The dangers of having dental work done abroad

The hashtag #Turkeyteeth has become a popular way to show off one’s smile in the UK, but it seems that some people are unaware of potential risks involved. Hundreds of British dentists have treated patients with serious complications after travelling abroad for cheap crowns- and now a BBC documentary wants you know how dangerous this practice can be!

The trend of getting dental treatment in countries like Turkey has been gaining popularity on social media like TikTok, where the Turkey teeth hashtag has reached more than 130 million views. Reality TV influencers from popular shows like Love Island are also taking part in this practice and sharing their trips with us through videos they post online!

Crowns cover the whole surface of your teeth and if done right, they can improve the colour, size or shape and orientation (in other words: straighten your teeth). In order to attach them your natural teeth must first be shaved down.

Trade union the British Dental Association (BDA) provided an exclusive survey for BBC News of 1,000 dentists. The survey found that 597 dentists had treated both patients with crown complications and seen clients who visited Turkey for their dental care.

Nearly 20 percent of these cases had repair costs exceeding 5000 pounds. 346 dentists said parts of this emergency treatment was provided by the UK’s National Health Service.

As the NHS becomes increasingly stretched, more and more people are looking for ways to save money on dental treatment. And while there’s nothing wrong with being cost-conscious, skimping on dental care can have serious consequences.

Many patients who go overseas for their crowns are misled to believe they are guaranteed to last for life usually through clever wording in flashy social media ads. The longevity of dental crowns depends on many factors, but a fair expected lifespan is 10 – 15 years. Your clinician’s ability, the materials used and the structure of your teeth are some of the most important factors.

If you have a good amount of tooth structure to begin with the crown should last a long time. Conversely, if you have a very broken-down tooth, and there is not much of the tooth to bond to, then the crown may de-bond in the future. If the tooth is very weak after the crown preparation, the tooth may fracture and the crown de-bond.

How well you look after your teeth also matters. If you consume a high amount of refined sugars, you can get decay in the tooth and once this happens, it’s best to replace the crown to seal the tooth once again. This is the same if the tooth gets infected.

Once they have been cemented, it’s not possible to whiten your crowns again. The best thing to do is to have them replaced. Tooth whitening will whiten your teeth, but it will not whiten the fillings you have or crowns or veneers.

Crowns are bonded onto your teeth with special biomaterials. There are a variety of different types that have different characteristics. The most common ones nowadays are resin cements or glass Ionomer cements. There are still some overseas dentists who use older materials such as zinc phosphate.

At Gentle Dental Care, we only use the highest quality materials, and our dentists such as Dr Mish are specialists in their field, dedicated to providing the best possible care for our patients. We understand that dental treatment can be expensive, but we believe that your smile is worth the investment. Get in touch using the form below to learn more about cosmetic treatment options available for you or schedule a free consultation by calling us.