Bad case of infection
I visited this clinic in 2017 for a full mouth restoration. 16 basal implants were placed in my jaws and preliminary dental archs glued to the implants. 4 months later I returned to Sofia for my permanent pfm archs to be placed. At that time 2 of my implants in the lower jaw were removed due to infection. This was a red flag of what was to come later. I didn't know at that time that the so called basal implants used by this clinic have a bad reputation and are associated with peri-implantitis which is an infection of the gum and in In severe cases, the implant may need to be removed and a new one placed after the infection is cleared. This is exactly what happened to me. Now in 2025, only 8 years after the treatment in Sofia I had a serious and widespread infection in both jaws and the only option was to remove everything. This was an extremely traumatic and difficult process. I will be without any teeth for about 6 weeks and then will get dentures that I will use for 6 months until my jaws will be ready for new better implants to be placed. I also needed extensive bone grafting because of the damage the infection had caused in my jaws. This will be a very expensive process. I naturally contacted the clinic in Sofia asking if they felt that they had any responsibility and would be willing to bear a portion of the substantial cost this will incur. They deny any responsibility and told me it's totally my problem.
I urge anyone wanting to get more information about basal implants and find out why they are banned in some countries and used by very few dentists in Europe and elsewhere. Go to Google and ask about basal implants.
I consider myself lucky that the infection hadn't spread to my brain or heart. Had that happened I wouldn't be here.
Smile Dental Services - Bulgaria vastaus
2025.11.04
Dear Mr. Skulason,
Thank you for sharing your experience. We are genuinely sorry to hear about the difficulties you have faced and understand how distressing prolonged dental issues can be.
For readers considering similar treatment, we would like to provide factual context:
Your full mouth restoration was started 9.5 years ago and completed 8.5 years ago. Since May 2017, you have not returned to our clinic for routine check ups or medical reviews, and unfortunately have not been involved in the ongoing care of your prosthetics.
When you contacted us about your condition in 2024–2025, you sent us panoramic and 3D scans. Our clinical assessment of those images did not show radiological evidence of generalized implant failure or a compelling indication that would justify a removal of all implants.
We explained several times that the main issues appeared prosthetic (bridge stability and soft tissue adaptation), which could be corrected without invasive surgery. We also cautioned that recommendations from local dental medical experts unfamiliar with your specific implant system (basal implants) could lead to the suggestion of more invasive solutions including full explantation, which are not justified by the imaging according to our expertise.
Nevertheless you proceeded with full implant removal following the assessment of local dental experts. While we respect your choice, these irreversible procedures were performed outside of our dental clinic and contrary to our medical advice.
We regret the difficulties you have experienced and sincerely wish you a smooth recovery. Nevertheless we will remain available to review diagnostics and provide care within our protocols and expertise.
Thank you for sharing your experience. We are genuinely sorry to hear about the difficulties you have faced and understand how distressing prolonged dental issues can be.
For readers considering similar treatment, we would like to provide factual context:
Your full mouth restoration was started 9.5 years ago and completed 8.5 years ago. Since May 2017, you have not returned to our clinic for routine check ups or medical reviews, and unfortunately have not been involved in the ongoing care of your prosthetics.
When you contacted us about your condition in 2024–2025, you sent us panoramic and 3D scans. Our clinical assessment of those images did not show radiological evidence of generalized implant failure or a compelling indication that would justify a removal of all implants.
We explained several times that the main issues appeared prosthetic (bridge stability and soft tissue adaptation), which could be corrected without invasive surgery. We also cautioned that recommendations from local dental medical experts unfamiliar with your specific implant system (basal implants) could lead to the suggestion of more invasive solutions including full explantation, which are not justified by the imaging according to our expertise.
Nevertheless you proceeded with full implant removal following the assessment of local dental experts. While we respect your choice, these irreversible procedures were performed outside of our dental clinic and contrary to our medical advice.
We regret the difficulties you have experienced and sincerely wish you a smooth recovery. Nevertheless we will remain available to review diagnostics and provide care within our protocols and expertise.