DENTAL IMPLANTS IN UK VS TURKEY – PRICES, PROS AND CONS

For many years patients have flocked from the UK to Turkey for cheap and reliable dental treatments including dental implant surgery. We will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of implant treatment between the UK and Turkey including cost-price analysis. Briefly, an implant is a titanium screw that is placed to the missing teeth area of the jaw bone to provide structure for restorative dental crown(s) to be attached. For more information about dental implant treatment in Turkey, readers can take a look at our dental implants page. So how does implant treatment vary from the UK to Turkey? The variables which can differentiate treatment by country, mainly, are the brand of implant, cost, recovery time and the experience of doctors. Let’s explore these…

The brand of implants used in Turkey and in the UK can vary by clinic based on the cost-effectiveness analysis of the clinic and maxillofacial surgeon. The brands of implants have microtechnologies and capacities that can separate low and high quality implants. The quality will affect the osseointegration (integration between the bone and implant), longevity and aesthetic.

It’s hard to find information in articles and from private clinics websites on which implants they provide their patients. At Dentares, we are fully transparent and provide a quality analysis of each implant brand we use. Implants we use have immediate loading capacity, Clean Implant Certification (implants made of 100% titanium), which is great for people with metal allergies; and microtechnologies that increase the bone site surface area. To review the full benefits of quality implants, visit our dental implant page.

…Treatment in Turkey can save the patient up to 75% from the basic package and 50% from the premium implant package.

The average cost of implants in the UK haven’t been reported by a recent news source so the data can be drawn by researching multiple private practice’s implant costs reported on their websites. By using a basic google search ‘Implant cost in the UK’, the average cost of an implant lies between £1900 and £2500 with some clinics including the porcelain bonded metal crown (PBM), but excluding consultation, x-ray and cleaning fees.

While the cost in Turkey will always include consultation, x-ray and pre-operative cleaning complimentary. At Dentares Smile Clinic, we have a selection of 4 implant brands to choose from and a choice between PBM and Zirconia crowns. Our range of implants from Mode® to Straumann® and a zirconia crown included can cost between £484 and £1322.

So the cost benefit analysis is that treatment in Turkey can save the patient up to 75% from the basic package and 50% from the premium implant package. It’s important to note that the “£2500” figure was not disclosed to be a Straumann implant. It’s also important for readers to be aware of extra fees that might be included in their dental implant treatments such as: bone grafting, sinus lifting, abscess cleans, and 3D tomography (tomography provided free at Dentares).

Next we get to look at the timeline of dental implant treatment in the UK and Turkey to compare the recovery time necessary for patients to heal. To accurately represent the differences between treatment times, it’s best to analyse a real life all on 4 example. Let’s use Claire’s case study (link this). Claire had presented with a broken tooth, multiple caries and almost all remaining 13 teeth had multiple previous restorations. Claire also had abscesses, advanced bone loss of both jaws with 2 invaded sinuses. The treatment plan is all tooth extractions and the all on 4 implant system.

In the UK, Claire would require a waiting list to have a consultation with a surgeon. Unfortunately for Claire, implants and a zirconia prosthesis were not covered by the NHS. Claire could wait a week or two for the consultation and another few weeks for the surgery. On Claire’s first visit she could have the abscesses cleaned and bone graft material placed with all teeth extractions. Claire would need at least 1-3 months until her next visit. Depending on the clinic, Claire could have her dental implants placed one jaw at a time or both within the same appointment. She’d need to wait 3-6 months for the next stage. Building her prosthesis for the all on 4 system could take up to 2 weeks. Claire would have had 4 visits with the clinic over 6 to 9 months.

In Turkey’s Dentares Smile Clinic, Claire flew in on a Sunday, consulted with us on the Monday morning, and had her teeth extraction, abscess clean, bone graft and Global D® dental implantation on Tuesday. A temporary prosthesis was ready by the end of the week. Claire returned 3 months later and her fixed, zirconia full arches were designed and installed within 10 days. Claire had 2 visits with us over a 3 month period. For more in-depth details about Claire’s case, visit her case study here

Readers might think “okay, that was one case. How many cases can be as successful as Claires…”. There was a study conducted on Megagen® dental implants showing a 98% survival rate and 94% success rate in a group of 54 patients.

And Global D® success rate of 95% with bone substitute in the upper jaw, sinus region with bone structure availability lower than 4mm. 11 patients were aged between 49 and 64 for the study.

To summarise the case study and medical literature to compare treatment plan timelines. Patients can reduce their treatment plan timeline by up to 3 to 6 months just by seeking dental treatment in Turkey. Patients that seek dental implant treatment can expect implant success rates of upwards in the 90th percentiles. Due to the COVID pandemic health care restrictions, patients have gone without any dental care for over 2 years. Patients also face problems such as NHS and private clinic wait lists for an extended period of time. Therefore by seeking treatment in Turkey, patients can address their oral concerns sooner and restore a healthy, natural looking smile quicker; with confidence their dental implant treatment is safe.

Turkish and English dentists are accredited with doctorate degrees in General Dentistry and then study another 5 years of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery specialist degree. So there is no doubt that both Turkish and English doctors are qualified for the job. But are they good? To answer this question readers must take into account how often surgeons operate. In order to master a craft, repeated exposure to the field is essential to gain experience in a variety of patient conditions and to hone their skills.

Dentares Smile Clinic has 2 surgery rooms with 2 full-time Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons handling dental implant treatments multiple times a day, each. Our surgeons can handle all on 4/6 cases multiple times a week. Our Surgeons use additional treatments such as abscess cleaning, bone grafting and sinus lifting during these cases.

The UK does not have the international influx of dental tourists as Turkey does, nor is it affordable or offered under the NHS guidelines. For these reasons, UK dentists simply do not compare in experience with Turkish Dentists.

In summary, brands, price, recovery time and doctor experience are important variables in implant treatment for the readers considering having dental treatment locally or abroad. To have treatment in Turkey means that patients have access to highly skilled specialists at a fraction of the price. They also get to finish their treatment plans quickly, reducing the psychological and emotional impact that comes with waiting between treatment visits. With access to the right information, patients can consider Turkey to be a safe, reliable and experienced country to trust with dental treatment. If you are considering dental implant treatment, contact our dental team for an online consultation and treatment plan, today.