Choosing a Clinic for Veneers or Crowns: Look Past the Adverts

What adverts and photos can and cannot tell you

In Turkey, covert or overt advertising of health services is prohibited²; clinics may promote and inform only within set principles. Among them, promotion may not be built on patients' thanks or satisfaction and may not give prices, discounts or campaigns. The Turkish Dental Association's guide also forbids wording that implies a clinic, its staff or its devices are superior³. Clinics authorised for international health tourism may run sponsored promotion on separate platforms aimed abroad², with some rules of their own. Whatever the channel, "the best clinic", a ranking or a stream of glowing testimonials tells you nothing you can use about your own treatment.

Before-and-after photos. The Ministry's guidance on the regulation says patient images need the patient's explicit consent⁴, may not be technically altered afterwards, and before-and-after pairs should be taken under the same conditions and shown with the treatment and photo dates. Even a correct photo has limits:

• It shows another person's teeth, gums and bite, not yours.
• It shows the day of the result, not how the teeth look years later.
• It does not show how much tooth was removed, whether the teeth received veneers or crowns, or whether a gentler option would have done.

Titles. Cosmetic dentistry is not one of the nine dental specialties in Turkish law, and specialist titles based on certificates are not allowed under any name². If someone is called a cosmetic or aesthetic "specialist", ask what that rests on; our article on dental titles explains them. Our article on choosing a dental clinic explains how to check a clinic's licence and a dentist's working certificate.

How a careful clinic plans cosmetic work

• An examination first. A plan made from photos is a preliminary idea. The dentist needs to examine your teeth, with X-rays where needed, to judge how much sound tooth there is and what preparing it would risk. Ask how much healthy tooth would be removed, and what that means for sensitivity and the nerve of the tooth. Our consultation checklist explains what a consultation covers.
• Decay and gums before cosmetic work. Problems such as decay and gum disease are treated before veneers⁵, and veneers may not suit people with a deep bite or gum disease.
• Your bite and grinding. Clenching or grinding raises the risk of a veneer breaking. In a small retrospective study, among 30 patients with bruxism, those who wore a night guard had fewer fractures⁶. A guard may lower the risk; it does not remove it. A clinic that does not ask about grinding has missed a question.
• The least removal first. A plan should start from the option that removes the least tooth: doing nothing, whitening, bonding or orthodontic treatment before veneers, and veneers before crowns on a healthy tooth. Our article on "Turkey teeth" lists the questions to ask for each tooth.
• Whitening before the shade is set. Whitening does not lighten crowns, veneers or fillings as it does natural teeth⁷, and a veneer's colour cannot be changed after it is bonded⁵. If you want whiter natural teeth as well, say so before the shade is chosen.
• A shade chosen with you. Most often the dentist compares your teeth with tabs from a shade guide. Two meta-analyses found that standardised photos⁸ usually matched the target shade more closely than the eye alone. They disagreed on measuring devices⁹, intraoral scanners were no better than the eye, and the studies were few and small. Light affects the match too¹⁰. Ask how the shade will be taken and whether you will see it next to your teeth. Our tooth shade guide explains how it is chosen.
• A preview before any tooth is prepared. Ask whether you can see the planned shape in your mouth while the choice is still open.

Material claims to question

Every material has strengths and limits. A clinic that presents one material as right for everyone, or as lasting for life, is selling, not explaining.

• Ceramic veneers. In pooled studies, about 94 to 97 in 100 ceramic veneers were still in place after ten years¹¹. "Still in place" does not mean never repaired.
• Composite (resin) veneers. They may need less enamel removed and are easier to fix if damaged¹, but they are less resistant to staining and wear than porcelain. Neither "composite lasts as long as porcelain" nor "porcelain always lasts longer" has been proven for every patient.
• Zirconia veneers. There are no long-term data¹¹: the studies so far followed them for an average of 2.6 years.
• Crowns. A 2026 review of single crowns on natural teeth found about 97 to 99 in 100 still in place after five years¹² for monolithic lithium disilicate, monolithic or layered zirconia and metal-ceramic, and the monolithic crowns had fewer fractures and chips than layered ones. These figures do not apply to bridges or crowns on implants. Our zirconia crowns page and our article on zirconia or porcelain crowns compare crown materials, and our article on crowns or veneers explains which a tooth needs.

Ask the dentist why they suggest this material for this tooth, and what it would mean if it chipped.

What to agree about afterwards

Any veneer, composite or porcelain, may chip, crack, wear or loosen over time¹ and need to be re-bonded, repaired or replaced. Before you start, ask:

• who deals with a chip, a crack or a restoration that comes off, how quickly, and on what written terms
• what is expected of you, such as check-ups, cleaning along the edges every day, or wearing a night guard
• for your copy of the consent form, which is signed in two copies¹³, and later for your records: X-rays, the plan, what was done to each tooth, and the material and shade used

These records give another dentist what they need to assess your teeth later.

When to see a dentist

A dentist's examination is the right start before any cosmetic treatment. If you already have veneers or crowns, see a dentist if:

• one is loose, chipped or has come off (keep it, and do not glue it back yourself)
• a tooth becomes painful when you bite, or sensitive for more than a few days
• the gums around a restoration bleed, swell or recede

Swelling, pus or a bad taste near a restored tooth can mean an infection: see a dentist urgently, the same or the next day.

Emergencies. Difficulty breathing or swallowing, rapidly spreading swelling of the face or neck, a high fever or swelling around the eye are serious signs. Go to the nearest emergency department or call 112.

Frequently asked questions