Full-Mouth Dental Implants

If teeth remain in the jaw, keeping them is a fifth route, and the list starts with it. The other four are for a jaw with no teeth left, or with teeth that cannot be saved.

• Keeping the remaining teeth. If teeth in the jaw can be saved, keeping them is also a route. Gum treatment, root canal treatment and a partial denture are smaller steps than extracting every tooth. Extracting all the teeth cannot be undone, so the first question is always "do they really all need to come out?"
• A removable full denture. There is no surgery. It rests on the gums and, in the upper jaw, on the palate. Getting used to it takes time, chewing force is limited and the jaw bone continues to shrink. On the other hand, it can be made now and is easy to replace.
• An implant-retained removable denture. It clips onto implants: often two in the lower jaw, usually at least four in the upper. You take it out to clean it. Grip improves clearly. In the lower jaw it can often be done with fewer implants. The number of implants and the extent of surgery depend on the jaw and the denture design. Because you can take it out, cleaning is easier than with a fixed bridge for most patients.
• A fixed bridge on four or six implants. You cannot take this bridge out; your dentist can. Where the anatomy allows, the back implants are placed at an angle. The details are on the All-on-4 and All-on-6 pages.
• Several short bridges on more implants. If there is enough bone, more implants can be placed and two or three separate fixed bridges made for the jaw. Some problems can then be dealt with in one section only, although others can still need treatment across the jaw. On the other hand, more implants mean more surgery, and a graft may be needed.

Not all five routes are possible for every patient. If you have been offered only one, ask why the others were ruled out.

Before you decide, you can also ask a dentist in the UK for an independent opinion. Ask which route suits you, what they think of the plan you are given, and whether to have the treatment in the UK instead.

If you answer these questions for yourself before the examination, it becomes easier to judge the plan you are offered.

1. Is taking a denture out of your mouth acceptable to you? If it is, an implant-retained removable denture can mean fewer implants and less surgery, especially in the lower jaw. It is also easier to clean for most patients. If it is not, a fixed bridge is discussed.
2. What is the state of the bone? This is decided on a 3D scan. If there is bone at the front, a fixed bridge on angled implants may be possible. If the bone has shrunk severely, a graft, a sinus lift or zygomatic implants may be considered.
3. Will you be able to do the cleaning? Cleaning under a fixed bridge is demanding, and you need to be shown how. Manual dexterity, eyesight and regular reviews decide a lot here.
4. What is in the opposing jaw? Natural teeth, a denture or a bridge in the other jaw changes the design and the load.
5. Do you clench or grind your teeth? If you do, this is taken into account in the bridge design and material, and a night guard may be advised.
6. Are there teeth that could be saved? If so, ask for the reason for each extraction in writing, such as a root fracture, decay that cannot be repaired or advanced bone loss.

Being told "let's take them all out and make it fixed" is not a reason on its own. In the same way, "it won't work for you" should come with its reasoning. The reverse also holds: extracting healthy teeth because a patient asks is not a medical reason. Teeth that can be kept protect the bone and leave implants possible later. If what you want is a change in appearance, that may be possible without extractions.

When an implant solution is considered

• No teeth left in a jaw, or the remaining teeth cannot be saved (advanced decay, root fractures, advanced gum disease)
• People who cannot use a removable full denture, have problems with its grip or have a strong gag reflex
• General health that allows surgery and healing
• People who can keep up daily cleaning and regular reviews

What is associated with higher risk

The figures below are pooled results of observational studies. They show an association, not proven cause and effect.

• Smoking. In people smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day, implant loss was about 2.5 times as likely per implant as in non-smokers¹. Per patient it was about 4 times as likely. For early loss, a pooled analysis of 32 studies gave an odds ratio of 2.59 per implant². This does not mean that the absolute risk is 2.6 times higher. No number of cigarettes a day has been shown to carry no extra risk.
• A history of periodontitis (gum disease that has damaged the bone around the teeth). Across 14 prospective studies, the rate of implant loss was about 1.75 times higher³; after fast-progressing disease it was about 6 times higher. These are hazard ratios, not absolute risks. These were treated patients; implants are not placed while the disease is active.
• Clenching or grinding. Across 27 studies, people judged likely to clench or grind their teeth were compared with people who do not. In the first group, the odds of implant loss were about 2.2 times higher⁴ (an odds ratio). These studies did not test whether a night guard prevents loss.
• Diabetes. The findings are mixed. Two of three reviews found no significant difference in implant loss: a nine-study review of type 2 diabetes⁵ and an older review⁶. The third, covering 89 publications, reported a higher odds ratio⁷ for implant loss. All three found more bone loss around implants in people with diabetes. The type 2 review based its reassuring conclusion on strictly maintained oral hygiene. Blood sugar control, daily cleaning and regular reviews therefore matter.
• Bone-strengthening medicines (bisphosphonates, denosumab). The risk depends on why, at what dose and for how long the medicine is taken. Whether it is given by drip, by injection or by mouth does not on its own decide it. In people on high-dose antiresorptive treatment for cancer, elective implant surgery is usually avoided. That group includes bisphosphonates given by drip and denosumab given by injection under the skin. The decision is made together with your oncology team; do not stop a medicine without asking your doctor. Doses used for osteoporosis are assessed separately. In a 21-study review, implant loss in people taking bisphosphonates was about 1.7 times more likely per implant⁸. Jaw osteonecrosis was about 3.5 times more likely per patient. The per-patient analysis of implant loss found no significant difference. These figures are for bisphosphonates and cannot be generalised to denosumab; the certainty of the evidence is very low.
• Radiotherapy to the head and neck. Implants are lost more often in irradiated bone. There is a risk of wounds that do not heal and of bone death (osteoradionecrosis). Planning is done together with your oncology team.

When a fixed bridge may not suit

• People who cannot keep up daily cleaning. If the area under the bridge cannot be cleaned, the risk of inflammation around the implants rises⁹. For these patients a removable solution may suit better.
• Expectations about lip support. Where the bone has shrunk severely, a fixed bridge may not support the lip and cheek as well as a removable denture. This is discussed before a decision is made.
• Active infection, untreated gum disease, uncontrolled medical conditions. These are dealt with first.
• A jaw that is still growing. In young patients, implants wait until growth is complete.

Suitability is decided by an examination, a 3D scan and your medical history. A plan based on photographs or a panoramic X-ray is not final; it is a preliminary assessment.

Bone is the most common obstacle in a jaw with no teeth. The options differ in the extent of surgery, their risks and their duration. A graft or a sinus lift lengthens treatment. In suitable patients, angled or zygomatic implants can shorten it compared with grafting; zygomatic implants carry their own risks, set out below.

• Angled implants. The back implants are placed at a slant to keep clear of the sinus (upper jaw) or the nerve canal (lower jaw). The consensus report of the International Team for Implantology (ITI) states that, where conditions are suitable, implants can be deliberately placed at an angle¹⁰. In many patients this can reduce the need for a graft.
• Bone grafting and sinus lift. A review pooled 11 prospective studies with at least five years of follow-up. Its patients had 6 mm of bone height or less, and their sinus floor was raised through a side window (the lateral approach). Implant loss was 0.43 per cent per implant per year¹¹. This result cannot be applied to methods that work through the top of the ridge. Vertical bone augmentation, on the other hand, is not a small extra step. In a Cochrane review, complications were more frequent than with short implants: an odds ratio of 4.97 per patient¹². The 95 per cent confidence interval was 1.10 to 22.40. This does not mean that the absolute risk is five times higher. The difference in implant loss was not significant. The details are on the bone grafting page.
• Short implants. The same Cochrane review states that in a shrunken lower jaw, short implants appear to be a better option¹² than vertical bone grafting. This rests on few studies, most at high risk of bias; whether short implants suit a full-arch design is assessed separately.
• Zygomatic implants. When the upper jaw bone is not enough for standard implants, implants anchored in the cheekbone can be used. A Cochrane review describes the procedure as technically demanding¹³ and notes that it may be associated with serious complications. One small trial compared them with implants placed after bone grafting. Zygomatic implants led to fewer implant losses but more complications¹³; the two results belong together. Among complications in the surrounding tissues, inflammation of the sinus is reported most often¹⁴. Infection comes next, then an opening between the mouth and the sinus. It is not a routine option; it is explained at the consultation.

Imaging alone does not decide which route suits you. Your dentist assesses the examination, the 3D scan, your medical history and a denture plan prepared in advance together, and discusses the options with you. If a graft or a sinus lift is done, treatment takes longer.

The sequence below is shared by the fixed bridge and the implant-retained denture; the details vary with the route chosen. Times vary from patient to patient, and your plan is given in writing. How the stages fit into visits to Antalya is covered in "Visits to Antalya, and the time between them" below. If you would like sedation, the details are on the sedation and anaesthesia page. When the denture or bridge is complete, measurements around the implants and an X-ray are taken as a baseline¹⁵, as the consensus report asks.

Risks

The figures below come from published studies, not from our own patient records.

• Steps that cannot be undone. An extracted tooth does not come back. Extracting all the teeth while some could have been saved cannot be put right later. That is why getting a second opinion is reasonable.
• Implant loss. In a 55-study review, about 2 to 3 in 100 implants¹⁶ were lost at five years and beyond. With a fixed bridge, losing one implant can affect the whole bridge; with short bridges, some problems can be dealt with in one section only. That difference has not been measured; it is clinical reasoning.
• Inflammation around implants. Peri-implant mucositis is inflammation of the soft tissue around an implant. Peri-implantitis is that inflammation with loss of the supporting bone. An umbrella review of reviews on full-arch bridges reports peri-implantitis at 4 to 18 per cent¹⁷. These rates are as given in the review abstracts; whether they count patients or implants could not be checked in the full text. In implant patients in general, a 57-study review found it in about 20 in 100 patients¹⁸. The rate depends on the definition used and the time in function.
• Bone loss. At five years the review reports an average bone loss of 1.28 mm per implant with four implants and 0.94 mm with six¹⁶. These are averages; they do not mean that this much loss is harmless for your own implants. Loss that continues, especially with inflammation, is checked against your baseline record¹⁵. "No bone loss" is not true.
• Technical problems with the bridge. Reviews report screw loosening at 5 to 15 per cent and framework fracture under 5 per cent¹⁷. Chipping of veneered zirconia is reported at 15 to 35 per cent. These rates are as given in the review abstracts; the follow-up period and the denominators could not be verified in the full text. In these reviews, solid (monolithic) zirconia and screw-retained designs had fewer technical problems.
• Surgical risks. Bleeding, swelling, bruising and infection. In the lower jaw, the nerve canal is close: the lip and chin may feel numb for a while and, rarely, permanently. In the upper jaw, the sinus membrane may tear, and sinusitis or an opening between the mouth and the sinus may follow.
• Immediate loading. Provisional teeth on the same day or within a few days (immediate loading) can work well in selected patients. A review of 39 randomised trials found slightly lower implant survival¹⁹ with immediate loading; the Cochrane review²⁰ found no convincing difference within one year. Placing an implant straight into the socket of an extracted tooth is a separate question. There, survival was lower, 95.2 versus 98.4 per cent²¹.
• Speech, lip support and adaptation. Speech and chewing change in the first weeks. A fixed bridge may not support the lip as well as a removable denture.

Benefits

• Implant solutions can improve grip and chewing comfort. Sensation and use are not the same as natural teeth; the result varies by person and design.
• An international consensus report of implant dentists recommends implant prostheses to help preserve the jaw bone and the chewing muscles²². That is a consensus view, not a measured effect, and some bone loss around implants is still expected (see "Bone loss" above).
• With a fixed bridge the palate stays uncovered; for many patients this matters for taste and speech.
• Where the anatomy allows, angled back implants can reduce the need for a graft and shorten treatment.
• An implant-retained removable denture can give a clear gain in grip with fewer implants, especially in the lower jaw. Because you can take it out, cleaning is easier for most patients.

The first days

• Swelling and bruising usually increase over the first 48 to 72 hours, then settle. Use cold packs and the medicines prescribed.
• Eat soft, lukewarm food in the first weeks. While the provisional denture or bridge is in place, do not chew hard or sticky food; this protects healing.
• If you had sedation, do not drive or operate machinery for as long as the sedation team tells you. The UK national standard for conscious sedation in dentistry requires a responsible adult as an escort. This applies to every form of sedation other than inhalation sedation in adults²³. If an escort cannot be arranged, treatment under sedation is not given. Before you leave the clinic after surgery, you and your escort should have written aftercare instructions. You should also know how to reach the clinic, including out of hours.
• Smoking is associated with poorer healing and with implant loss (see "Who it suits" above). At the very least, do not smoke during the healing period.
• If you had a sinus lift, do not blow your nose or drink through a straw, and if you sneeze, keep your mouth open. These rules reduce pressure changes on the sinus membrane. Follow the written instructions you are given.

Daily care

• With a fixed bridge: clean under the bridge every day with bridge floss, interdental brushes or a water flosser. Your dentist shows you which works in your mouth.
• With a removable denture: take the denture out and clean it with the cleaner your dentist recommends. Clean the implant heads and the clip parts separately. Ask whether to leave it out at night. The clip parts are renewed over time.
• Brush twice a day with a soft brush, paying particular attention to the line where the gum meets the bridge or denture. Use fluoride toothpaste on a fixed bridge and on any natural teeth; a removable denture is cleaned as above.
• If you clench, a night guard may be advised to protect the bridge or denture. It has not been shown to prevent implant loss, and we hold no study showing how well it protects them.
• Reviews. The consensus report asks for an X-ray and pocket measurements to be taken as a baseline¹⁵ when the bridge or denture is complete. The European Federation of Periodontology guideline calls for a structured supportive care programme²⁴. The NICE guideline on dental recall covers check-ups in general, not implants. It asks for the interval between reviews to be set for each patient²⁵. It is based on a risk assessment and discussed with the patient.

After surgery, or at any time while you use your bridge or denture, contact your dentist if you notice any of the following.

• Pain or swelling that increases after the third day, or bleeding that does not stop
• Numbness of the lip, tongue or chin that lasts longer than you were told to expect
• A high temperature, or swelling of the face that keeps growing
• The bridge or denture moves, a screw feels loose, or a piece cracks or breaks
• Bleeding, a bad smell, pus or receding gum around the bridge or denture
• Pain on biting, or a bite that feels high
• Nasal discharge, a blocked nose or sinus pain (upper jaw)
• A sore spot under a removable denture, or a sore that does not heal

Before you fly home. If any of these starts while you are still in Turkey, tell us before you travel.

Once you are home. Contact us through the route written in your plan. See a dentist near you as well if bleeding does not stop, numbness persists, pain or swelling keeps increasing, or the bridge or denture moves. Do not wait for our reply. If your plan names a dentist in the UK, contact them as well. In England, the NHS says to call 111 or get help from 111 online²⁶ if you do not have a dentist. The same applies if you cannot get an emergency appointment. They can tell you where to get help. You may have to pay for the appointment. Elsewhere in the UK, check the local arrangements.

Emergencies. In the UK, call 999 or go to A&E²⁶ if you have any of the signs below. Do not wait for our reply. In Turkey, call 112.

• It is hard to breathe, speak or swallow
• There is a lot of swelling in your mouth, or it is hard to open your mouth
• Your eye is swollen or painful, or your eyesight changes suddenly
• Your neck is swollen²⁷

The rates below come from published studies, not from our own records, and they are not promises. They are pooled estimates, calculated with statistical models from studies with different follow-up periods. What happens in your case depends on your bone, your habits and your care.

• Implants under a fixed bridge. In the 55-study review, about 97 to 98 in 100 implants¹⁶ were still in place at five years and beyond (per implant).
• The bridge itself. In an umbrella review of seven systematic reviews, bridge survival over 5 to 15 years was about 90 to 97 per cent¹⁷. That is as given in the review abstract; whether it counts bridges or patients could not be checked in the full text. A 2012 review looked at full-arch bridges on four to six implants. In the upper jaw, about 97 in 100 were in use at five years and 95 at ten²⁸. In the lower jaw the figures were 98 at five years and 96 at ten.
• Several short bridges: indirect data only. We have no pooled direct data for this route. The nearest data are for single crowns. In a 46-study review, about 97 in 100 implants carrying a single crown were in place at five years, and about 95 at ten²⁹. Of the crowns on them, about 96 in 100 were in use at five years and about 89 at ten. These figures cannot be carried over directly to short bridges or full-arch designs.
• Implant-retained removable dentures. The reviews cited on this page give no pooled survival figures for them, so this page gives none. The clip parts wear and are renewed, and the denture is relined over time; ask what your plan includes.
• Maintenance. Being in use does not mean no repair was needed. Regular cleaning and reviews are part of care. A loose screw or chipped porcelain needs extra repair. Some bridges have to be remade, which counts as losing the original bridge. Ask beforehand whether these are included in your plan.
• No one can promise a lifetime result. Follow-up in the reviews cited here goes up to fifteen years. Longer studies of implants in general exist, but they cannot predict how long this particular bridge will last. An offer that promises a result for life is not based on evidence.

We have found no good research comparing full-mouth treatment squeezed into a few days with treatment spread over months; we say so plainly. The nearest evidence, the Cochrane review of loading times²⁰, followed patients for a year at most, so it cannot settle the question. The timing first has to meet clinical requirements: how firmly the implants hold and how you heal. Beyond that, the questions are practical. How is healing checked? Who do you contact if something goes wrong? What aftercare is included in the plan?

How many visits

In our full-mouth plans, a healing period usually separates the surgery from the final bridge or denture. So the treatment usually needs at least two visits. A graft or a sinus lift lengthens it further. Your plan states how many visits it needs, what is done on each, how many days each one takes and when you can fly. Have that in writing before you book travel.

First visit: surgery and the provisional

Usually, any extractions, the implants and the provisional are done on the first treatment visit. If a graft or a sinus lift is needed, your plan states whether it is done then or on a separate visit. If your examination and 3D scan are on the same visit, you can still decide not to go ahead. You can say no, or ask to stop, at any stage; once a tooth has been extracted, that step cannot be undone. You can take the plan home for a second opinion. The examination in Antalya may also show that the route planned from your X-rays does not suit you. A different plan or no treatment may then be advised. Ask before you travel what you would pay in that case.

A 2023 narrative review suggests waiting at least 72 hours³⁰ after implant placement before flying. After a sinus lift it suggests at least two, and ideally six, weeks. These intervals assume no pain, swelling or bleeding at the treated site³⁰. The authors say the research is limited and comes mostly from military aviation. Treat these intervals as a starting point for a conversation with the dentist who treated you, not as clearance. Your dates are planned around them.

At home: healing before the final bridge or denture

Between visits, at home, you wear a provisional: a fixed provisional bridge in selected patients, or a removable temporary denture. Which one you will have is decided during surgery, so ask what happens in each case and whether both are included in your plan. How long healing takes depends on the bone, whether a graft was done and how you heal; you are told after the examination. Soft food and careful cleaning protect the healing. The final bridge or denture waits until healing is confirmed; do not shorten this period to fit travel plans.

A check with a dentist in the UK between the visits can be written into your plan. Some dentists may not want to take on treatment that is in progress. So the plan also says where to turn if a problem arises in between. The NHS suggests you discuss your plans with a GP³¹ before making final decisions about travel or medical arrangements. The GDC says it is always a good idea to speak to your own dentist³² before treatment abroad. They may be able to advise you from your dental history. Ask now whether they will see you between the visits and afterwards, and whether you can go to them if something goes wrong. If you do not have a regular dentist, find one, NHS or private, before you travel.

Final visit: the bridge or denture

After healing, impressions are taken. Tooth shape, length and colour are agreed at try-ins, fittings of a trial version where lip support and speech are also tested. The final bridge or denture is fitted and the bite adjusted. Some plans need a further visit, for example when a try-in shows that a change is needed. You leave with your records and a written review interval.

Once you are back in the UK, the first person to see a problem may be a dentist near you rather than us. Plan for that before you travel.

• A loose screw, chipped porcelain or a worn clip. These are the usual technical problems (see "Risks and benefits" above). Contact us through the route in your plan, and see a dentist near you with your records. Whether the repair is done in the UK or on another visit to Antalya depends on the problem.
• An implant that fails. With a fixed bridge, losing one implant can affect the whole bridge, and keeping the existing bridge is not always possible. Further surgery, a new bridge or a removable denture may be needed, and that may mean another visit to Antalya.
• Who pays. The GDC suggests asking whether work is guaranteed and for how long; it does not set a minimum period itself. Our written remake terms state who pays for further treatment and travel (see "Is the work guaranteed?" below).
• Reviews. Once the bridge or denture is in use, the European Federation of Periodontology calls for a structured programme with periodic checks of the tissue around the implants²⁴. Much of that care will be with a dentist near your home. Take your baseline X-ray and measurements home with you. Reviews can be done in Antalya or, where your plan says so, with a dentist in the UK. Ask who will do yours and who pays for them.

What the NHS does and does not do

NHS guidance for dentists in England and Wales says a patient treated abroad is dealt with like any patient previously treated by another provider. If an NHS practice accepts you, it provides the clinically necessary treatment its NHS contract covers, with your consent. But some entitlements do not apply where another provider did the original work. These are further treatment within two months, free repair or replacement, and a replacement appliance under Regulation 11³³. That guidance does not say an implant bridge or denture will be repaired or remade on the NHS. It covers England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own NHS rules, which this page does not cover; ask the practice you plan to use. The NHS also states that it is not liable for negligence or failure of treatment³¹ you receive abroad.

Travel insurance

The NHS warns that most travel insurance policies will not cover you for planned treatment abroad³¹, so you may need specialist cover. Ask your insurer, in writing, before you book.

The GDC lists thirteen questions³² to ask before dental treatment abroad, and the NHS has its own checklist. Below are the ones that matter most for full-mouth treatment, each with our answer. Where our answer is a commitment rather than something you can check today, it says so. Ask us the full list, and ask for the answers in writing.

Who will treat me, and how can I check their registration?

We name the dentist who will treat you, in writing, before you commit. In Turkey a dentist in private practice must register with the local dental chamber³⁴ within a month of starting, and cannot practise privately without it. The Turkish Dental Association's website offers a search of registered dentists by name and province³⁵. Ask us for the treating dentist's registration details. Registration in Turkey is separate from the UK register: the GDC states that only people registered with it can legally practise dentistry in the UK³⁶.

How often do you do this, and what are your complication rates?

The GDC suggests asking how many times the procedure has been carried out, and the success, complication and infection rates³². The figures on this page come from published reviews, not from our own patient records. Ask us for our own full-mouth figures, how complications were defined and over what period.

Is the clinic licensed and regulated?

In Turkey a dental clinic cannot open without a licence or treat patients without an operating permit. It is inspected at least once a year³⁷. To treat international patients, a facility also needs an authorisation certificate from the Ministry of Health³⁸. The Ministry publishes a register of authorised facilities³⁹ that you can check yourself. We give you our authorisation details before you commit. A licence or authorisation is a legal minimum, not a statement about the result of your treatment. The GDC itself cannot guarantee that a regulator like it exists in another country³².

Will I get the plan in writing?

Yes. The GDC says you should be assessed by a qualified dentist before being given a treatment plan and cost estimate³². Your written plan states the route chosen and why the others were ruled out, and the number of implants. It gives the reason for each extraction, tooth by tooth, what the plan covers and does not cover, and how many visits are needed. A plan made from photographs or X-rays you send is preliminary. It is confirmed after the examination and 3D scan, and we tell you before anything in it changes.

Is the work guaranteed?

The GDC suggests asking whether the work is guaranteed and for how long³². It also suggests asking whether further treatment is included if there are complications, and who pays for extra flights, hotel and remedial work³². Before you commit, we give you our complication route and remake terms in writing. They state what is covered, for how long and what is excluded. They also state what you must do to keep the cover, such as attending reviews, and who pays for further treatment and travel. Read that document before you decide, rather than relying on the word "guarantee" on any web page.

Is there insurance if something goes wrong?

The GDC list also asks about insurance³². In Turkey a facility treating international patients must take out complication insurance for surgical and interventional procedures carried out in an operating theatre³⁸. That does not by itself tell you whether your implant surgery is covered, so ask which procedures in your plan fall under it. Ask us too, in writing, whether the clinic or the treating dentist holds insurance for complications or errors, and what it covers. Travel insurance is covered under "If something goes wrong after you are home" above.

Who do I contact after treatment?

Your written plan names the contact route for questions and problems once you are home, and your review interval. For urgent symptoms, get emergency care where you are first (see "When to contact a dentist" above).

What records will I take home?

The NHS lists exchanging medical records and arranging aftercare back home³¹ among the things to consider. In Turkey you are entitled to an itemised bill, and on request to free copies of the records of materials, tests and imaging³⁸. You may also examine your file and take a copy⁴⁰. Before you fly home, ask for your record in a form a UK dentist can use. It should include the implant system placed, with its diameter and length, your baseline X-ray and measurements, and your scan. A dentist in the UK needs it to look after the implants. Before you go, ask us which implant system we use, and ask your UK dentist whether they can work with it.

What if I am unhappy, and where can I complain?

We give you our written complaints procedure before treatment. A complaint goes to the clinic first; private dental polyclinics, centres and hospitals in Turkey must have a patient rights unit³⁷. If the clinic does not resolve it, you can apply in writing to the provincial health directorate's Patient Rights Board⁴⁰. The Board decides within thirty days, but it does not assess allegations of medical error. The dental chamber can also open disciplinary proceedings³⁴ against a dentist. Do not expect the UK regulator to settle it. The GDC states that it cannot resolve complaints or help with refunds³⁶; its investigations are about whether dental professionals are fit to practise.

Will the team speak English?

The GDC suggests asking whether the team speaks your language and, if not, whether a translator is provided³². We confirm in writing, before you commit, who will explain the plan, the consent form and the aftercare instructions to you in English.

Warning signs, including for us

The NHS checklist names five signs to think twice about before booking. They are a hard sell, a lack of information, pressure to make a quick decision, no discussion of possible complications, and no mention of aftercare⁴¹. Apply them to us too. If you feel pushed to decide quickly, wait.

This page carries no prices. The main factors in a plan are these:

• The route chosen: removable denture, implant-retained denture, fixed bridge or several short bridges
• The number of extractions, and any bone reshaping
• The number of implants, the system chosen and the connecting parts
• Whether a graft or a sinus lift is needed
• The provisional denture or bridge used during healing
• The material of the final bridge: monolithic zirconia, veneered zirconia or acrylic on titanium
• Sedation, the number of visits and the review programme
• The remake terms in case of complications

Ask in writing what your plan includes and which items are left for later. The plan should also state who pays for further treatment and extra travel if there is a complication. Two plans often do not describe the same scope: the number of implants, the material and the number of teeth can differ. Add your own travel and accommodation for every visit, and reviews with a dentist in the UK, to see the whole cost. Before treatment we give you, in writing, the route to follow if there is a complication and our remake terms. You can ask us for that document before you decide.