Most people who lose a tooth think the problem ends there. The discomfort fades, the gap becomes familiar, and treatment gets postponed. It is a decision that feels reasonable in the short term — but one that tends to compound quietly beneath the surface.

What starts happening immediately

Within the first months of losing a tooth, the bone beneath it begins to resorb. Without the mechanical stimulation of a root, the jaw has no signal to maintain density in that area. Meaningful bone volume can be lost in the first year alone — a change that affects not just the gap, but the stability of neighbouring teeth and the contours of your face over time.

Adjacent teeth drift gradually towards the space. Opposing teeth, no longer meeting a surface, can over-erupt. The bite shifts. What began as one missing tooth creates a cascade of misalignment that eventually affects the entire jaw.

Why timing matters

An implant placed relatively soon after tooth loss typically involves a straightforward procedure. Waiting — particularly for several years — can mean the bone has resorbed to a degree where additional preparation is required before an implant can be placed at all. The window for a simpler solution narrows over time.

This is not an argument for rushing a decision. It is an argument for having an honest conversation sooner rather than later, so that your options remain as wide as possible.

What a dental implant actually does

A dental implant — a small titanium fixture placed into the jawbone — replicates the function of a natural root. It stimulates the bone, halts resorption, and provides a stable foundation for a ceramic crown that looks and feels like a natural tooth. Unlike a bridge, it requires no modification of the adjacent teeth. Unlike a denture, it is fixed, permanent, and entirely your own.

At LAVA Dental Studio, we use Straumann and Neodent implant systems — both globally recognised, with decades of peer-reviewed clinical data. The same brands used at leading private clinics across London, Edinburgh, and the major European capitals.

The cost comparison

A single implant at a UK private clinic typically ranges from £2,500 to £4,500. At LAVA Dental Studio in Riga, a Straumann or Neodent implant — surgical placement, abutment, and ceramic crown — is a fraction of that. A return flight from Gatwick takes two hours and thirty-five minutes.

• Bone changes begin after tooth loss and increase in complexity over time
• Adjacent and opposing teeth shift progressively without intervention
• Earlier assessment keeps more options available — typically means simpler treatment
• Straumann and Neodent implants — the same systems used at leading UK private clinics
• Every case planned individually following a full 3D diagnostic assessment

The word "veneer" covers a wide range of treatments with very different implications for your natural teeth. Understanding what it actually involves — before you book a consultation anywhere — is the most important thing you can do.

What a veneer is

A veneer is a thin ceramic shell bonded to the front surface of a tooth to refine its shape, colour, or proportion. Done well, the result is entirely indistinguishable from a natural tooth — because it has been designed to be. At LAVA, our non-prep veneers start from just 0.2mm in thickness. Traditional ceramic veneers range from 0.4 to 0.6mm. In both cases, the material is high-grade porcelain ceramic — the same standard used at leading clinics in London, Zurich, and Dubai.

Non-prep veneers — the most conservative approach

Traditional veneers require removing a thin layer of enamel before bonding. This is permanent.

Non-prep veneers require no removal of tooth structure in the majority of cases. The veneer bonds directly to natural enamel, leaving your tooth entirely intact. This is the approach we use wherever clinically appropriate — because preserving what is already healthy is not a compromise. It is the goal.

Crafted in Dubai — why it matters

Our veneers are handcrafted by specialist ceramists at our partner laboratory in Dubai — one of the world's most demanding markets for aesthetic dentistry. Each veneer is made individually, by hand, based on full diagnostic data: facial analysis, smile design, skin tone, eye colour, and your personal aesthetic goals. This is not a production process. It is craftsmanship.

How we design your smile — together

Before any treatment begins, we conduct a full diagnostic assessment: 3D scanning, digital X-rays, professional facial photography, and detailed smile analysis. From this, Dr. Aleksejevs creates a Digital Smile Planning — a precise visualisation of your new smile that you see, review, and refine before anything else happens. Nothing is decided without you.

What about the NHS?

Veneers for cosmetic reasons are not available on the NHS. UK private prices typically start from £800 to over £1,600 per tooth at specialist practices in London, Surrey, and Edinburgh. The same quality of ceramic work, from the same calibre of material, at LAVA Dental Studio costs significantly less — without any compromise on standard.

• Non-prep veneers preserve your natural tooth structure completely
• Each veneer is individually handcrafted by specialist ceramists in Dubai
• Digital Smile Planning — you see and approve your result before treatment begins
• Shade, shape, and proportion designed around your face, skin, and eye colour
• 15 to 20 years lifespan with proper care
• Cosmetic veneers are not available on the NHS — UK private fees are significantly higher

All-on-4 and All-on-6 are both fixed, permanent solutions for patients who have lost most or all of their teeth in one or both jaws. The number refers to the implants placed to support a full arch of ceramic teeth — fitted in a single surgical session, with a temporary fixed prosthesis on the same day.

How All-on-4 works

Four implants are placed in each jaw — two upright at the front, two angled towards the rear. The angled placement allows the implants to engage denser bone at the front of the jaw, particularly useful when bone volume has already been lost. The result is stable, fixed, and immediately functional.

How All-on-6 differs

All-on-6 adds two further implants, providing additional anchorage and load distribution. For some patients — those with higher bite forces or specific structural requirements — the additional implants meaningfully improve the long-term outcome. For others, four implants are entirely sufficient. The decision belongs to the clinical assessment, not to a price list.

What we need to assess before making a recommendation

A 3D CBCT scan is the starting point for any full-arch case. It reveals your bone density and volume, nerve pathway positions, sinus proximity, and anatomical factors that determine how implants should be positioned. Without this, no recommendation is meaningful.

The cost reality

A single-arch All-on-4 at a UK private clinic typically starts from £12,000 to £18,000. The same procedure at LAVA Dental Studio — with Neodent implants and a full ceramic prosthesis — is typically from £5,000 per arch. A return flight from Gatwick to Riga costs from around £300. Most guests save between £8,000 and £18,000 per arch, even after accounting for the complete trip.

• Both systems provide fixed, permanent teeth — fitted on the day of surgery
• Four vs six implants is determined by your individual anatomy, not a standard preference
• A 3D CBCT scan is essential before any recommendation can be made
• Straumann and Neodent systems — CE-certified, globally recognised
• The definitive plan is confirmed following your full assessment in Riga
• Significant savings vs UK private fees — without any reduction in clinical standard

Choosing where to have complex dental treatment is not a decision made lightly. You are placing trust in a team, in a place, and in a process. What follows is an honest account of why LAVA Dental Studio in Riga is worth that trust — and why so many guests leave saying they wish they had come sooner.

A team that never stops learning

Dr. Vladislavs Aleksejevs has been practising dentistry since 2014. He graduated from Riga Stradiņš University's Faculty of Dentistry, continued his studies at Harvard University in Boston, and completed advanced aesthetic dentistry programmes in the United States. His mentors include some of the most respected names in global aesthetic dentistry: Dr. Prof. Marcello Calamita, Dr. Mauro Fradeani, Dr. Prof. John Kois, Dr. Christian Coachmann, Dr. Maxim Belograd, Dr. Alexandr Baburov, and Dr. David Montalvo.

In early 2026, he took the entire LAVA team to Dubai for the UAE International Dental Conference and Arab Dental Exhibition — Asia's largest dental industry event. Every member of the clinical team attended, visited world-leading clinics, and returned with a deeper understanding of where dentistry is going. This is not a one-off. It is how LAVA operates.

Everything under one roof — from A to Z

LAVA is a full-spectrum aesthetic and restorative practice. Therapist, prosthodontist, endodontist, implantologist, aesthetic specialist, and hygienist — all under one roof, all working from the same diagnostic data, all coordinated around your case. No referrals to unfamiliar clinics, no gaps in communication, no starting from scratch with a new clinician mid-treatment.

The diagnostic technology at LAVA is among the finest available: 3D CBCT imaging, 3Shape and iTero Lumina intraoral scanners — the latter being the most recent generation of intraoral scanning technology. Every complex case is reviewed across disciplines before treatment begins. Sedation and general anaesthesia are available for all procedures.

Recognised at the national level

LAVA Dental Studio is a member of Health Travel Latvia — the official Latvian medical tourism cluster, which assesses clinics against quality standards and represents Latvia's healthcare sector internationally. Membership is not automatic. For international patients, it is one more layer of accountability that does not exist when you travel outside the European Union for treatment.

The boutique experience — you are not one of many

LAVA is not a high-volume dental tourism operation. Every guest has a dedicated treatment coordinator — a single English-speaking point of contact throughout your stay. Treatment takes place in fully enclosed, private rooms. The space itself was designed with the same care as the dentistry: music, light, scent, and architecture all considered. In the treatment chair, you can watch a film or series of your choice. As Dr. Aleksejevs puts it — like flying business class: personal, calm, and without stress.

Riga — the unexpected highlight

The Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Art Nouveau boulevards are among the finest in Europe. The National Opera and Ballet performs to a standard that rivals any European capital. The restaurant scene is exceptional — shaped by Latvian seasonal produce and Scandinavian culinary thinking. Forests, coastline, and nature are within an hour of the city centre. And the prices for all of it bear no resemblance to what you would pay in London.

• Dr. Aleksejevs and the full team attended Asia's largest dental exhibition in Dubai in 2026
• Mentored by 7 globally recognised leaders in aesthetic dentistry
• All disciplines in one studio — therapist, implantologist, endodontist, aesthetic specialist, hygienist
• 3D CBCT, 3Shape, iTero Lumina — diagnostic technology at the highest available standard
• Sedation and general anaesthesia available for all procedures
• Member of Health Travel Latvia — independently assessed quality standard
• EU member state — CE certified materials, full patient rights under Directive 2011/24/EC
• Dedicated English-speaking coordinator throughout your entire visit

Health Travel Latvia: healthtravellatvia.lv/en/clinic/lava-dental-studio · EU Directive 2011/24/EC on cross-border healthcare · EU MDR 2017/745