Is Dental Tourism in Turkey Worth It?

Dental Tourism in Turkey

Have you ever considered Dental Tourism? I have considered it in the past, but it never felt like a good option. Why? I have insurance in the US that will cover most of the costs, so why go somewhere to have the work done? Well, in 2022 I started considering getting some dental work done. I have never been happy with my teeth and my partial denture was not straight. After going to my dentist in Atlanta, they gave me a treatment plan to fix 3 front teeth and a new partial, the cost was over $8000. Of course, insurance would only cover up to $1500 a year and is not for cosmetic work, so it would not have covered much.

After seeing some success stories from people on an FB group for Senior Nomads who had work done in Turkey and were happy with the results, I decided to start researching. While sitting in an apartment in South Africa in September 2022 I reached out to several dentists in Turkey via WhatsApp. All responded within 24 hours, some within minutes. Most wanted to see pictures from different angles, with and without my partial denture. If I had x-rays, they wanted to see them as well.

A couple of them did video calls to speak with me about what I was looking to correct.  They were able to quote the work I wanted which was much more than the US dentist had provided in their treatment plan. The quotes were all in the $2000-3000 range. I know that doesn’t seem like a huge savings. However, the US dentist was quoting 3 crowns and a partial, the Turkish dentists were quoting 8-10 crowns and a partial denture.

Plans Changed – Dental Tourism on Hold

Unfortunately, my plans changed and I was not able to have it done on the way home from South Africa. Then, in 2023 I didn’t leave the US for the first time in 11 years. So it was still on hold, for now. Luckily, this was a blessing in disguise, I found a medical advocate from another member of the FB group mentioned above who was able to help coordinate and recommend a dentist so I wouldn’t have to spend time digging through the dozens of dentists I had talked to. However, I was able to verify the one she provided and I was happy with that option. The one thing that I liked is they quoted in Turkish Lira and not Euros, Pounds, or Dollars. That meant they were not targeting tourists.

So, I sent a message to the dentist that I wanted to have a quick call to discuss everything and she responded within 15 minutes with a time that she was available that afternoon (1 hour later). After the quick call, I was 100% sure this was my choice for a dentist. Her English was excellent, she reviewed all my info and walked through everything within 5 minutes, including scheduling my appointment. With everything planned, all I had to do was get to Fethiye, Turkey. We were already going to be in Georgia (the country) and would do a trip to Turkey after that.

First Appointment

The medical advocate was very helpful and kept in touch to make sure we were still on schedule for our appointment and if I needed anything. She even messaged me the night before my appointment to see if I was ready. I was ready, but nervous as things can go wrong and then I could have lifelong issues. This is normal regardless of where the work is being done.

Appointment day was here, we had rented an apartment about 150 meters from the dentist’s office. It was a short walk and we were ready for the fun to begin at 10 AM.  After some basic paperwork, no proof of insurance, pre-payment, or the normal crap you get in the US. They just needed a list of allergies, current meds, my name, passport info, phone number, and email. That was it, easy check-in took 3 minutes. The staff spoke decent English, but none were fluent. Therefore, I was a bit nervous if this was the right decision to do the Dental Tourism thing.

Into The Chair I Go

A few minutes later, they took me to the treatment room. I was seated and the dentist came in to say hello. She asked if I was ready and if I had eaten yet. We hadn’t eaten so I said no. I thought they wanted to make sure I wouldn’t be sick from any meds they would give me during the treatment.  She said, well come sit over here.

Then the dentist asked if my wife had eaten, again the answer was no. So, the dentist went into the waiting room and told my wife she had a surprise for her. My wife was confused, and then came back to the room. There I sat with breakfast and Turkish tea for both of us in the treatment room. We both looked at each other with a WTF look on our faces. We were shocked, we were getting breakfast at the dentist’s office, is this real? Is this what Dental Tourism is like everywhere?

Back to The Chair

After our nice breakfast, my wife returned to the waiting room while I went to the chair. The dentist came back, we talked over everything to make sure we were on the same page. We agreed, and she started shaving down the ugly teeth and removing 3 old crowns. Also, I had broken a tooth a few months earlier and waited until now to get it fixed. So, that tooth would need a crown and maybe a root canal. It took about 2.5 hours for breakfast, shaving down everything that needed a crown, removing old crowns, plus fixing the broken tooth. I am not posting a picture of the shaved teeth, it ain’t pretty.

After making all the needed impressions, they told me my temporary crowns would be ready in 3 hours. I returned 3 hours later and walked away with a single plastic overlay for the upper teeth, it fit perfectly and was my first look at what I was going to have. They said my permanent zirconium crowns would be ready the next day, and I should come at 4 PM.  I stopped by the receptionist on the way out to make a payment, and they said no worry, we can do it later. That is not how it is in the US, we have to pay before you can leave.

Second Appointment

I arrived the next afternoon for my permanent crowns. They took me in immediately and did a test fit of all upper crowns. All fit after some minor adjustments, except for one, it was cracked and needed to be replaced.  Also, one of my teeth on the bottom, needed to be shaved more so my partial would fit correctly.

Unfortunately, that would require a root canal as the nerves were very close to the surface. Great, just what I wanted, a root canal. My dentist’s husband came in and said his wife was the good cop, he was the bad cop. FYI, he is a dentist as well. Within 10 minutes after the novocaine kicked in, he was done with the root canal and left his wife to do the rest. After a total of about 45 minutes, all my upper crowns were done, and the root canal plus the new impression for my lower partial was complete. The cracked crown was placed as a temporary until my next visit. My partial would be ready in 4 days. They still wouldn’t take any payments, wait until later they said.

Yes, I know I need to shave.

Third Appointment

This was the big day, all crowns would be completely installed, my new partial, and hopefully a happy smile. I arrived early and was taken in immediately and seated for the dentist. They immediately removed the temporary crown and fitted the new one. The new partial was fitted and required a few adjustments, so the technician who made it came in to see what was needed. After a couple of test fittings, it was ready to go. Since it did fit differently from my old one, they wanted me to come back in a week to make any needed adjustments.  I was only there for about 30 minutes for all the work. They still wouldn’t take any payments, wait until later they said.

Final Appointment

After having everything for about a week a few minor adjustments were needed as the partial was rubbing my gums and felt a little tall in the back. Therefore, the technician came into the room to see what he needed to do. Again, a few back-and-forth trips to the lab for the technician, and it fit like a glove. I am happy to be done and ready to put those new teeth and my smile to work.

Once that was done, they made sure I was 100% happy. I was and then asked the dentist if I could have a picture with her. She agreed and said if I am ever in Fethiye again, I have to come to see her, even if I don’t need a dentist. She said we could come by for tea in her new office when it opens soon. I would highly recommend her dental services to anyone.

As I was leaving the office, it was finally time to pay. So the receptionist gave me the total (it was the same amount I was originally quoted) and I tapped my credit card.

What Did I Have Done and How Much Did It Cost?

I ended up having the following done. I should probably also note, that at no time did I have any pain, none whatsoever.

11 Zirconium Crowns  – 7,995tl each

1 Root Canal – 1,470tl each

1 Partial Denture – 11,460tl

The total cost for the above was 100,435tl. They applied a discount to the total to reduce it to the originally quoted 85,000tl. The exchange rate on the day of payment was 32.35tl to 1 USD. So, in USD it was about $2625 total. In the US this would have been well over $20k. Below is a snippet from the bill for proof that I am not a lying old geezer.

Do my teeth look better? Look at the before and after pictures below.

Looking at these pictures, I can’t believe I waited so long. Then again, I didn’t smile much.

My Thoughts on Dental Tourism

Was this Dental Tourism experience good and would I do it again? It was the best dental experience I have ever had. To be honest, it was probably near the top of any customer service experience I have had. So a YES to all of the above!

On a side note, after my wife saw the level of service I received on the first day, she also went to them to see if she needed the work the US dentists have been suggesting (over $6k of work). Guess what? She didn’t need any of it, if anything a whitening of about 2 shades if she wanted. So she did the whitening treatment and it turned out excellent.

Is Dental Tourism for Everyone? Probably not, but it is worth considering if you want to save a ton of money and get a quality job done with exceptional service. Having a good medical advocate you can trust to help coordinate is priceless. However, it is not a requirement. She kept in touch after every appointment and upon completion. She was a referral from someone who had major surgery (simultaneous double knee replacement with two surgeons) in Turkey using her connections. Also, her services are paid for by the dentist.

Is It Cost-Effective?

Is it cost-effective to fly to Turkey for Dental Tourism? If you don’t travel in peak season, you can get great deals on flights from the US to Istanbul, and then a flight to Antalya or Dalaman. You can rent a car or use a bus to get to Fethiye. Note: Antalya has a lot of excellent dentists as well. But, I prefer mine in Fethiye.

Our Apartment in Fethiye for 18 nights was only $540, and the rental car (for those days) was about $400. Flights from the US can be around $900 roundtrip. Dining out is around $20-50 a day for a couple if you eat out for one meal or several smaller. We ate several full meals that were under $15 for both of us.

This is not my only medical experience in Turkey. I visited a retina specialist in Antalya about my ongoing eye issues. Also, I injured my knee in Bodrum and had to go to the ER. More on those experiences to come soon.