A British woman who says she spent £3,500 on dental care in Turkey only to receive treatment she didn’t want has been forced to spend hundreds of pounds on aftercare to fix the problems it caused.
Natasha Brosnan, 33, a management worker from the West Midlands, says she decided to go abroad because dental treatment in the UK would cost between £8,000-£9,000, almost three times the price.
He organized an initial virtual consultation at the Mono Clinic in the city of Izmir, in western Turkey. The clinic took pictures of her mouth and agreed to fit 20 crowns.
Ms Brosnan said she agreed to pay £3,000 for the procedure and a week’s stay in the country, excluding flights, which cost around £300. She estimated it would save her at least £4,500 compared to standard treatment in the UK.
However, when she arrived at the clinic, Ms Brosnan says she was told she would also need four root canals at £250 each, which she could not afford.
“Most people don’t have extra money to spare,” Ms Brosnan said. She said it was “strange” that after she told staff at the clinic she couldn’t afford the extra treatment, she was eventually told she only needed three root canals at a cost of £150 each.
“It was like they were charging whatever they wanted to charge,” Ms. Brosnan said.
He added: “It felt like it was a merry-go-round with people coming in and out all the time, like a money-making machine… At one point, one day there were about 25 Brits there.”
However, Ms Brosnan claimed that when she went to have her permanent teeth fitted, in which her teeth were shaved, the clinic informed her that she needed bridges and not crowns because of her root canals.
While a crown is placed over an existing tooth or implant, a bridge—usually made up of three connected dental crowns—replaces the tooth. The British Dental Association (BDA) says a crown is preferred where possible as it is less invasive than a bridge.
“I had no teeth, so it was like losing £3,500 and going home toothless or having my teeth fitted,” Ms Brosnan said.
I has seen screenshots that appear to show the clinic confirming that Ms Brosnan would be getting individual crowns. She said she didn’t believe the clinic’s claim that bridges were needed because of her root canals because she had placed bridges even where there were no root canals.
She claimed that the bridges had made her more prone to infections and therefore increased the cost of hygienist appointments. She also said her bite was now “completely off” because “none of my teeth sit together” except for her back molars, which are her own.
Ms Brosnan initially left a satisfactory review on Trustpilot which only highlighted logistical issues and how she was allegedly not given what she was promised.
But clinical staff began “hounding” her to remove her “less than glowing review”, Ms Brosnan claimed, and informed her to reflect this pressure to remove her comment.
She claims she was then denied follow-up care as well as access to her x-rays.
Ms Brosnan said the clinic “just blatantly put it out there, ‘we’re not going to give you anything until you remove your reviews because it’s bad for business'”.
He then gave a third and final “zero star” review.
The clinic has been approached for comment.
Ms Brosnan has now registered for private dental treatment in the UK after being told by others in a similar position that the NHS would not routinely provide care for a procedure carried out in another country.
She says she now has to spend around £437 a year, for two check-ups and at least four hygienist appointments because of the bridges.
Who is responsible for UK patients receiving treatment abroad?
The NHS ‘is not liable for negligence or failure to treat’ when a procedure is carried out abroad, states in the guidance urging people to do their research before making a decision, to be aware of language barriers and to ensure they have sufficient knowledge about those who will be providing the treatment.
Patients seeking to go abroad should also know how to make complaints if things go wrong.
However, if someone develops an infection or is in a lot of pain and needs medical or emergency treatment, the NHS will provide treatment. It will not intervene when the dental treatment is for cosmetic purposes, but serious complications arising from treatment abroad are covered by the NHS if the clinical need is immediate.
The NHS has urged those seeking treatment abroad to make sure they have adequate insurance as they may need specialist cover.
Dental companies in Turkey, Hungary and Romania said they are seeing strong demand in the UK as the cost of private treatment in Britain soars. In July, a parliamentary report said that in extreme cases, people had their teeth pulled out, which it called “completely unacceptable in the 21st century”.
UK-based clinic Dent Royal said it had arranged for around 600 UK patients to be treated in Izmir this year, up from 350 last year. UK-based consultancy Medical Travel Market said it had received more than 1,500 inquiries by mid-November, an increase of more than 450 per cent on 2022. Dental Implants Abroad said it had served a record number of Britons this year, helping fly “hundreds”. in Romania for dental implants.
Some 86 per cent of UK dentists say they have treated patients who developed problems after being treated abroad, according to a BDA survey last year.
said Eddie Crouch, chairman of the BDA I: “Many dentists in the UK are now picking up the pieces when things go wrong. “Patients should provide informed consent for any treatment they have and be wary of a hard sell, as reality is rarely as simple as it appears on Instagram.
“Complex treatment courses usually require detailed preparation and a series of follow-up visits. The cost of follow-up treatment must be considered. If there are complications, the initial price may not be so favorable.
“We strongly advise those considering it to check the dentist’s qualifications and experience and whether they are insured if things go wrong.”
The government is discussing with Turkey how to support the safety of British citizens who choose to travel to the country for medical procedures.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “We urge anyone considering a healthcare procedure abroad to thoroughly research the standards and qualifications that apply in the country they are traveling to.
“We would also encourage people to review the UK Government’s travel advice and relevant guidance from the NHS and other relevant professional bodies, including the General Dental Council, before seeking treatment abroad.”
