What is “Turkey Teeth”? An expert guide to dental tourism

Dental tourism is a fast-growing field that has recently become more popular on social media platforms for the concept of the so-called “Turkey Teeth”.

Here, Dr Sahil Patel, renowned cosmetic dentist based in London, provides an expert insight into dental tourism and the “Turkey Teeth” trend.

What is dental tourism, and why is it thriving?

Dental tourism refers to patients seeking dental care outside the country they live in. Often, this can be in the form of a package holiday and treatment, over 1 week. The most common treatments are dental veneers/crowns and dental implants (“Teeth in a Day”).

Which countries are best for dental tourism, and why?

The most popular are Turkey, Hungary, Thailand, and Romania. These countries have low operating cost for their dental clinics, have low regulation, and their clinicians undergo less training before being suitable to practise in cosmetic dental clinics.

What are the benefits and risks of dental tourism?

The major benefit is the reduced cost; dental tourism offers from 20-70 per cent less cost than that in the UK. The disadvantage is that treatments are more aggressive, often haphazard, and their longevity and risk is widely in question.

The evidence-based approach supporting veneers and dental implants doesn’t apply to that undertaken in dental tourism, as normal safe parameters are regularly breached. This can lead to:

• elective root canal treatment
• crowns applied instead of veneers
• linked/splinted teeth
• over-contoured restorations
• poor quality ceramic ingots/billets
• occlusal mismanagement
• minimal aftercare

What is the concept of “Turkey Teeth”, and why has it become a trend?

“Turkey Teeth” is a social media trend of young people having veneers placed in Turkey. There are several major clinics in Turkey that operate dental tourism, and many of the patients they attract are people who are in their 20s.

“Turkey Teeth” became a trend due to the appearance of people’s teeth when having them reshaped - the appearance of small pegs - that gave rise to viral social media clips.

What are the potential complications and risks associated with “Turkey Teeth”?

Complications include:

• A higher risk of root canal treatment being required
• A shorter lifespan for each tooth involved
• Bite issues/discomfort/accelerated tooth wear
• Premature chipping/breakage of natural/ceramic teeth
• Pain post-treatment
• Early tooth loss
• Increased costs to rectify any inappropriate or botched treatment
• Due to geography, no availability of aftercare with the original dentist

If you would like to discuss your dental treatment options with an expert, don’t hesitate to book an appointment with Dr Sahil Patel via his Top Doctors profile today.