New figures have revealed that almost 60% of the UK's under-pressure dentists have been asked to fix issues caused by patients flying abroad for cheap overseas cosmetic treatment.
The horror statistic is believed to be fuelled by a new social media trend for "Turkey teeth", which are a full mouth of bright white 'veneers' - with videos having been viewed more than 100 million times. Users show the before, after and the inbetween stage where the full mouth is filed down to tiny stumps.
It also comes as 35,000 British and Irish citizens have flown overseas for treatment in the past year alone as the cash-strapped NHS dentists have struggled to meet the demand post-pandemic , The Mirror reports.
Now it is feared that the boom in dental tourism will put yet more pressure on the vital service. Dentists are also concerned as they warn that in most cases, "Turkey teeth" is actually more similar to a full mouth of crowns - rather than a less invasive type of veneer that would be considered here.
Many of those undergoing the extensive dental work would not be granted it in the UK and are more likely to face problems in years to come but could find themselves paying pricey medical bills because NHS dentists technically could refuse to treat them.
Top NHS dentist Dr Trishala Lakhani, works in London, but as a Tik Tok user herself became concerned about the social media trend after seeing it explode. She has now been probing the Turkey Teeth phenomenon - loved by the likes of Katie Price and Love Island’s Jack Fincham - as well as dental tourism as a whole.
She fears for those lured by the promise of cheap deals without thinking of the long-term consequences.
She says: “On TikTok alone, the hashtag Turkey Teeth had over 100million views. You can see why it seems an attractive proposition - some clinics even throw a luxury hotel included in the price.
“But it is shocking that people on social media have no clue what they have done to their teeth. Everyone talks about veneers - mouldings bonded to the front surface of a tooth - but in reality, they are having crowns placed, which means much more aggressive tooth reduction.”
Dr Lakhani adds that a UK dentist is duty-bound to explain the pros and cons of each treatment but there is no legislation in Turkey to protect you.
“Most dentists who operate internationally are ethical and professional but the risk is there,” she said.
She’s speaking for a new BBC documentary Turkey Teeth: Bargain Smiles or Big Mistake which goes on iPlayer tomorrow. Its survey of 1,000 dentists, found 597 said they had seen patients who had complications specifically from getting this treatment abroad.
One woman who does know about the hidden downside to the cheap dental care and sunshine offers is care assistant Lisa Martyn, 48.
She’s now warning young influencers to make sure they are fully informed after her dream cosmetic work turned into a nightmare she’s still paying for years on.
She says: “I was duped into the dream of having a full set of perfect teeth that I was never going to have any issues with but I was grossly misled about what I was having done - they were sold to me as veneers not a full set of crowns.
"No one sat down and told me the risks or if there were any other options. I thought that once they put the new teeth into my mouth that would be it - there would never be any more problems.
“But not only have I been in crippling pain every day since, but it has also cost me thousands. It’s the biggest mistake of my life.”
Lisa first had dental work in Turkey in 2011 when she paid £1,800 to have her top set of teeth replaced while on holiday in Kusadasi. She only decided to do it when given leaflets at the resort. “I didn’t plan on it but I’ve always had a lot of trouble with my teeth and had spent a lot of money back home already,” she said. “So I decided to go for it.“ she says.
She thought she was having veneers on the top row of teeth. In September 2021 she returned as one had cracked.
“I think I would have lived with the crack but, my son had just got engaged and set a date for his wedding this year - I didn’t want to look terrible in the wedding pictures so I thought I’d go back to Turkey and get that one tooth fixed,” she said.
“So I booked the flights and went to see that same dentist. She told me just couldn’t just replace the one tooth that had a crack in it and would have to replace the whole top. She quoted me the price of £3,500 for 26 new teeth. So I thought okay.”
Lisa describes how the dentist hammered out her entire set of teeth in a horrendous procedure that left her “traumatised”.
“I never in my life experienced anything like it,” she says. ”They were drilling then, banging and hammering. I was jumping out of that chair for two hours. No one asked how I was or even offered me a drink of water. My mouth was so swollen it was like a horror movie.
“I was numb from my neck up to the top of my nose but I could still feel the sensation. I still didn’t know that all my natural teeth were filed down and these were crowns, not veneers. It was only after I returned home, that I was told by a UK dentist.
“ I’m still in pain and I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I will have to have dentures and live with pain every day. I wanted to look nice for my son’s wedding but now I would give anything to just know that day I won’t be in agony.”
Dr MJ Rowland Warmann, a dentist in Liverpool and co-founder of cosmetic teeth company Smileworks, receives one to three calls a day from people with issues with their teeth after going abroad - but says her clinic is unable to treat them.
“Some can’t floss because their crowns are stuck together or they’re in pain because they have bleeding gums,” she said. “But it’s easier for us not to take that patient. At the point when you inherit that patient and do any work, that’s when the problems really start and that’s when the UK dentist becomes liable. A risk we cannot take.
“This leaves patients in very vulnerable positions trying to scrabble around for help and it becomes very costly trying to fix the damage.”
Not all people who go abroad for Turkey Teeth have had bad experiences.
Tilly Entwhistle, 20, from Manchester is still thrilled with hers. She says: “I was bullied as a child because of my teeth and called names like ‘bugs bunny’. Dentists in Harley Street quoted me up to £10,000 just to get my top set of teeth done. In Turkey, it is not even a quarter of that price. Plus it was like a holiday as well so that was a bonus.”
However, since returning from her trip, Tilly visited a dentist in Manchester who was horrified at the work she’d had done at such a young age. “The dentist said she would never touch my teeth as they wouldn’t want to take any responsibility in case I had any future issues," she says. " But the improvement it’s made to my life means the risk is more than worth it. It’s sad that dentists can't sympathise with what it's been like for me.”
Dentist Dr Rowland Warmann says: “If I offered a 20-year-old 20 crowns for the purpose of changing the colour I would be struck off in the UK. And it’s unlikely you will find a dentist here willing to assume responsibility for a patient who has been abroad."
Dr Lakhani adds: “There are quality dentists working abroad - but it is about being informed. The amount of tooth reduction required for Tilly’s treatment increases massively the risk of having nerve damage and root canal treatment. I hope for Tilly’s sake she does not have to deal with the daily hell Lisa has to now live with every day.”
Turkey Teeth: Bargain Smiles or Big Mistake is available on BBC iPlayer
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