1. It starts with photos
The first step is not an examination but a few photographs: one smiling from the front, one with your teeth slightly apart, and a side view if you can manage it. A panoramic X-ray speeds things up if you have one; if not, it is taken when you arrive.
At this stage you pay nothing and commit to nothing.
2. The plan and a written price
The images go to the dentist. You normally receive your treatment plan and an itemised price breakdown within twenty-four hours. For complex cases the dentist may ask for extra images, which can add a day.
Read the plan and ask your questions. How many teeth get which procedure, which material will be used and how many days you need should all be in that document. Do not assume anything that is not written down.
3. How many days you need
- Teeth whitening — a single session, 1 night
- Zirconia or E-max crowns — 3 treatment days, 4 nights
- Smile design — 3 treatment days, 4 nights
- Hollywood Smile — 4 treatment days, 5 nights
- All-on-Four — 4 treatment days, 5 nights
- Dental implants — 3 nights on the first visit, with a second visit planned separately
You do not spend all of those days at the clinic. On the days the laboratory is working you have no appointment, and those days go to resting and the city tour.
4. In Istanbul
You are met at the airport and taken to your hotel by private car, and the same applies to every clinic appointment. On the first day there is an examination and, if needed, imaging, and the dentist goes over the plan with you.
Payment is made to the clinic at this point, before treatment begins. If the plan needs to change, you are asked first — nothing is carried out without your agreement.
5. Going home, and afterwards
After the final check you head for your return flight; the planned stay is worked out so that you can do this safely. You leave with your treatment records, the details of the materials used and your X-rays.
Contact does not end with the treatment. If you have a concern, we pass your photos on, get the dentist’s assessment and set out the next steps in writing. Your routine check-ups can be done by your own dentist.
With implants the date of the second visit is not fixed at the outset: your healing is monitored and the right time is planned together.
How to take the photos
The quality of the images you send directly determines how realistic your plan will be. A price quoted from a dark, blurred photo is the one most likely to change when you arrive.
- Shoot in daylight — near a window, facing the light
- Smiling from the front: a wide smile, teeth visible
- From the front with teeth slightly apart, so upper and lower are distinct
- Both side profiles — ideally taken by someone else
- A clear photo or the digital file of your panoramic X-ray, if you have one
Skip the flash: glare hides the true colour and surface texture. Send a close-up of whatever bothers you, and write down what you would like changed.
What to ask at the start
When the plan arrives, do not approve it unread. If any of the following is missing, ask; a serious provider will answer all of them.
- How many teeth get which procedure — is the number stated?
- Which material will be used, and why that one?
- How many days do I need, and which days am I at the clinic?
- What is not included in the price?
- Is a second visit needed, and when?
- What are the guarantee terms, and will they be given in writing?
What to bring
Bring a list of the medicines you take — blood thinners and bisphosphonate bone medicines in particular, along with anything else you take regularly. These can directly affect the plan, and learning about them at the last minute can postpone the procedure.
Allergies, past operations and chronic conditions matter just as much. Some situations — heart valve disease, for instance — call for antibiotics before the procedure, and that can only be planned if you mention it.
On the practical side: comfortable clothes, some flexibility about soft food, and a sensitivity toothpaste for the first days afterwards will make things easier.
One more thing about expectations: after surgical treatment your face may be swollen for the first days. Plan your return date — and any important commitments — with that in mind.