Why dentists must not turn their backs on victims of ‘Turkey teeth’ - Hassan Maghaireh

Unfortunately, the quick and cheap nature of their oral cosmetic procedures often results in shortcuts that are not only unnecessarily invasive but also dangerous. Commonly this leaves patients with a longer and more intricate list of dental issues than they started with.

Due to their complexities, many UK dentists refuse to take on remedial cases from international dentists, leaving patients in pain and at risk of a long list of health conditions. We at the Leeds Dental Clinic take a different approach. We believe that patients should have access to high-quality dental work, even if they have received work elsewhere.

Over the past five years, in the industry we have seen a large spike in Turkey Teeth.

One of the most common side effects of negligent dental cosmetic work is heightened tooth sensitivity and bad mouth hygiene. This can lead to inflamed gums, bad breath, long-lasting tooth pain, rotting teeth, and even the breaking of the veneers themselves.

In fact, as veneers need to be replaced every 10- 15 years, younger patients, who are often influenced by celebrities to get procedures, will be left with these problems for the rest of their lives. If left untreated, these problems can lead to serious health problems that affect the rest of the body, ailments that can include sepsis and cancer.

On top of this, due to the individuality of everyone’s face shape, they require a unique approach, something that isn’t always available in tourism dentistry. The lack of comprehensive briefing processes needed to properly fit the right veneer to the right face shape, leaves many patients with ill-formed teeth that can often look like carbon copies of other patients.

Taking into account the health conditions that can come from bad oral cosmetic surgery, UK dentists have a duty of care towards patients to ensure that they are able to live a healthy happy life. That includes if they have received bad work from international clinics.

These patients need compassion and expertise, not judgement.

As an implant cosmetic dentist involved in teaching and mentoring of other colleagues across the UK as well as on an international level, and as the owner and lead dentist of a world-class implant and cosmetic treatment clinic, I know that no matter the complexity of a case, every patient can be helped.

In the modern world, a more sympathetic look towards patients who have received work abroad is needed. The UK dental industry needs to shift its focus to change the idea that international work is not our problem, especially when it comes to our patients.

Hassan Maghaireh is the owner of Leeds Dental Clinic.