Many people living in the north-west of England might wonder what their best options are when it comes to cosmetic dentistry treatments. For one couple, taking a trip to Turkey was not one of them.
Speaking to The Independent, Jade and Kelly Tushingham, who live in Chester, revealed how they spent over £4,000 on a trip to Turkey to have cosmetic veneers fitted to their teeth, combining the trip with a beach holiday. While this was a much lower cost than the same procedure in the UK, the results were calamitous.
The pair had their teeth filed down while at the clinic in Antalya, causing instant pain. They were fitted with veneers that resembled “horse teeth” and struggled to eat for days before they had crowns fitted in a “blood bath” ordeal.
Jade said: “I’ve always wanted it done, even though my teeth before were actually OK. But even now, we’re both still in constant pain.”
She said that after returning home they have been in contact with the dentist, but language barriers have proved an extra difficulty.
Moreover, while the couple have had friends complimenting them on their appearance, they have warned against emulating what they did.
The notion of going overseas for ‘cosmetic dentistry tourism’ instead of having it locally in the UK is popular but comes with a lot of hazards, dentist Paul Woodhouse recently told the Guardian Podcast.
He said the temptation to get a ‘Love Island’ smile – perhaps prompted by viewing the new series that has just begun – will be great for many young people. But, he noted, a common problem was that the cheaper options often turned out to be worse.
He pointed to a British Dental Association survey in 2022 that found 86 per cent of dentists who saw patients who had been overseas for treatment had to deal with complications arising from them.