Turkey Teeth, what’s the real harm?

The idea of having your teeth done abroad is a tempting one. Not only can you get treatments including veneers and implants for cheaper than at a private dentist here in the UK, you can also combine this with a holiday, too!

Social media has influenced people to travel for dental care; many celebrities and influencers post the smile transformations they’ve undergone abroad, and naturally, people wish to emulate this. However, it’s most often only the glamorous and successful side of this that makes it onto your news feed, rather than the dangers and risks that having dental treatment abroad can pose.

Too often, when patients think they are getting veneers (shaving only a thin layer of enamel off the front of the tooth), they actually receive crown treatment. Crowns require the tooth to be shaved down to little pegs or ‘shark teeth’, as the social media influencers call them. Dental crowns are typically recommended when a patient has a tooth that is very damaged and has little structure left, where a crown is placed over the tooth to protect it and make it stronger.

So, what risks am I likely to encounter if I decided to get ‘turkey teeth’?

To file down teeth for crowns, when they are perfectly healthy, can have dire consequences and cannot be reversed at a later stage. The patient cannot even receive the veneers that they had hoped for. Crowns are often used in Turkey over veneers because they are cheaper, the process is faster, and it requires a lot less dental skill and expertise. The harsh reality of this treatment is that the outcomes often look fake and it can cause severe infections, long lasting tooth pain, infected gums, rotting teeth, exposed nerves, poorly cemented crowns, and sensitive teeth which can make talking and eating very uncomfortable.

It is possible that you may need treatment back home if a procedure goes wrong

Procedures including dental implants are a long-term treatment with a healing period of 3-6 months to allow your implants to integrate with your jaw bone. During this time, there is a risk that implants fail, though this is extremely low risk if you choose to have dental implants at a prestigious dental practice in the UK. Unfortunately, as many clinics in countries like Turkey don’t partner with a leading implant brand in order to offer treatment at a lower cost, there is a chance that your body will reject the implant. In this scenario, you would need to seek treatment when you’re back in the UK.

Choosing a dental practice with an experienced implant dentist like myself, Dr Sukal Verma, here at Abacus Dental Care from the outset means you won’t be at risk of having to pay twice for your dental treatment. You will also have the peace of mind that you’re in safe hands, from the consultation, planning stages and surgery right through to the placement of your brand new crown, bridge or dentures.

You may not be aware of what the procedure entails

As dental practices in the UK are subject to the rules set by the GDC, they must make patients aware of everything a treatment entails. As this is not necessarily the case in Turkey, you may not be told that veneers and crowns treatment involves quite a large portion of your tooth structure to be removed. In some cases, dentists in Turkey have been removing significant amounts of healthy tooth structure to place crowns, which are, first and foremost, a restorative treatment.

Here in the UK, dentists will not remove large portions of healthy tooth structure for the sake of aesthetics. Here at Abacus Dental, you will be fully briefed on what to expect from your chosen treatment.

You may be left with a poor aesthetic result

A great dentist is a perfectionist when it comes to planning. They will use state-of-the-art facilities to create a restoration (whether that’s a crown or a veneer) that matches the shape, size and shade of your teeth. Clinics in Turkey can charge less for their treatments as they use low-grade planning facilities and materials to achieve the end result. This means you could end up with a result you’re unhappy with, which can be really upsetting and detrimental to your confidence. Here at Abacus Dental Care, your chosen treatment will be tailored entirely to your smile. We will study the anatomy of your smile so that your restoration is authentic-looking, durable and functional.

You might experience severe post-treatment symptoms

Many people aren’t aware of the shortcuts dentists in Turkey take to administer treatments. Rushing a treatment such as dental implants or a root canal can result in nerve damage to your tooth, intense sensitivity and even problems with how your teeth bite together. Fortunately, there are cases where these symptoms can be reversed, but as dentists who really care about our patients, we would rather you were spared from suffering these kinds of symptoms in the first instance.

If you are considering travelling to Turkey for dental treatment, whether for a root canal, veneers, implants or crowns, please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need some advice on the pros and cons. This will hopefully put you in a position to make an informed decision about how to proceed and what options are best for your dental health.

Dr Sukal Verma

BDS, MJDF RCS (Eng), PG Dip (Implant Dentistry)

If you would like to know more about cosmetic dental treatments without the pitfalls of travelling to Turkey then please call Abacus Dental Care on 01908 260757 to arrange your dental appointment with one of our Milton Keynes cosmetic dentists.