How to avoid over-treatment in dental tourism – from a surgeon who sees the revision cases

If you spend any time on TikTok or Instagram, you’ve probably seen the phrase “Turkey teeth”.

Usually it comes with:

Dramatic before/after photos

Stories of people getting a full set of crowns in a few days

Or, on the other side, regret videos: “My Turkey teeth are ruined”, “I’m only 25 and now I need root canals and implants”

Some of this content is exaggerated, but a lot of it points to a real problem:

Not every patient who flies abroad for a new smile receives appropriate, conservative treatment.

Many receive over-treatment: more drilling, more crowns, more implants than medically necessary.

I’m Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon Dr Ali Direnç Ulaşan, clinical director and owner of Milim Dental – a surgeon-led, Health Tourism Authorized boutique dental center, located about a 1-hour drive from Sabiha Gökçen Airport.

We see both sides of dental tourism:

Patients who come to us first and leave with stable, conservative, natural-looking smiles

And patients who come for revision after aggressive “Turkey teeth” work done elsewhere:

Healthy teeth cut down for crowns

Crowns placed on poorly treated gums

Implants placed where simple dentistry would have been enough

This article is not “Turkey-bashing”, and it’s not “Turkey is perfect” marketing.

It’s an honest, professional guide to:

What “Turkey teeth” usually means

How over-treatment happens

What real, ethical treatment planning looks like

How to protect yourself from becoming a revision case

1. What Do People Mean by “Turkey Teeth”?

The term “Turkey teeth” didn’t come from dentists. It came from social media and patient experiences, mostly from the UK and Europe.

When people say “Turkey teeth”, they usually mean:

A very bright, uniform smile that looks the same on almost everyone

Achieved by preparing (shaving) most of the visible teeth and covering them with full crowns

Done very quickly, often in one short holiday

Sometimes too big, too white, too opaque – “toilet-bowl white”

Clinically, it often implies:

Over-prepared teeth (large amounts of enamel removed)

Crowns where veneers, whitening or orthodontics might have been enough

A focus on speed and aesthetics, not long-term biology

The truth is:

Turkey has many excellent, conservative, evidence-based dentists and surgeons.

But it also has high-volume clinics and “smile factories” where full crowns on every tooth have become a default product.

The problem is not Turkey itself.

The problem is any system, in any country, where dentistry is treated more like cosmetic fast fashion than long-term medical treatment.

2. What Does Over-Treatment Look Like in Real Life?

Let’s translate “over-treatment” into actual patient stories we see in revision cases.

Example 1 – 22 crowns on a healthy young mouth

The patient is in their twenties or early thirties. Before treatment:

Almost no decay

No major cracks or fractures

Maybe some crowding, old composite fillings, mild yellowing

They wanted a whiter, straighter smile. Instead of:

Whitening + minor orthodontics

Possibly a few minimal-prep veneers on key teeth

they received:

Crowns on nearly every tooth from first molar to first molar

Teeth cut down aggressively, beyond enamel, into dentin

Some teeth so traumatised that root canals are needed within a few years

Short-term: the smile looks white and “perfect” on photos.

Long-term: these teeth are now weaker, more sensitive and more dependent on future treatment.

Example 2 – Crowns over inflamed gums and bite problems

We also see full-mouth crown cases where:

Gums were already inflamed or bleeding before treatment

The bite (occlusion) was not properly analysed

Bruxism (teeth grinding) was never addressed

Result:

Short-term: shiny new crowns.

Medium-term: gum recession, bleeding, food traps, jaw pain, broken crowns, failed implants.

The aesthetic problem was treated; the functional and biological problems were ignored.

Example 3 – Implants where teeth could have been saved

Sometimes, patients are told:

“All your teeth are bad, we should remove everything and do full implants.”

But when we examine OLD x-rays or photos, we see:

Several teeth could probably have been saved with root canal, proper restorations or periodontal therapy

Implants were used as a shortcut, not a necessity

Implants are fantastic tools when teeth are truly hopeless.

But removing restorable teeth just to “sell a full-mouth implant package” is the definition of over-treatment.

3. Why Does Over-Treatment Happen in Dental Tourism?

Over-treatment happens when:

Speed and packages become more important than individual diagnosis

Non-clinical staff (salespeople, coordinators) drive the plan

The clinic assumes you will never come back – so they focus on the next case, not your next ten years

3.1. Package mentality

You might see offers like:

“20 zirconium crowns + hotel + transfer”

“Full mouth implants in 5 days”

“Hollywood smile package”

The problem with packages is that they:

Encourage a fixed solution regardless of your real needs

Use “number of crowns/implants” as a selling point

Make it hard to scale down treatment, because the marketing is built on big transformations

3.2. Social media pressure

Some patients arrive with a visual expectation:

“I want teeth like this influencer”

“I want very white, very straight teeth in one week”

Some clinics say “no, that would be over-treatment”.

Others say “yes” – even if that means cutting down 20 healthy teeth for an Instagram result.

3.3. Lack of long-term accountability

If a clinic assumes:

You live far away

You won’t return for maintenance

You will probably not sue or complain formally

then the temptation is to focus on:

Short-term aesthetics (photos, videos, marketing)

Not on 5–10 year survival and function

Ethical clinics fight against this mentality. Unethical ones exploit it.

4. What Does Real, Ethical Treatment Planning Look Like?

Let’s talk about what should happen when you come for treatment.

At Milim Dental, and in any ethical clinic, real treatment planning looks like this:

4.1. Full diagnosis first, solution later

We start with:

Detailed medical history

Clinical examination of teeth, gums, bite, joints

X-rays and, if needed, CBCT

Digital photos and scans

Only after that we discuss:

What you want to change

What the minimum necessary intervention would be

What options exist – from least invasive to more comprehensive

4.2. Conservative first, radical only when needed

The philosophy is:

Use the least invasive method that can satisfy the patient’s goals and maintain long-term health.

For example:

Colour problem → whitening before anything else

Mild crowding → consider clear aligners instead of shaving teeth

Local defects on front teeth → bonding or veneers, not full crowns

Teeth with large fillings or structural damage → crowns may be necessary

Truly hopeless teeth → extraction + implants

A realistic, conservative plan might mix:

Whitening

Orthodontics / aligners

A few carefully indicated veneers

A few crowns on structurally compromised teeth

Localised implants where teeth are missing or unsalvageable

Not every tooth in your mouth needs a crown to improve your smile.

5. How to Protect Yourself from Over-Treatment (“Turkey Teeth Traps”)

You don’t need a dental degree to avoid over-treatment.

You just need the right questions and a bit of discipline.

5.1. Ask: “What are my less invasive options?”

When a clinic suggests:

“Let’s do 20 crowns”

you can ask:

“Could whitening + orthodontics + a few veneers also achieve a good result?”

“Which teeth really need crowns from a structural perspective?”

“What would you do if I were your own relative?”

If the answer is always the same package, regardless of the question, that’s a warning sign.

5.2. Ask for a breakdown, not just a package

Instead of:

“Hollywood smile package: 20 crowns”

Ask:

“Can you show me how many crowns, how many veneers, how many fillings, how many implants, and why each one is needed?”

A good clinic can explain tooth by tooth:

This tooth: old big filling, needs crown.

This tooth: intact and healthy, can stay as it is or have a veneer.

This area: missing tooth, implant indicated.

If they can’t justify each intervention, they probably haven’t thought about it properly.

5.3. Think long-term, not just about holiday photos

Ask yourself:

“What will this look like in 10 years?”

“How easy will it be for my dentist at home to maintain this work?”

“What happens if one crown fails in a full-bridge design?”

Sometimes a slightly less aggressive treatment today means:

Fewer complications

Easier repairs

Less need for implants or major surgery in the future

5.4. Don’t let price packages override common sense

Yes, cost matters. But:

A cheaper full-crown package that destroys healthy teeth can become very expensive later, when you pay for revision, root canals, and implants.

A slightly more expensive conservative plan might actually be cheaper over your lifetime.

6. How We Handle “Turkey Teeth” Revision Cases at Milim Dental

Because we are a surgeon-led, multidisciplinary boutique clinic, many patients now come to us for revision after over-treatment elsewhere.

What we often have to do:

Manage sensitivity, pain and root canal needs under crowns

Treat inflamed gums and bone loss around poorly designed restorations

Replace badly fitting crowns with better-designed restorations

Sometimes remove failed implants and rebuild bone with grafts

In the worst cases, extract teeth that were previously over-prepared and are now unsalvageable

Revision is almost always:

More complicated

More expensive

More time-consuming

than doing it correctly the first time.

That’s why we are so vocal about avoiding over-treatment upfront.

7. Turkey Teeth vs Real Treatment: The Core Difference

So what is the real difference?

“Turkey teeth” (in the negative social media sense) usually means:

Over-sold, over-simplified treatment packages

Aggressive shaving of many or all teeth, regardless of actual need

Aesthetic “wow” in the first week, at the cost of long-term tooth structure

Real treatment in Turkey, at ethical clinics, means:

Individualised diagnosis and planning

Respect for natural tooth structure and gum health

Clear explanation of options and risks

Using crowns, veneers, implants when indicated, not as default

Designing a smile that looks beautiful, but also natural and maintainable

The country is the same.

The difference is the philosophy of the clinic and the ethics of the team.

8. Final Thoughts: How to Use Dental Tourism Wisely

Dental tourism in Turkey can be:

A fantastic way to access high-quality implantology and aesthetic dentistry

A disaster if you land in the wrong hands with the wrong expectations

To avoid becoming a “Turkey teeth” story, remember:

Don’t start with the package. Start with your mouth.

Get a real diagnosis before you accept any big plan.

Ask for conservative options first.

Whitening, aligners, selective veneers and crowns.

Demand justification for every aggressive intervention.

If they can’t explain it, don’t let them do it.

Choose a surgeon-led, multidisciplinary, Health Tourism Authorized clinic that thinks beyond your holiday and into your next decade.

At Milim Dental, we use our experience with revision cases not to scare you, but to educate you:

We want you to enjoy the benefits of having treatment in Turkey –

without sacrificing healthy teeth or your long-term oral health for a few days of “wow” on social media.

If you keep that balance in mind, you can turn “Turkey teeth” from a scary hashtag

into a story of smart, conservative, real treatment that you’re proud to smile about for years.