What can go wrong, and what happens then
Every page on this site tells you what goes right. This one is about what can go wrong, because you are deciding whether to fly abroad for treatment and you deserve the list before you book, not after. None of this is unusual to dentistry abroad; all of it is possible in a UK practice too. The difference is distance, and this page is about how we handle that.
Before you fly
The plan changes after the scan. The most common surprise. A written quote is built from photographs and a video call; the CBCT scan at the clinic can show bone that is thinner than expected, an infection under an old crown, or a tooth that cannot be saved. When that happens the clinician explains it before doing anything, you get a revised written price, and you can say no. Nothing is charged for work you did not agree to.
You are not a candidate. Some conditions - uncontrolled diabetes, heavy smoking, certain medications, active gum disease - change what is safe. We ask about all of them on the video call so this is caught at home, not at the airport. If a clinician says no, that is the answer, and the consultation cost you nothing.
During treatment
Swelling, bruising and discomfort. Expected after implant surgery, sinus lifts and gum grafts, usually at its worst on day two and three, and managed with the medication you are given. It is not a complication; it is healing. Plan the trip so you are not flying home the day after surgery.
A temporary comes loose. Temporary crowns and bridges are designed to come off, so occasionally one does. In Antalya it is refitted the same day. At home, a UK dentist can re-cement it in minutes; the guarantee covers a contribution towards that.
Numbness or altered sensation. Rare, and usually temporary, after work near a nerve in the lower jaw. The scan and the planning exist to avoid it. If it happens it is reported to the clinician straight away and followed up until it resolves.
Sinus involvement. Implants in the upper back jaw sit close to the sinus. A sinus lift is planned when bone is short precisely to prevent a problem. Congestion for a few days afterwards is normal; a persistent problem is not, and is treated.
After you are home
An implant fails to integrate. Across the profession roughly two to five in a hundred implants do not fuse with the bone in the first months; smokers and people with untreated gum disease are at the higher end. The implant screw carries a lifetime guarantee against fracture. What happens about a failed integration, what the clinic does and who pays for what, is set out treatment by treatment on the guarantee page; read that line before you book.
A crown or veneer chips or debonds. Porcelain is hard but not indestructible; grinding, biting nails, opening things with your teeth, and accidents are the usual causes. Crowns and full veneers are guaranteed for five years against breakage, chipping and cement failure, with a contribution towards a repair by a UK dentist where that is the sensible route.
The bite does not feel right. A new set of teeth changes how your jaw closes, and a high spot can take a week or two to show itself. A small adjustment is routine. Tell us; do not wait for it to settle.
Gum recession around a crown. Over years, gums can recede and expose a margin. It is cosmetic more often than clinical, and it is the reason we talk about shade and material choices at the design stage rather than after.
Infection. Uncommon with the antibiotic cover you are given and the aftercare you follow. Any swelling that gets worse after day three, a bad taste, or a fever is not something to wait on: contact us the same day, and see a UK dentist or GP if we tell you to.
What the guarantee does not do
It does not cover damage from accidents, grinding without the night guard you were given, missed check-ups, or work done on the teeth by another dentist without telling us first. It does not pay for flights and hotels for a return visit unless the guarantee page says it does for that treatment. It is a guarantee on the work, in writing, and the exclusions are published in full so that you can read them before you book rather than discover them afterwards.
How to raise a problem
Email or message your patient manager with a photograph of the problem. You get an answer within one working day, and a clinician's view as soon as they have seen the photograph. If it needs to be seen in person, we arrange it: a UK dentist for a small adjustment, the clinic for anything the guarantee covers. If you are not satisfied with how a problem has been handled, say so in writing to the address on the contact page and someone senior, not the person you have been dealing with, replies.
Your questions answered
Still not sure? A clinician talks it through before you commit to anything.
Ask a clinicianShould this list put me off?
It should inform you. The same list applies to the same treatment done in the UK. What matters is whether the people treating you plan for these things and tell you what happens when they occur. That is what this page is for.
Will a UK dentist treat me after work done abroad?
Yes. UK dentists treat anyone who walks in. Some are reluctant to take on complex remedial work they did not plan, which is why the guarantee routes anything significant back to the clinic that did it, and why we keep your scans and plan on file to hand to any dentist who asks.
What if I need to come back to Antalya?
The guarantee page says, treatment by treatment, what is covered. Where a return visit is needed for work under guarantee, the work itself is not charged for. Travel is set out there too, so there are no surprises about who pays for what.
Tell us what you need. We will price it in writing.
One message and a coordinator replies with an indicative plan and price. Send a photograph of your smile if you have one - it makes the answer better, and it is never a call unless you ask for one.
Would rather talk it through? Book a free consultation, see every price first, or design your smile on your own photograph.