Thousands of Brits Permanently Damaging Their Teeth For No Reason
There are 33,000 searches every month for “Turkey Teeth,” pointing to a viral trend among young and old Brits seeking cheaper Hollywood smiles.
However, there are also 5,000 searches for “Turkey Teeth gone wrong” a month.
Many people flying out to countries like Turkey for “Turkey Teeth” think they’re jetting out to receive cheap veneers.
As dentists, we’re horrified after watching videos online, such as Katie Price’s, which show off her new veneers and the process.
However, her new teeth do not appear to be veneers but rather dental crowns.
But that’s not where Turkey’s teeth go wrong.
The big worry
Due to a lack of education and understanding, patients often believe they’re having veneers placed in Turkey, but in reality, they’re having crowns installed, which is why a more aggressive tooth reduction process is used.
Only dental crowns require teeth to be filed or shaved down to stubs or pegs.
Why they’re cheaper
Dental crowns are much cheaper than veneers because they don’t require the artistry to place thin, natural-looking veneers.
Dental crowns are much thicker and cover the entire tooth, whereas veneers are much thinner (think the size of a contact lens) and are designed to sit on the tooth’s front surface rather than cover it like a cap.
Turkey uses crowns over veneers because they are faster, require less dental skill and expertise, and are cheaper to manufacture overall.
Full set of veneer costs
Thinking about travelling for treatment?
Before booking a flight, please speak with us first. We offer safe, high-quality cosmetic dentistry right here in London, with expert advice and no pressure.
Call 020 7928 4474 to speak with our experienced team. We can advise you, even if we don’t treat you.
The sad truth of why Turkey Teeth go wrong
The reality is that patients do not have to fly abroad to get “cheap veneers” or, shall we say, cheap dental crowns to makeover their smile and damage it forever.
In the UK, hundreds of private practices, just like ours, offer much cheaper veneers that do not require you to make any changes to your underlying smile, for example, with composite veneers.
Composite veneers can improve your smile dramatically (the shape, size, colour and more) without permanently changing your natural teeth, meaning the procedure is completely reversible.
Composite veneers only cost £350 per tooth
Even if you were to opt for porcelain veneers, you would expect to pay £850 per tooth and, at most, would have around six if you wanted to revamp your entire smile.
Placing veneers only removes a fraction of enamel (up to 0.5mm) off your smile, whereas with a dental crown, 5mm of space needs to be made.
- Dental finance is also available – 0% over 12 months and 14.9% interest-bearing over 60 months.
- Please chat with our team to see how we can make your smile without causing damage and meeting your budget expectations.
You’ll never get your smile back, and normal veneers will never be an option again
As a dental crown requires removing many of your natural tooth structures, you’ll have to be committed to it for life.
There’s no way we can go back and replace your crowns with real veneers because there’s not enough tooth structure in place to make this possible.
Your underlying teeth will be brittle and weak, and you will unnecessarily be putting your oral health at risk.
Dental crowns in the UK are used to protect and cover damaged teeth that are at risk of infection.
You could face problems
To file down teeth when they are healthy to place a crown is preposterous and something that cannot be reversed later.
It’s also worth noting that Turkey clinics have a 17% chance of complications, compared to 2% in the UK.
If you have any complications in your dentistry that were carried out abroad, UK dentists might refuse to treat you as the materials, systems and techniques used abroad are different, and it’s too risky.
There’s no GDC in Turkey or dental jurisdiction, which means clinics abroad cannot be held accountable. Here in the UK, the CQC and GDC regulate our work.
More complications of Turkey Teeth:
- Long-lasting nerve damage and tooth pain
- Life-long tooth sensitivity
- Infections and gum disease
- Exposed nerves and tooth roots
- Low-quality crowns might chip/break
Been abroad for dental treatment and having problems?
You’re not alone — we’re here to help.
Call 020 7928 4474 to speak with our experienced team at Mint Dental Clinic in Elephant & Castle, London, and we’ll assess your situation and guide you on the next steps.
