Zygomatic implants are an advanced option that may be considered for selected patients with severe upper-jaw bone loss, where conventional implant placement is limited. Rather than relying on the jawbone that has been lost, they take anchorage from denser bone higher in the face. This is not a routine solution, and suitability is determined individually through detailed diagnostic assessment and surgical planning.
A conventional implant is placed into the jawbone where the tooth root used to sit. That requires enough bone to be there. Where the upper jaw has resorbed substantially, sometimes after years of denture wear or following extensive tooth loss, there may not be enough left to hold implants in the positions a restoration needs. Zygomatic implants are longer and take their support from denser bone higher in the face instead, which means the deficient area is bypassed rather than rebuilt.
This approach may be discussed when the upper jaw has significant bone loss and conventional pathways would otherwise be difficult or require extensive reconstruction. It is not a routine solution and it is not offered as a first option. Many patients who arrive expecting to need something advanced turn out to have conventional treatment available once three-dimensional imaging has been reviewed, which is a better outcome and a less expensive one.
The conventional route to restoring a severely resorbed upper jaw is to rebuild it: grafting, sometimes staged across more than one procedure, followed by months of healing before implants can be placed and restored. That is a legitimate pathway and for many patients it is the right one. Zygomatic treatment offers an alternative that avoids the reconstruction, which can shorten the overall timeline considerably. Which is preferable depends on the anatomy, the medical history and what the patient wants from the process, and both are set out with their costs.
Zygomatic implants are considered within a broader full-arch rehabilitation rather than as a standalone procedure. The number and type of implants, whether a provisional restoration is appropriate and the design of the final prosthesis are all confirmed once planning is complete. Because the surgical and restorative sides have to agree closely in these cases, having a surgically trained dental surgeon and a board-certified prosthodontist working in the same practice removes a coordination problem that would otherwise span two.
No responsible assessment of an advanced case happens over the phone or from a photograph. These cases turn on the pattern of bone loss, the surrounding anatomy and what the restoration has to achieve, none of which can be judged without imaging. The consultation exists to establish what is actually possible, including the real possibility that a simpler and cheaper approach will do. What you should expect from it is a clear answer and the alternatives, not a recommendation made before the evidence.
These are among the most planning-intensive cases in implant dentistry. Nothing is committed to until imaging, anatomical assessment and the restorative plan agree, and the alternatives are presented alongside rather than after.
That conclusion is often reached without three-dimensional imaging. A consultation establishes what your anatomy actually allows, including whether advanced options apply.
All prices in CAD · starting prices
Conventional pathway
Quoted separately
All prices are starting prices and may vary depending on case complexity, treatment requirements, materials and other clinical factors. Final treatment costs are confirmed following consultation and treatment planning. Prices effective September 2026.
Zygomatic treatment is the most involved pathway in implant dentistry, and the figure reflects the whole rehabilitation rather than the implants alone.
The starting price covers the surgical and restorative treatment plan together, because zygomatic implants are not placed in isolation.
Three-dimensional imaging, anatomical assessment and restorative design carry more weight in these cases than in conventional implant treatment.
Extensive grafting plus conventional full-arch treatment has its own cost and a considerably longer timeline. Both routes are quoted so the comparison is a real one.
Where IV sedation is planned it is quoted on its own line, from $800, and confirmed before treatment.
Oral Surgery and Implants
Dr. Ali Mehdi brings over 15 years of experience in oral and implant surgery, with a focus on advanced implant dentistry and complex full-mouth rehabilitation. From routine oral surgery to advanced bone grafting and full-arch implant treatment, his approach combines surgical experience, digital technology, and individualized care.
View ProfileThey are longer implants that take their anchorage from denser bone higher in the face rather than from the upper jaw itself. They are used in selected cases of severe upper-jaw bone loss where conventional implants would have too little bone to hold them.
They may be considered for selected patients with substantial upper-jaw bone loss. A full clinical and imaging assessment is required before suitability can be established, and many patients turn out to have conventional options available.
In some cases they offer another pathway, avoiding extensive reconstruction and the months of healing it involves. They are not appropriate for everyone, and the treatment plan determines whether grafting or an advanced approach is preferable.
Not necessarily, particularly where that assessment was made without three-dimensional imaging. A CBCT scan shows the available bone and the surrounding anatomy in a way a standard X-ray cannot. It may confirm the original conclusion, or it may show options that were not visible before.
Treatment starts at $35,000. Final pricing depends on the full surgical and restorative treatment plan, and is confirmed in writing after planning.
The starting price covers a more complex surgical pathway and the full restorative rehabilitation that goes with it. The fair comparison is not against conventional full-arch treatment alone, but against extensive grafting followed by full-arch treatment, which carries its own cost and a much longer timeline.
Yes. Zygomatic implants are considered within a broader full-arch plan rather than as an isolated single-tooth solution. The number and type of implants, any provisional restoration and the final prosthesis are confirmed after complete planning.
IV sedation with a specialist anesthesiologist is available for appropriate cases and starts at $800.
Patients travel to us from White Rock, South Surrey, Surrey, Langley, Delta and across the Fraser Valley. Our team also speaks Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu, and we accept referrals from dentists throughout the Lower Mainland.
Book a consultation with Apple Dental Specialists in White Rock. The team will review your goals and clinical findings, explain the treatment options that may be appropriate, and confirm the plan and final costs before care begins.
