My Turkey teeth operation went so badly the dentist sat down and prayed
SABRINA ALI’S smile was so badly wrecked by a “Turkey teeth” treatment that afterwards a despairing NHS dentist got down on the floor and said she would pray for her recovery.
The 29-year-old mum of five had wanted corrective treatment after losing her front teeth as a child.
She couldn’t afford UK prices starting at £3,000, so in 2020 she booked with Clinic Mono in Izmir, Turkey, after reading glowing online reviews
The £1,500 package — with car transfers and hotel included — seemed like a bargain.
Sabrina said: “I wanted a bridge at the front and some veneers, but after the anaesthetic it was obvious the dentist was doing way more than I wanted.
“When I finally looked I realised all of my teeth were ground down to tiny stumps.
“The dentist said it was the only way for my teeth to match.
“I was shocked but part of me was excited that I was getting a full set of gleaming crowns.
“I was told I’d get a big discount for paying cash, with a total price of £4,500.
“I could take out the cash on my credit card.”
Former Arabic teacher Sabrina, now a full-time mum, returned to the Ramada Plaza hotel later that day with a set of temporary teeth.
She said: “They were on for five days while the crowns were made.
“They felt really rough and didn’t fit properly, and as the anaesthetic wore off the pain became unbearable.
“I couldn’t eat or sleep because of the pain. I kept going to the clinic asking for help. It was sheer hell.”
And it got worse.
Sabrina, from Barking, Essex, said: “When the dentist showed me the teeth he was going to put in I was shocked.
“It wasn’t individual teeth but blocks of three or four in a row.
“They didn’t fit properly when they were glued in. I was still in so much pain.
“Every time I breathed in it felt like ice was being pressed against the nerves.
“But the dentist told me it would settle in time.”
He said my teeth had been ground down too small to put on individual crowns. I began to doubt if he was a dentist at all.
Sabrina Ali
However, weeks after she returned home in October 2020 the pain was still unbearable.
Sabrina said: “The clinic just kept saying it would get better.
“By then I couldn’t chew properly, my mouth started to smell terrible and I had acute pain on the left-hand side.”
By February 2021 Sabrina was desperate, so she booked an emergency dental appointment here.
She said: “I’d spent weeks in pain by then and had got over the embarrassment of having made a terrible choice, so I called 111.
“After inspecting me, the emergency dentist just froze.
“She then slowly sat on the floor and said she’d pray for me.
“I panicked — it seemed like a nightmare.”
Sabrina had an acute infection under the crowns on her upper left jaw caused by food getting trapped between the crowns and her gums.
She said: “There were gaps which obviously shouldn’t be there.
“The tiny stumps underneath were swimming in food debris and acid, causing the disgusting smell.
“I was given antibiotics.
“I called Clinic Mono but none of my calls were answered.
“I resorted to posting a video on TikTok explaining my ordeal.
When the dentist showed me the teeth he was going to put in I was shocked. It wasn’t individual teeth but blocks of three or four in a row.
Sabrina Ali
“I felt I had no option. I was so angry I wanted to shame the clinic into replying, having left me in such a mess.
“The clinic called me a few days later saying they’d repair my teeth.
“All I had to do was delete the video and pay for my own flights.
“I was broke after paying for the initial treatment and told them they’d have to pay for my flight, which they finally agreed to.”
After Covid restrictions were dropped, Sabrina finally boarded a plane for Turkey in November 2021.
She said: “I felt very unwelcome. I asked for a different dentist but was seen by the same one.
“He took out the top teeth, which were falling out by themselves anyway, and when he tried to take out the bottom ones he cracked them, leaving another massive gap for food to get into.
“He couldn’t get them out, so he just left them there.
“He said my teeth had been ground down too small to put on individual crowns.
“I began to doubt if he was a dentist at all.”
Every UK dentist said they had seen similar Turkey teeth nightmare stories and wouldn’t go near them. A US dentist offered to help
Sabrina Ali
. . . for £15,000.
After having a new set of multi-crowns fitted, Sabrina was told the clinic had done all it could.
She said: “I had the same problems as before but worse, with a massive crack on my lower crowns too.”
Angry Sabrina posted more TikTok videos, and within hours she was called again by the clinic.
It offered a full refund if she signed a legal contract agreeing not to talk publicly about her experiences. She refused.
Sabrina said: “I’d resigned myself to the constant pain and the awful rows of ill-fitting crowns and I didn’t want them touching my mouth again.
“At least I could help others. Soon my TikTok videos were getting millions of views.
“I was contacted by so many people who had had similar botch jobs. I was giving them strength to fight for justice.”
Tens of thousands of Brits go abroad for cosmetic dental surgery each year, but a recent report by the British Dental Association found 86 per cent of UK dentists have treated patients who have developed problems as a result.
Sabrina asked UK dentists about repairing her teeth.
She said: “Every single one of them said they’d seen similar Turkey teeth nightmare stories and wouldn’t go near them, it was too problematic.
“One US dentist said they could help, but it would cost £15,000.
“Now I suffer from terrible anxiety and insomnia. I still have regular infections.
“I just want my confidence and my life back. My kids have seen me crying so many times.
“I can’t turn back the clock but I hope I can help others from falling into the same trap.”
The Clinic Mono has been approached for comment.
- Do you have Turkey teeth story to tell us? Email Turkeyteeth@the-sun.co.uk
Left in world of pain
By Dr Rhona Eskander Dentist and founder of The Chelsea Dental Clinic
I’VE seen countless horror stories from patients who have had treatment abroad. And there is little or no aftercare.
Patients are left in a world of pain, often due to cutting down the teeth too much, leaving the nerve exposed.
This can also leave the crowns unstable, so they can snap off at the gum line.
Corrective treatment can cost more than £50,000 – if a UK dentist will treat you at all.
Sabrina’s story will resonate with all those people who thought they were getting a bargain but actually ended up massively in debt and with botched teeth.
We’re not just talking about someone’s confidence being knocked – the infections Sabrina describes can become life-threatening if the airways are compromised.
For a mum with children, it puts the wellbeing of the whole family at risk.
The way to glow
TURKEY teeth jobs have also led to some alarming teeth- whitening pictures . . .
- SCOTT shared a video of himself in a club, with teeth that glowed in the dark. He wrote: “Tell me you’ve been to Turkey without telling me you’ve been to Turkey.”
- A couple who proudly showed off their gnashers on TikTok got the comment: “At least you’ll save money on your lighting/electric bill.”
- TikTokker Jodie received abuse for sharing her Turkey teeth journey but showed off her new veneers, joking: “Can’t wait to regret them in ten years.”