Turkey’s dental work leaves Telford woman in constant pain

A woman said she lives with constant pain and can’t breathe through her nose after dental work in Turkey.

Leanne Abeyance, 41, from Telford, said she was left with a painful, infected face and the implants could not be removed because of the infections.

Her dental work also caused a collapsed diaphragm, which she said the NHS would not fix as it was seen as cosmetic surgery.

He spent £3,000 on the initial treatment, he said, and has since spent another £2,000 on private work at home to ease the pain. The government has warned people about the dangers of traveling abroad for cosmetic procedures.

“Every day I wake up and I can’t breathe through my nose,” said Ms Abeyance, a DJ and producer.

He decided to travel to Antalya in April 2024 to get four dental implants after previously having veneers placed in the country.

She said she had been quoted about £50,000 to get the work done in the UK, but found a dental practice in Antalya that took £3,000 in cash upfront.

Before undergoing the treatment, which was done under local anesthesia, she said the surgeon told her he would be doing a sinus lift and bone grafting, along with removing her veneers and placing implants.

Sometimes a dental implant sinus lift is required if there is not enough bone in the upper jaw, particularly in the back area, to support the implant.

Despite the local anesthetic, he said he could “feel everything”.

“With the bone graft, I could feel a hammer hitting the side of my face.

“The nose lift, my whole face felt lifted. My face was black and blue.”

After two days of not being able to “eat or sleep” because of the pain and swelling, she had temporary teeth placed over the implants.

She was supposed to return four months later to have her permanent teeth removed, but she said she was too scared.

When he returned to the UK, things began to deteriorate rapidly, he said.

She could not breathe through her nose and was treated for sinusitis.

When antibiotics didn’t help, she said she asked her NHS dentist to see her, but they said they couldn’t help as she had been warned not to go for treatment.

She then saw a private dentist where an x-ray showed that the implants were piercing her nose. The temporary teeth were removed and dentures were placed on top.

The infection continued, however, and she eventually ended up in the ear, nose and throat unit at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, where doctors said they could not remove the implants as her face was too infected.

Almost 18 months on, Ms Abeyance said she suffered from constant infections in her nose and had to take daily prescription medication. He is looking for a surgeon who can help.

“The implants are holding my face together, but it’s all infected,” she said.

NHS guidance is that while treatment abroad may be cheaper than in the UK, the risks must be weighed against the savings.

He adds that patients should first consult their NHS dentist as standards vary in different countries.

Ms Abeyance said one of the main reasons people went abroad for surgery was because of social media pressure.

Last month, the government teamed up with TikTok influencers to warn people about the dangers of traveling abroad for cosmetic surgery.

minister of health Karin Smyth said “too many people are left with life-changing injuries after going abroad for medical procedures, without access to appropriate advice or safeguards”.

“I show people what happened to me so they don’t make the same mistake,” Ms Abeyance said.

While it could not comment on specific cases, NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin said: “If a patient is in pain, has an infection or has other urgent health concerns, they should contact NHS 111, their GP or attend urgent care services, where they will be assessed and treated appropriately.

“However, the NHS is not usually able to provide corrective treatment for complications arising from cosmetic or elective procedures carried out privately, either in the UK or abroad, unless there is an identified clinical need.

“We encourage anyone considering receiving treatment abroad to carefully research the provider, understand the risks and consider what aftercare will be available before making a decision.”