Dental treatment abroad: what to ask before you travel

Start with the treatment, not the trip. Ask what the work involves, what cannot be undone and what can go wrong, wherever it is done. Then settle in writing who treats you, what your plan covers, and what happens if a problem appears once you are back in the UK.

The treatment is provided by our clinic in Antalya, Turkey, and carried out there by the clinic's dentists. On this page, "we" means that clinic and nobody else. The page follows the questions that the General Dental Council (GDC), the UK dental regulator, and the NHS tell UK patients to ask. Under each one it says what we can tell you now and what to get in writing.

Before you compare clinics or countries, be clear about the treatment itself. Every treatment has risks of its own wherever it is done, and some of its effects cannot be reversed. Clinical detail is on each treatment page; the points below are the ones to settle first. The figures below come from published studies, not from our own records.

Veneers and crowns

A veneer covers only the front surface of a tooth, while a crown covers the whole tooth¹. Where placing a veneer removes tooth enamel, that change cannot be undone¹. A crown also needs the tooth to be shaped first. Veneers may not be suitable if you grind or clench your teeth, or if you have gum disease².

A review of 37 studies looked at teeth that were still alive when they received a crown, a partial crown or a bridge. The studies followed the teeth for different lengths of time. Across them, the pulp, the living tissue inside the tooth, later died in about 5 per cent of those teeth³. The certainty of that evidence is low. If the pulp dies, the tooth may need root canal treatment.

In the UK, "Turkey teeth" is a phrase used for the look that follows heavy preparation of healthy teeth. Before any tooth is prepared, ask any clinic, including ours, four questions:

1. Which of my teeth are healthy?
2. What exactly will be removed from each tooth?
3. Can that be undone?
4. What is the least invasive option that solves my problem?

The British Dental Association says patients should be aware of the risks and alternatives to the treatment they want⁴. Sometimes the right answer is to do less, or nothing. The GDC suggests talking to your own dentist before you go⁵. You can also have the assessment, and any treatment, with a dentist in the UK. You can take time to decide, and you can say no, or ask to stop, at any stage. Once a tooth has been prepared, that step cannot be undone. More on veneers.

Implants

Implant placement is surgery, and the bone needs time to heal before the final teeth are fitted. Implants can also fail or develop problems later. Inflammation that destroys the bone around an implant is called peri-implantitis. A review of 57 studies found it in about 1 in 5 patients with implants⁶. The studies defined it in different ways, so treat the figure as a rough guide. Another review looked at smoking. In people smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day, the risk of an implant failing was about 2.5 times that of non-smokers⁷. That figure counts implants. Counted per patient, it was about 4 times⁷. The risk rose with the amount smoked. More on dental implants.

Treatment that needs healing between stages cannot be squeezed into one trip. A full arch on four or six implants usually needs at least two trips. The first is for surgery and, where it is suitable, a provisional bridge; the second, after healing, is for the final bridge. See All-on-4.

We have found no good research comparing implant treatment squeezed into a few days with the same treatment spread over months. The nearest evidence is a Cochrane review of when implants are loaded⁸, and it followed patients for between four months and a year.

Flying after treatment

A 2023 review suggests waiting about a week after most dental treatment before flying, and at least 72 hours after implant placement⁹. After a sinus lift it suggests at least two weeks, and ideally six. These times assume there is no pain, swelling or bleeding where the treatment was done. Its authors say the research is thin and mostly drawn from military flying. Treat these times as a starting point for a talk with the dentist who treated you, not as clearance.

What dentists in the UK report

In a survey of its members, the British Dental Association found that 94% of the dentists who answered had examined patients treated abroad¹⁰. 86% had treated cases that developed problems afterwards¹⁰. Crowns (87%) and implants (85%) were named as the treatments most likely to need follow-up work.

These are shares of the dentists who answered, not of patients treated abroad. The dentists chose to answer, so the figures cannot tell you how often treatment abroad goes wrong. They do show where follow-up work tends to land. If you are thinking of replacing work done elsewhere, see replacing previous dental work.

Your treatment is provided by our clinic in Antalya, Turkey, and carried out there by the clinic's dentists. Before you commit, ask for these in writing:

• the legal name of the clinic or company your agreement is with
• the name of the dentist who will treat you, their title and where they qualified
• which country's law applies to the agreement
• whether anyone else is involved in your care, for example who gives any sedation and where the laboratory work is made

If a company, agent or website in the UK arranges your treatment, ask the same questions. Ask who actually carries out the work, and who is responsible if something goes wrong. The business that takes your booking is not necessarily the one that treats you.

How registration works in Turkey

A dentist starting private practice in Turkey must register with the local dental chamber within one month¹¹, and cannot practise privately without it. The Turkish Dental Association's website offers a search of registered dentists by name and province¹². A dental clinic cannot open without a licence or treat patients without an operating permit, and it is inspected at least once a year¹³.

To treat international patients, a facility also needs an authorisation certificate from the Ministry of Health¹⁴. The Ministry publishes a register of authorised facilities¹⁵ that you can check yourself. The authorisation belongs to the facility, not to the dentist. More on health tourism authorisation.

None of these is a statement about your result. A licence, a registration or an authorisation is a condition of practising, not a measure of quality. The GDC itself says it cannot guarantee that a regulator like it exists in another country, or that the standards will be the same⁵.

Titles

In the UK, a dentist may call themselves a specialist only if they are on the GDC specialist list¹⁶. Cosmetic dentistry is not one of the specialties on that list¹⁶. Ask what title the treating dentist holds, what it means in Turkey, and where they qualified.

The GDC lists questions to ask before dental treatment abroad⁵, and the NHS publishes its own checklist. Under each question below is what the source says, then our answer. Where the answer is a fact this page cannot give yet, it tells you what to ask for in writing.

Who will treat me, and how often have they done this?

What the sources say. The GDC tells patients to ask who will carry out the treatment and what qualifications they have⁵. It also suggests asking how many times they have done the procedure, and their rates of success, complication, readmission and infection. The NHS checklist asks whether you have checked the qualifications of the medical team treating you¹⁷. The British Dental Association advises checking a dentist's qualifications and experience, and whether they are insured if things go wrong¹⁰.

Our answer. The work is done in Antalya by the clinic's dentists (see above). Ask for the treating dentist's name, qualifications and registration details in writing before you commit. We publish no outcome figures from our own records yet; the figures on our treatment pages come from published studies. Ask for the clinic's figures for your treatment in writing, and how they were collected.

Can I have references from other patients?

What the sources say. The GDC's list includes asking for references⁵.

Our answer. This page carries no testimonials, reviews or before-and-after photographs. If any clinic offers you references, ask how those patients were chosen, and whether their treatment was like yours.

Is the clinic regulated, and is the dentist registered?

What the sources say. The GDC suggests asking whether the clinic and the dentist are regulated by a professional body and registered with it⁵. The NHS asks whether you are satisfied with the facilities and standards where you will be treated¹⁷.

Our answer. The rules in Turkey are set out above. Ask for the clinic's health tourism authorisation details and the treating dentist's own registration details, so that you can check both yourself.

Will the team speak my language?

What the sources say. The GDC suggests asking whether the team speaks your language and, if not, whether a translator is provided⁵. The NHS lists language barriers¹⁸ among the things to consider.

Our answer. Ask, in writing, who will explain the plan, the consent form and the aftercare instructions to you in English.

Will I get a plan and a cost estimate in writing?

What the sources say. The GDC says you should always be assessed by a qualified dentist before being given a treatment plan and cost estimate⁵. The dentist should take a full medical history, including whether you smoke. In the UK, a dentist must give a written treatment plan before treatment starts¹⁹, and an updated one in writing if it changes. That is a UK standard, not a rule binding a clinic in Turkey, but it is a fair yardstick. The Dutch dental association adds: take all the costs into account, including travel and accommodation²⁰.

Our answer. A plan made from photographs is a preliminary assessment. The plan is decided after a clinical examination and, where it is needed, X-rays or a 3D scan. Ask for it in writing before treatment begins: what it covers, what it does not, and what could change it. If the examination changes the plan, ask for the revised plan in writing before treatment continues. Ask too what you pay if the examination shows the treatment is not suitable, or if you decide not to go ahead. Send your medical conditions, medicines and allergies before you book, not on the day. This page carries no prices.

Is the work guaranteed, and who pays if it needs redoing?

What the sources say. The GDC suggests asking whether the work is guaranteed for a certain period⁵. It also suggests asking whether further treatment for complications is included in the cost, and who pays for extra flights, the hotel and remedial work⁵. No regulator quoted on this page sets a minimum guarantee period.

Our answer. This page makes no guarantee. Before you commit, ask for the clinic's complication route and remake terms in writing. Check what they cover, for how long, what you must do to keep the cover and what is excluded. Check too whether they cover treatment by a dentist in the UK, and who pays for any return trip. Do not rely on the word "guarantee" on any web page, including this one.

What aftercare is there, and who do I contact afterwards?

What the sources say. The GDC suggests asking what aftercare is provided and who to contact after the treatment⁵. The NHS lists communication between medical staff abroad and in the UK, such as exchanging medical records and arranging aftercare back home¹⁸.

Our answer. Ask for a named contact route in writing: who answers, how, in which language, and how quickly. Ask which problems the clinic expects a UK dentist to handle, and which would need another trip. Ask too what check-ups the treatment needs over the years, and who will do them once you are home. For urgent symptoms, get care where you are first (see below).

Am I insured if something goes wrong?

What the sources say. The GDC lists insurance⁵ among its questions. Turkish regulation requires the facility to hold complication insurance for surgical and interventional procedures in an operating-theatre setting¹⁴. That does not by itself mean a particular dental procedure is covered.

Our answer. Ask which procedures in your plan are covered by complication insurance, if any. Ask whether the treating dentist holds professional insurance. For travel insurance, see below.

Is there a complaints system, and can I see it?

What the sources say. The GDC suggests asking what happens if you are unhappy, and whether there is a complaints system you can see a copy of⁵.

Our answer. Ask for the clinic's written complaints procedure before treatment. The routes in Turkey and in the UK are set out below.

Warning signs, for any clinic including ours

The NHS tells patients to think carefully before booking any treatment abroad¹⁷ if there is:

• a hard sell
• a lack of information
• pressure to make a quick decision
• no discussion of possible complications
• no mention of aftercare

The British Dental Association adds that patients should get advice on what to do if problems occur when they return⁴.

Apply those signs to us too. If you are pushed to decide today, that is a reason to wait. If a page or a message talks about the result and not about what can go wrong, something is missing.

Your own dentist comes first

If a problem appears after you return, your own UK dentist is usually the first person to see it. Tell them about the plan before you go, and ask whether they will see you afterwards. Bring your records back to them (see below).

What the NHS says

The NHS states that it is not liable for negligence or failure of treatment¹⁸ when you have treatment abroad. In England and Wales, NHS Business Services Authority guidance for dentists covers this. It says a patient treated abroad is dealt with like any patient previously treated by another provider. An NHS practice may accept you for a course of treatment, not only an urgent appointment. If it does, it provides clinically necessary treatment within NHS mandatory services, with your consent. Where another provider did the original work, some NHS rules do not apply: free repair or replacement, further treatment within two months, and replacement appliances (Regulation 11)²¹.

In short, treatment abroad does not by itself shut you out of NHS dental care. But the free-repair entitlement does not travel with you. On the NHS England routes that fund planned treatment abroad, you cannot get reimbursement for dental treatment¹⁷. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own NHS rules, which this page does not cover.

Who pays to put it right

So settle with the clinic, in writing and before you commit, who pays to correct the work and for any extra trip. Written terms do not replace the legal responsibility that Turkish regulation places on the facility for complications and malpractice (see Complaints below).

Urgent problems, in Turkey or back in the UK

Emergencies. Call 999 or go to A&E²² in the UK, or call 112 in Turkey, for any of these.

• swelling that makes it hard to breathe, speak or swallow
• swelling around the eye or in the neck²³
• a swollen or painful eye, or sudden problems with your sight
• a lot of swelling inside the mouth, or difficulty opening it

Do not wait for a dental appointment or for a reply from the clinic.

For other urgent problems, such as a high temperature or bleeding that does not stop, get care where you are first. In England, call your dentist. If you do not have one or cannot get an emergency appointment, call 111 or get help from 111 online²². Tell the clinic afterwards. A dental abscess does not go away on its own and needs urgent treatment by a dentist²².

Travel insurance

The NHS warns that most travel insurance policies will not cover you for planned treatment abroad¹⁸, so you may need specialist cover. Before you book, check whether your policy covers anything linked to the treatment, such as a complication or an extra trip. Tell your insurer about the treatment, and do not assume you are covered.

Ask for the clinic's written complaints procedure before treatment. Check that it names where you can go if the clinic's own answer does not settle the matter.

UK bodies

In the UK, the GDC's standard is that a dental practice has an effective written complaints procedure, readily available and followed at all times²⁴. That is a yardstick for comparing, not a rule binding a clinic in Turkey. The GDC also says it cannot resolve complaints or help with refunds²⁵. Its investigations concern the fitness to practise of dental professionals on its own register. The NHS, as above, says it is not liable for negligence or failure of treatment abroad. So the route for a complaint is a different one, in a different country, and it needs to be in writing before you travel.

Routes in Turkey

Turkish regulation makes the facility responsible for complications and medical malpractice arising after the health service it provided¹⁴. A complaint goes to the clinic first. Private dental polyclinics, centres and hospitals must have a patient rights unit¹³. If the clinic does not resolve it, you can apply to the provincial health directorate's Patient Rights Board²⁶. The Board decides within 30 days, but it does not assess allegations of medical error. The dental chamber can also open disciplinary proceedings¹¹ against a dentist, which can lead to a penalty for the dentist. The same regulation keeps your right to apply, to complain and to take legal action²⁶.

Ask before you commit how a complaint from someone living in the UK is handled, and in which language. Ask too which route applies to a claim about medical error, and consider independent legal advice if you need it.

A dentist in the UK can only continue your care well if they know exactly what was done. The NHS lists exchanging medical records¹⁸ among the things to consider before treatment abroad.

In Turkey you are entitled to an itemised bill and, on request, free copies of the records of materials, tests and imaging¹⁴. You may also examine your file and obtain a copy²⁶. Germany's consumer advice centre (Verbraucherzentrale) and the Dutch dental association (KNMT) add practical advice. Have the whole treatment documented in writing, including the materials used²⁷, and check that your patient file names them²⁰.

Before you fly home, ask for the following in English, in a form a UK dentist can use.

• the treatment plan, and what was done to each tooth
• X-rays and any 3D scan, as image files
• the materials and shades used for crowns, veneers or bridges
• for implants, the implant system, sizes, parts and batch (lot) numbers
• any medicines prescribed
• your copy of each consent form you signed
• the name of the dentist who treated you, and how your UK dentist can contact the clinic

• It sets out what UK public bodies, and some in other countries, tell patients. Each statement is traced to its source at the end of the page.
• A sentence about our clinic, rather than about a source, is a fact you can check or a question to get answered in writing. It is not a claim about results.
• No source used here says that treatment abroad matches care at home, and neither do we. A licence, an authorisation or a badge is not a promise about your result.
• There are no prices, discounts or comparisons with UK or NHS prices on this page. There are no testimonials or before-and-after photographs either.
• Nothing here is a diagnosis or a treatment plan for you. That follows a clinical examination.
• This page is written for people living in the UK who are deciding whether to have treatment in Turkey.