For the last couple of years, Turkey has been the centre for medical tourism when it comes to cost-efficient dental treatment.  

The phenomenal demand has created a fertile ground for competition amongst dental clinics.

As with any industry, the quality and standards vary significantly when there are many players, making it essential for patients to research and choose wisely to get the best dental care possible.

DENTHUB, a dental health clinic and company, focuses on the patient's wellbeing and ensuring they are well informed about their procedure at every step. This isn't always the case with other providers.  

"We started to see news on international media about unsatisfied patients who get dental procedures in Turkey," says DENTHUB's Medical Director, Dr Veysel Bilge.  

"They stated the main dissatisfaction cause was misdiagnosing and lack of information. These comments were mainly about crown makeovers, famously referred to as "Turkey teeth" on social media."

#TurkeyTeeth is the term used to describe someone who travels to the country to get cosmetic veneers or crowns fitted. It's a trendy destination for these procedures because it's much more affordable than receiving treatment in the UK.

The difference between a good dental practice and a not-so-good one is the level of care the organisation takes to understand a patient's medical background and how it provides information on the effects of different procedures.

Dr Bilge says. "We are aware of the fact that what we are offering has a drastic effect on our patients' lives. Therefore we take every step with care and precaution. When a patient reaches out to us, the first thing we do is to understand their current medical situation, expectations, and knowledge about the treatment options.  

"We engage with a large scale of people looking for full-mouth restorations. Many do not know about the differences between veneers and crowns. Some even think that they are the same treatment. Our number one priority is that our patients know the difference between these treatments."

‍High-quality dental treatments

Dental tourism has become a widespread industry over the last few years. Many patients look to travel overseas for cost-efficient but high-quality treatment.

According to DENTHUB, dental implants are the most sought-after dental treatment — a solution for those experiencing missing teeth. It's also one of the most expensive treatments in the dental industry.  

It makes countries like Turkey increasingly popular due to their affordable and high-quality dental treatments.

Traditional dental implants have three parts: the fixture, the abutment, and the dental prosthetic (crown or denture). These components work together to create a tooth replacement that functions like natural teeth.

It may be expensive, but many see it as an investment of a lifetime.

"When weighing up the possibility of an implant operation, no case is one like the other and there are many factors to take into consideration such as your overall health and current oral condition, your jaw bone structure and the possibility of needed bone grafts and sinus lifting operations, etc," says Dr Bilge

"These patient-related elements would also apply when estimating the cost of the procedure. If you are looking for treatment options that include dental implants you should always check with the dental team first to see how much the cost would be for your case individually."

‍Making great-looking teeth affordable

There are several reasons why dental implant operations cost less in Turkey. It’s a highly competitive market with many players offering these services, and the weak Turkish lira gives tourists more purchasing power.

"Turkey has great potential with its young population and high labour force, this increases the high competitivity in the market leading to optimisation of the costs as well," says Dr Bilge.

"Besides, if the currency you are using has a high exchange rate against the Turkish Lira, such as the Euro, Pound Sterling or US dollars, you would be simply able to afford more."

What makes Turkey even more of a go-to destination is the support the industry gets from the local government, which actively encourages medical tourism.  

"Medical tourism is a highly inquired industry in Turkey and it attracts an incredible amount of patients who seek a top-notch experience that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. This amount of circulation in the market generates an environment for clinics to purchase top-grade materials in high quantities at a low unit price," adds Dr Bilge.  

"The local government has noticed the potential of medical and dental tourism; therefore, they legislate benefits and offer initiatives that support entrepreneurs in the industry."

But Dr Blige says cheap doesn't mean 'low quality', adding that organisations like his work with contemporary equipment and have seen many satisfied customers.

"If you are looking for a clinic to get dental implants, you do not have to choose between reasonable pricing and high-grade service, you can have both at DENTHUB," he adds.

‍DENTHUB, Barbaros, Begonya Sk. No:3/N, 34750 Ataşehir/İstanbul, Turkiye. To find out more, go to http://www.denthub.co.uk.

‍https://www.facebook.com/denthubuk