What should you check before choosing a dental clinic in Türkiye?
The UK government’s travel advice for Türkiye recommends doing your own research rather than relying only on the literature of companies with a financial interest in booking your treatment. These points are worth checking with any clinic:
- The clinic holds the Ministry of Health’s International Health Tourism Authorisation Certificate.
- You know the name and qualifications of the dentist who will treat you.
- You can talk to that dentist directly, in a language you understand.
- You receive a written treatment and cost plan after an in-person examination.
- The number of trips and days is realistic for your treatment.
- You know who to contact, and who pays, if something needs correcting after you return home.
- You leave with copies of your records, including X-rays and implant details.
- You have spoken to your home dentist and to your insurer.
How can you check a clinic’s authorisation?
According to HealthTürkiye, the health tourism platform of Türkiye’s Ministry of Health, healthcare facilities that offer international health tourism services must hold an International Health Tourism Authorisation Certificate. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) notes that the Ministry provides a list of its approved medical providers on the HealthTürkiye website, while stressing that the FCDO does not endorse the competence or suitability of any practitioner or facility.
Ask the clinic for its certificate number and look the clinic up on HealthTürkiye. Every private dental practice in Türkiye also needs an operating licence: under the Turkish regulation on private oral and dental health facilities, licences for dental surgeries and polyclinics are issued by the provincial governorship. An ISO 9001 or similar quality certificate is voluntary and replaces neither document.
Who will treat you, and can you talk to them directly?
The General Dental Council (GDC), which regulates dental professionals in the UK, suggests asking who will carry out the treatment and what their qualifications are, and whether staff speak English or a translator will be provided. The FCDO’s medical tourism checklist adds: will the clinician you consult be the same person who carries out the procedure, and has the clinician received and reviewed your full medical record?
Note that under Türkiye’s regulation on advertising in health services, specialist titles may only refer to specialties defined in Turkish law (Law No. 1219). A certificate or short course does not make someone a specialist. Also ask in which language the written plan and consent form will be provided.
What should a written treatment and cost plan include?
The GDC says you should always be assessed by a qualified dentist before being given a treatment plan and cost estimate, and that the dentist should take a full medical history. A plan based only on photos is therefore preliminary. A clear written plan usually lists:
- each tooth and the treatment planned for it
- the materials, and for implants the make and model
- the number of appointments and trips
- the unit and total cost, and what is included, such as temporary teeth, check-ups and adjustments
- what happens to the cost if the plan changes after imaging
The FCDO checklist also suggests making sure you know the exact cost of your treatment and whether you can cancel it and get a refund.
How many trips and days should you plan for?
Crowns and veneers can usually be completed in one trip, while dental implants usually need two trips several months apart, because the implant has to heal into the bone before the final teeth are fitted. The exact schedule is set after the examination.
The NHS advises staying in the country of treatment for a suitable length of time to recover before travelling home, and the FCDO checklist asks whether you know the risks of flying after treatment. Leave at least one spare day before your flight for final checks and adjustments. Typical lengths of stay for different treatments are listed on our page about planning your visit.
What happens if there is a problem after you go home?
The GDC suggests asking what aftercare is provided, who you can contact for advice afterwards and, if you are unhappy with the result, who pays for extra travel, accommodation and remedial work. The NHS asks you to be clear about how your aftercare will be coordinated. TravelHealthPro, the UK’s National Travel Health Network and Centre, points out that follow-up care at home may be hard to get and may not be covered by the NHS.
Before you book, ask what the clinic’s warranty covers, for how long, what it excludes and whether travel costs are included. How follow-up works with us is described on our page about aftercare and follow-up.
Which records should you take home?
TravelHealthPro advises asking for copies of all your treatment records, including prescriptions, scans and X-rays, before you leave. The FCDO checklist adds paperwork in English, including a summary of your procedure, and a contact number for complications once you are home. Useful records include:
- X-rays and any cone-beam CT (CBCT) scans
- a summary of the treatment you received
- implant details: make, model, size and batch number
- the materials used for crowns, bridges or veneers
- your aftercare instructions and any prescriptions
- itemised invoices and receipts for your insurer
Why speak to your home dentist and insurer first?
The GDC recommends telling your own dentist about your plans before you go abroad, so they can advise you and help with any complications later. The NHS checklist likewise suggests speaking to a GP, dentist or clinician first, and describes a doctor’s second opinion as valuable.
The NHS treatment abroad checklist states that you cannot get reimbursement for dental treatment, and both the NHS and the FCDO advise telling your insurer about your plans to have treatment abroad. TravelHealthPro recommends making sure your policy covers the cost of complications. If you have dental insurance at home, check with your insurer whether it contributes to treatment abroad and which documents it needs.
Which warning signs should make you pause?
The NHS suggests thinking carefully before booking treatment abroad if there is a hard sell, a lack of information, pressure to make a quick decision, no discussion of possible complications or no mention of aftercare. The GDC encourages you to ask questions and not to commit on the spot if you are not satisfied with the answers.
How do we handle these points at Rönesans?
Rönesans Diş Hekimliği in Serdivan, Sakarya, operates under an operating licence issued through the Sakarya Provincial Health Directorate on 15 November 2021 (no. 1105). We hold the Ministry of Health’s International Health Tourism Authorisation Certificate (no. ST-4374), which is shown on our page about dental treatment in Türkiye, and our quality management system is certified to ISO 9001 (see quality management).
You can send photos and X-rays on WhatsApp to +90 532 363 49 54 for a preliminary assessment. During working hours we reply to messages in English and German within 15 minutes, and a native German speaker on our team handles communication in German. The final plan is made after an examination at the clinic, where a CBCT scan can be taken when needed and impressions can be taken with an intraoral scanner. Before treatment starts, you receive a written treatment and cost plan, tooth by tooth, with unit and total costs, and you know from the start which dentist will treat you; our dentists’ training is listed on our dentists page. Implant patients receive an implant card. We work to a written sterilisation and hygiene protocol, and follow-up after treatment follows a defined process.
We take a deposit before you book your flights, and it is deducted from the treatment fee. Transfer from Istanbul’s airports and accommodation are included in the treatment fee. Our treatments come with a conditional warranty for problems not caused by the patient; we explain its terms at your examination. If a correction covered by the warranty requires a return visit, we cover your travel costs. The clinic is open Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 22:00 and on Saturday from 10:00 to 19:00, Türkiye time.