Why do documents matter so much for dental treatment abroad?
When you are treated at home, your X-rays, records and plans sit in one file that your practice can open at any time. With treatment in Türkiye, the information is split between two countries: the clinic in Türkiye needs your history, and your dentist at home later needs the documentation of what was done. TravelHealthPro, the UK’s National Travel Health Network and Centre, advises telling the team abroad your full medical history including all the medication you take, and asking for copies of all your treatment records, including prescriptions, scans and X-rays, before you leave. The NHS treatment abroad checklist recommends discussing with your own doctor or dentist how to transfer your records to the overseas team, and being clear about how your aftercare will be coordinated.
This checklist lists what belongs in your luggage and what you should have in your hands at the end of your stay. What to look for when choosing a clinic is covered in our guide how to choose a dental clinic in Türkiye.
What should you bring to your treatment?
- Recent X-rays or a CBCT scan: a panoramic X-ray or a cone-beam CT (CBCT) scan from home allows a preliminary assessment before you travel. Ask for the image data itself, for a CBCT scan in DICOM format, not just the report. Whether a new scan is needed on site is explained in our guide CBCT scan before dental implants.
- Medication list: the Royal College of Anaesthetists recommends bringing a list of the medicines you take, or the medicines in their original packaging, to the pre-assessment. The Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme advises showing the dental practice all your prescriptions and also mentioning over-the-counter medicines and herbal products. If you take warfarin, recent INR results belong on the list.
- Records from your GP for medical conditions: diabetes, cardiovascular disease, bleeding disorders, osteoporosis medicines, previous radiotherapy or chemotherapy. A short letter saves follow-up questions, especially before surgical procedures such as implants. The FCDO’s medical tourism checklist asks whether the clinician has received and reviewed your full medical record.
- Allergy details: especially allergies to medicines, anaesthetics or metals.
- Implant card for existing implants: if you already have dental implants or other implants, bring the card. The make and model of existing dental implants are needed if work is to be done on them or matching teeth are to be made.
- Passport and insurance documents: for entry, your accommodation and in case you unexpectedly need medical help during the trip. The NHS advises taking out appropriate travel insurance and telling your insurer about your planned treatment; TravelHealthPro recommends making sure your policy covers the cost of complications.
- Written answer from your insurer: the NHS treatment abroad checklist states that you cannot get reimbursement for dental treatment. If you have private dental insurance, ask in writing before treatment whether it contributes and which documents it needs, and bring the answer with you.
Photos of your teeth for the preliminary assessment and a list of your questions for the consultation are also helpful; the General Dental Council (GDC) encourages you to ask questions and not to commit on the spot if you are not satisfied with the answers.
What should you take home?
- Written treatment and cost plan: the GDC says you should always be assessed by a qualified dentist before being given a treatment plan and cost estimate, and suggests asking whether further treatment for complications is included in the initial cost. The FCDO checklist asks whether you know the exact cost and whether you can cancel and get a refund. Keep the plan; it records what was agreed.
- Treatment summary and copies of X-rays: a summary of the treatment carried out, tooth by tooth, and copies of the X-rays and CBCT scans taken. The FCDO checklist asks whether you will receive your paperwork in English, including a summary of your procedure. With these, your dentist at home can take over check-ups and compare later images.
- Implant card: for implants, a card with the manufacturer, model and batch number of each implant. Your dentist needs it for check-ups and a radiology department before an MRI scan; see our guide dental implants, MRI scans and airport security.
- Details of the materials: ask which materials were used for crowns, bridges or veneers, so that your dentist at home knows what is in your mouth if a repair is ever needed.
- Invoice and payment receipt: ask for an itemised invoice and a receipt for your payment. Private insurers usually ask for these, and they document what you paid for. Clarify before paying in which language and with which line items the invoice will be issued.
- Aftercare instructions and, if applicable, a medication plan: written instructions on how to look after the wound, temporary teeth or new restorations, which medicines to take and for how long, and which signs mean you should get in touch. The GDC recommends asking in advance what aftercare is provided and who you can contact for advice after treatment, and the FCDO checklist asks whether you will be given a contact number for complications once back home.
TravelHealthPro points out that follow-up care at home may not be easily available and may not be covered by the NHS, and that if things go wrong abroad you will usually have to pay for treatment. Complete documents are the basis for any follow-up, wherever it takes place.
How do you best keep the documents?
- Photograph or scan all documents and store them digitally as well, so that nothing is lost on the journey.
- Ask for digital copies of your X-rays; a file is easier to pass on to your dentist at home than a printout.
- Note the date of each X-ray, the practice and the type of image, so that unnecessary repeat scans can be avoided.
- Give your dentist at home copies of the summary, X-rays and implant card at your first appointment after your return.
Which documents do you receive at Rönesans?
Before treatment starts, you receive a written treatment and cost plan with the planned treatment for each tooth and unit and total costs; the make and model of any planned implants are listed in it. At the end of treatment, you receive a copy of your treatment summary and copies of your X-rays. After implant surgery, you receive an implant card carrying the manufacturer’s official label for each implant, with its diameter, length and batch number, and a QR code for checking that the implant is genuine.
To prepare, send us photos, X-rays, medical records and your medication list on WhatsApp at +90 532 363 49 54; during opening hours we reply to messages in English and German within 15 minutes, and you can also call our landline on +90 264 606 09 43. After your return, you can send questions and photos the same way; how this works is described on our page about aftercare and follow-up. The overall process from preliminary assessment to departure is on our page about dental treatment in Türkiye, and preparation for implant surgery in our guide preparing for dental implants.