A young Australian man who flew to Turkey for an affordable teeth makeover has been slammed by dentists – with one saying it was the worst thing he could have done to his teeth.
The latest cosmetic fad is called “Turkey Teeth” and involves filing the teeth down on pegs and then replacing them with crowns or veneers.
The procedure, which leaves patients with a Hollywood smile, is fueled on social media with the hashtag #Turkeyteeth having been viewed more than 100 million times.
Australian TikTok influencer Mahmoud Ismail traveled to Turkey in December to fix a gap in his front teeth.
The 35-year-old spent more than $3,000 on 18 crowns and had his teeth trimmed to cover the entire structure.
Ismail shared a video of his transformation on his social media accounts, documenting every step of the healing process.
“Okay guys, I’m here in Turkey and the main reason I’m here is to close this gap, bro,” Ismail explains as he points to the gap in his front teeth.
Young Australian Mahmoud Ismail was not happy with his smile and decided to travel to Turkey to get veneers. He documented his transformation by showing off his shaved bottom teeth (pictured)
“I’ve lived with it all my life, it’s my signature and it’s time to leave the void. We’ll wrap it up… I’m nervous.
The video then shows Ismail sitting in a dentist’s chair during the procedure with all of his upper teeth shaved down.
“Look how it looks, bro, I’m tired,” Ishmael says as he lifts his upper lip.
The social media influencer explains that he has to wait two days before the dentist can put crowns on his shaved top and bottom teeth.
The video then cuts to Ishmael with his hand over his mouth before revealing his smile transformation.
“After a week of torture bro, the teeth are finally in,” Ismail says.
“They put the teeth in and I have to say, because it looks so weird. Brother, there is no more emptiness.”
“Bro, I’m having an identity crisis, I’m already missing the void, what the hell.”
Ismail explains that he chose the “third whitest” shade for his teeth, claiming he didn’t want his smile to look fake.
The 35-year-old said he wanted to get rid of his “signature gap” on his top front teeth (left). Ismail revealed his new smile claiming it was “strange” not to see his gap and that he chose the third whitest shade so his smile wouldn’t look fake
But many dentists were unimpressed with the economic transformation of teeth.
“Ouch!!?, as a dentist, this is a crime, please don’t recommend people to do this. You only had to close the gap so as not to destroy the entire teeth,” said Dr. Alhadi.
“As a dentist, it pains me to see you ruining your teeth. It could easily be closed with two composite bonding or a bracket,” said Cosmetic Dentist Dr Gurvinder Bhirth.
A third dentist Dr Mubashir Bilal Hussain claimed the procedure was the “worst” thing he could have done to his teeth.
“The results will show when you’re around 50. It’s like removing the brick foundation of your house to build a beautiful apartment on top of it that will fall apart in a few years,” wrote Dr. Hussain.
Another person said: “This is the equivalent of destroying a perfectly good brick and mortar house and replacing it with plywood just to change the color of the roof.”
“Six months of Invisalign and some whitening to top it off and you’d have the same result but with your own teeth,” commented another.
Other social media users came to Ismail’s defense, claiming his teeth looked great.
“Masallah, awesome transformation! Just be happy with them bro,” one person wrote.
Another person agreed: “Great result. These people judge you and say whatever.. if it makes you happy and you like it then it’s ok.’
Ismail said he had a “bit of an identity crisis” in the weeks following the procedure, but was happy with his decision despite the backlash he faced from people online.
“It hurt for the first few days because of the pressure of the crowns on my gums, but I loved the new look, but it took me a while to adjust to the look since I’ve had my gap my whole life,” she said. media.
“I haven’t stopped smiling for the past two months. I feel more confident in front of the camera and smile in the mirror more often.’
“Even if my teeth are damaged in 5-10 years, it would be much cheaper to go back to Turkey and get them fixed again.”
The Sydneysider said he was happy with his decision despite the backlash he received from dentists who claimed the procedure was the “worst” thing he could have done
Sydney dentist Ellis Vakirtzis told Daily Mail Australia he has seen an increase in aggressive dental work being carried out overseas.
Dr Vakirtzis said it “hurts” to see healthy teeth cut and wanted to warn patients about the long-term risks involved in cosmetic dental procedures such as crowns and veneers.
“When these operations are done properly and conservatively, these complications are very rare,” said Dr. Vakirtzis.
“I’m starting to see some really aggressive work from dentists overseas on my Facebook/Instagram/TikTok feed where a significant amount of healthy tooth structure is cut down to little stumps.”
“Shaving teeth can reduce their overall strength and can lead to tooth nerve damage that requires root canal treatment.
“Unfortunately, this aggressive work increases the chance of complications, as shaving the teeth can reduce their overall strength and can lead to nerve damage to the tooth that requires root canal treatment.”
Sydney dentist Dr Ellis Vakirtzis (pictured) has seen an increase in invasive dental work abroad and wants patients to understand the potential long-term risks of crown and veneer procedures
The doctor at Dulwich Dental Services explained that treatment for crown or veneer complications is often challenging and can be very expensive.
“For starters, since the treating dentist is abroad, it will be difficult to see him for any necessary follow-up or restorative work,” said Dr. Vakirtzis.
“Restorative work is difficult to perform because of the lack of healthy tooth structure, and this becomes especially difficult when the work is past its expiration date.”
He advised patients to carefully consider traveling abroad for any type of cosmetic work and to consult with their doctor to understand the various options available.
“Ultimately, it’s important for each person to weigh the pros and cons,” Dr. Vakirtzis said.
“There’s no doubt about the importance of a great smile, but more than that – try to be comfortable in the skin you’re in!”
