extraction before fitting an implant then a further wait to fit the false tooth. Further enquiries whilst holidaying in Spain resulted in similar price estimates but one particular dental practitioner suggested a series of metal bridges and splints which sounded quite cumbersome. He did however take a full X-ray of my wife’s jaw which proved useful later. This cost us around £30.00

We then started seeing adverts for all in one procedures n the national press which seemed to offer the perfect solution, a quick procedure with an almost instant result.After further investigation and comparing prices with the various dentists offering this service we found that nearly all wanted a consultation fee of an average of £80 - £100 and that the best price we could find for the complete job was around £11 - £12,000. Whilst this was slightly cheaper than US options it still was a substantial outlay. One evening whilst surfing the net I came across Dr.Popadic’s website and decided to make further enquiries. I emailed the Doctor and received some very encouraging and enlightening replies.The X-ray from Spain came in very handy and I emailed a scanned copy to Dr. Popadic.Everything Dr. Popadic explained fitted perfectly with what my wife wanted.What was most pleasing was the price the Doctor quoted and that fact that it could all be done in just a few days.

Going all the way to a country we knew hardly anything about, trusting a complete stranger with a very complex procedure in an environment we imagined that could be rather different to UK standards were all doubts that we ran over and over again in our minds.Eventually after much deliberation we decided to make the decision to have the work done and make the trip to Rovinj.

We live in the North West of England and I investigated the various options of travel to Rovinj from our local and national airports.I came across a website for a modern ferry service direct to Rovinj from Venice and my local airport, Manchester, had direct late morning flights direct to the Italian city.Our flight took just under 2 hours and within another hour after leaving the airport we were at the ferry terminal.The sailing was late afternoon in a superb fast catamaran with full service facilities and we arrived in Rovinj in the early evening.There were no taxis about but a friendly policeman pointed out the Park Hotel that had been recommended by Dr. Popadic and a pleasant 10 minute walk took us to the front door.The Park is a superb modern hotel with full room services including a very well fitted bathroom comfy, clean beds and Cable TV. Most have a balcony and there are views to the ocean and harbour. Our evening meal was great with a huge choice.

The next day (Monday) we made the short walk to the Doctors surgery. This was very easy to find just a couple of streets away. We were still very apprehensive and we had prepared ourselves to do a quick about turn if we didn’t like what we saw. We couldn’t have been more wrong in our preconceptions. The surgery is very modern with state of the art equipment and absolutely spotlessly clean much better that any I have seen in the UK. The staff are extremely friendly and my wife and I were both impressed at their efficiency and professionalism as they went about their various duties.

While we waited in the reception area we couldn’t help but notice a wall that was covered in framed certificates that displayed the credentials and various training courses etc that Dr. Popadic had undertaken. These were from all over the world including the USA. Most encouraging were the many that related to implants and cosmetic dentistry. When we eventually met the doctor he proved to be a charming young man with a very re-assuring manner. He speaks better English than I do and understood all the anxiety and concerns my wife had about her forthcoming ordeal. The doctor explained everything in detail to both of us, before, during and in-between the various stages. The first part of the procedure was impressions and aesthetic then it was straight onto the extractions and implants.

The doctor had recommended 6 implants which was actually more that the UK dentist had suggested which would have also increased the original £12,000 estimate.

By lunchtime my wife’s teeth had all been removed and six implants were firmly in place. Amazingly my wife had suffered no pain whatsoever and apart from feeling a little tired and fatigued from having had her mouth open for some time and of course the physical work that she had endured during the extractions and implant procedure she was in fact in pretty good shape.A short nap in the afternoon back at the hotel and she was ready and hungry enough to tackle a bowl of soup, some soft bread and a few glasses of wine. The aesthetic had worn off and she was in no pain or discomfort whatsoever.

The following morning her face was slightly swollen and there was some very faint yellow bruising, however she had slept very well and there was still no sign of any pain at all. Back the surgery it was time for the first fitting of her new teeth. After a couple of tweaks from the doctor it was decided that they might be a little prominent. Doctor Popodic then summoned the technician who agreed they needed altering back at the workshop.

That afternoon we enjoyed a pleasant stroll around Rovinj which is a beautiful little fishing village with lots of seafront bars, coffee houses and great restaurants. Prices are extremely reasonable, portions are generous and the people are some of the friendliest I have ever met. Anyone thinking of combining a holiday here with a visit to the dentist couldn’t make a better choice. That evening my wife enjoyed a light meal of cooked meats and salad and a delicious Istrian soup followed by ‘holiday’ quantities of excellent local wine. There was still no pain or any discomfort whatsoever.

The next morning we reported back to the surgery for the final fitting. Just a couple more adjustments and my wife had a perfect new smile and she was absolutely delighted. The same afternoon we were back on the ferry back to Venice catching the evening plane. The whole process had taken just 3 days as originally promised by Dr. Popadic

And the final cost including, travel, accommodation and of course the fantastic treatment?

Less than half we would have paid for the cheapest option in the UK

My wife now has a beautiful smile, bags more confidence and is absolutely delighted with the end result. It took her very little time to get used to her new dentures and just a few months after her treatment she now says they feel completely natural. We will be going back to see the ‘doc’ this year as my wife wants to have her lower set done and I am thinking of having some bridge work.

We are delighted we found Dr. Popadic and would have no hesitation at all in recommending his services to anyone who is searching for a professional, superb service which is also terrific value for money

Tony & Tammy Williams

Thornton Cleveleys

UK January 2006

Mr Tony Williams is one of the founders of the rock group Stealers Wheel and the bass player in the Jethro Tull