Is a "Cosmetic Dentist" a Specialist? Dental Titles Explained

The nine dental specialties in Turkey

The list of dental specialties is set in an annex to Law No. 1219, not by a professional association or a clinic. The annex lists nine main specialties¹:

• oral and maxillofacial surgery
• oral and maxillofacial radiology
• paediatric dentistry
• endodontics (root canal treatment)
• orthodontics
• periodontology (gums)
• prosthodontics (crowns, bridges, dentures and other replacements)
• restorative dentistry
• oral pathology

Dentistry has no sub-specialties in the law. Specialty training takes four years in oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics and oral pathology, and three years in the other six. The Medical and Dental Specialty Training Regulation² refers to the same list.

Aesthetic (cosmetic) dentistry, implantology, digital dentistry, laser dentistry and smile design are not on it. The list is set by law and can be changed by law, so it is worth checking the current text if a title matters to your decision.

How a dentist becomes a specialist

The ordinary route to a specialty starts with a national entrance exam for dental specialty training (DUS), which ÖSYM holds at least once a year². The dentist then trains in an authorised programme for three or four years. To finish, they need an accepted thesis, the completed training period and rotations, a signed-off curriculum record and a pass in the final specialty exam. The specialist certificate is issued and registered by the Ministry of Health.

There are also rules for specialist qualifications gained abroad and for rights gained under earlier legislation, including transitional rules for some dentists who did a doctorate in a specialty field. A 2026 decision of the Medical Specialty Board also sets a conditional route for some dentists with such a doctorate: they must still sit DUS, reach a set score and show a completed list of treatments. In every case, a dentist who does not hold a specialist certificate may not use the specialist title² anywhere or in any form.

A certificate course, a master's degree or a doctorate is valuable training, but on its own it does not make a dentist a specialist. The regulation on private dental clinics says so directly: such documents cannot be used as a specialist certificate³. "Dr." in front of a dentist's name can be an academic title; it is not the same as "uzman".

Who carries out cosmetic treatment

Under Law No. 1219, a dentist is authorised to diagnose, treat and rehabilitate¹ the teeth, the gums and the mouth and jaw tissues directly connected to them. So veneers, bonding, crowns on front teeth and whitening are carried out by general dentists every day. Some procedures have their own requirements, so this does not mean that any dentist may do everything.

Specialty training includes cosmetic work too. The 2017 core curriculum for restorative dentistry covers modern aesthetic and restorative techniques⁴, including laminate veneers and whitening. The prosthodontics curriculum covers correcting aesthetic problems⁵, with laminate veneers, onlays and crowns. These curricula describe what specialists are trained in. They do not reserve the treatments for specialists.

In practice, a general dentist with training and experience in veneers and crowns, or a specialist in a relevant field, can both be appropriate; what matters is their training and experience for your case, and whether a referral is needed. Either way, the questions that protect you are the same: why this tooth, why this treatment, and what cannot be undone. Our articles on crowns and veneers and on "Turkey teeth" go through them tooth by tooth.

Titles, certificates and adverts: what the rules say

Turkish rules on health promotion are strict, and they apply to clinic websites and social media as well as signs. Under the 2025 promotion regulation:

• No specialist title from a certificate. Outside the specialties set by Law No. 1219, no specialist title based on a certificate or similar training document may be written or used, under any name⁶. The Turkish Dental Association's publishing guide allows certificates to be listed, but not worded as if they replaced a specialist certificate⁷, and its ethics rules forbid presenting oneself as a specialist in a field where one is not⁸.
• What a profile may show. A dentist's promotion may give their specialty, academic titles, where and when they see patients, and information that protects health. Within the specialty on their Ministry-registered diploma, it may also list training, Ministry-registered certificates, publications and society memberships.
• No advertising. Covert or overt advertising of health services is prohibited; only promotion and information within the listed principles is allowed.
• No testimonials, prices or superiority. Promotion may not be built on patients' thanks or satisfaction, may not present unproven methods, and may not give prices, discounts or campaigns. The Dental Association's guide also forbids wording that implies the clinic, its staff or its devices are superior⁷.
• Photos and dates. According to the Ministry's guidance, before-and-after photos⁹ need the patient's explicit consent on a set form, may not be technically altered afterwards, and must be taken under the same conditions and shown with the treatment and photo dates.

Clinics authorised for international health tourism may run sponsored promotion on separate platforms aimed abroad⁶, with some rules of their own; the rest of the regulation, including the rule on specialist titles, still applies to them.

So a title such as "implant specialist" or "aesthetic dentistry specialist" has no basis among the legal specialties. Whether a dentist may describe their practice as focused on cosmetic work, without the word "uzman", is not settled in the texts we read. Words like "best" or "top" are not information about your treatment. Our article on choosing a clinic for veneers or crowns explains what adverts and photos can and cannot tell you.

How to check a dentist's title

1. Look at the working certificate. In a private dental clinic, a copy of the dentist's working certificate (çalışma belgesi), approved by the provincial health directorate, hangs in the surgery³. A clinic's sign, printed material and website may list only the specialties shown on that certificate. Everyone working in the clinic also wears a photo ID card with their name and title.
2. Ask which specialty. If someone is called a specialist, ask in which field. It should be one of the nine above, and it should be on the working certificate.
3. Check the registration. A dentist in private practice must register with the local dental chamber¹², and the Turkish Dental Association's website has a search¹³ by name and province. It may not be complete or up to date, so a name you cannot find is a reason to ask, not proof.
4. Ask about the work itself. Ask who will treat you at each visit and how often they do this treatment. A title describes training; it does not describe your plan.

Our article on choosing a dental clinic covers licences, the information you are owed before treatment, your records and where to complain.

When to see a dentist

You do not need a specialist to start. A general dentist can examine you, tell you what your teeth need and refer you to a specialist where one is needed.

If you already have veneers or crowns, see a dentist if one is loose, chipped or has come off (keep it, and do not glue it back yourself), if a tooth becomes painful or sensitive, or if your gums bleed or swell around a restoration.

Emergencies. Difficulty breathing or swallowing, rapidly spreading swelling of the face or neck, a high fever or swelling around the eye are serious signs. Go to the nearest emergency department or call 112.

Frequently asked questions