Questions to ask your Turkish dentist on a video call
Ten minutes with the dentist who will treat you tells you more than a week of WhatsApp messages with a coordinator.
Medically reviewed by Dt. Hüseyin Yavuz Özbek, implant surgeon · Updated October 2026Ask the clinic for a short video call with the dentist who will treat you, after they have seen your X-ray or photos. Ask what they think you need and why, what the alternatives are, who will do each stage, how many similar cases they do, what is included in the price, and what happens if something goes wrong at home. Note their answers and ask for them in writing afterwards.
Most UK patients arrange treatment in Türkiye by messaging a coordinator. That is efficient, but the coordinator is not the person who will treat you. Before you pay a deposit, especially for implants or a smile makeover, ask for a short video call with the dentist. Ten or fifteen minutes is enough.
Before the call
- Send a recent X-ray (a panoramic X-ray from your UK dentist is ideal) and clear photos of your teeth.
- Write down your medical history and medicines.
- Write down what bothers you most: pain, appearance, chewing, a loose denture.
- Have the dentist’s name and their HealthTürkiye record to hand.
Questions about your treatment
- What do you think I need, and why? A good answer explains the problem before the solution.
- What are the alternatives? For example, veneers versus bonding, or implants versus a bridge or denture.
- Which of my teeth can be kept?
- What might change once you examine me? An honest dentist will say the plan may change after a scan.
Questions about the dentist
- Will you do my treatment yourself? If not, who will do which part?
- How many cases like mine have you done this year?
- Will you see me on my second trip?
Questions about practicalities
- How many days do I need, and how many trips?
- What exactly is included in the price? Scans, extractions, temporary teeth, grafts, hotel, transfers.
- Which implant brand or crown material will you use?
- What does the guarantee cover, and do I need to come back to use it?
- If I have a problem at home, who do I contact and how fast will they reply?
What good answers sound like
Good answers are specific, patient and willing to say “it depends” where it genuinely does. A good dentist will often talk you out of something, or suggest less treatment than you expected. Be wary of a dentist who agrees to everything you ask for without discussing the downsides, or who talks mainly about the price.
After the call
Send a short message summarising what was agreed, and ask the clinic to confirm it in a written, itemised plan. Keep the dentist’s name, title and register record with your booking. If anything changes on the day, you will have something to compare against.
Questions about your health
A good dentist will ask you as many questions as you ask them. Expect questions about your medicines, diabetes, heart conditions, smoking, previous dental treatment and anaesthetic. If the dentist does not ask about your health before suggesting surgery, raise it yourself, and be cautious.
Practical tips for the call
- Use a computer or tablet rather than a phone, so you can see X-rays they share.
- Ask if you can record the call, or have someone with you to take notes.
- Have your X-ray and photos open so you can point to teeth you are unsure about.
- If a coordinator translates, ask the dentist to answer in their own words and the coordinator to translate them fully.
What to do if the clinic will not arrange a call
Some busy clinics only offer written replies before booking. If so, send your questions in writing and ask the dentist to answer them in writing, signed with their name. If even that is refused, ask yourself why. For a large treatment, it is reasonable to expect to hear from the person who will treat you.
Comparing several clinics
If you are comparing two or three clinics, ask each the same questions and write the answers side by side. Differences in diagnosis are as revealing as differences in price. Our speciality pages can help you find dentists with relevant training to compare.
A one-page note to bring to the call
| Write down | Example |
|---|---|
| Your main problem | “My lower denture moves when I eat.” |
| What you want | “Fixed teeth if possible, natural-looking.” |
| What you want to avoid | “Bone grafts if there is another way.” |
| Health | Medicines, conditions, smoking. |
| Dates | When you could travel, twice. |
| Budget | A realistic range. |
Listening for the right things
- Does the dentist explain before recommending? Diagnosis first, treatment second.
- Do they mention uncertainty? “I need a 3D scan to be sure” is honest.
- Do they ask about your health?
- Do they offer an alternative? Even if they recommend against it.
- Are they happy to put it in writing?
Following up in writing
After the call, send a short message: “Thank you. My understanding is that you recommend ___, with ___ implants, over ___ trips, for £___ including ___. Dr ___ will place the implants and Dr ___ will fit the teeth. Please correct me if I have misunderstood.” The reply gives you a written record that matches what was said.
The NHS checklist
The NHS treatment abroad checklist is worth reading before your call. It suggests checking qualifications, asking about aftercare and being wary of pressure to decide quickly. Many of the questions above come from the same idea: you are entitled to understand what will be done, by whom, and what happens if it goes wrong.
Find dentists to call
If you are still choosing, our national ranking and speciality pages show named dentists with their records. Each profile lists what we could not find, so you know what to ask.
Example answers, good and less good
| Question | A reassuring answer | A worrying answer |
|---|---|---|
| Why do I need implants? | Explains the state of your teeth and bone on the X-ray | “Everyone your age has them” |
| Can any teeth be kept? | Discusses specific teeth and their outlook | “It is easier to remove them all” |
| What could change? | “The 3D scan may show we need a graft” | “Nothing will change” |
| What if something goes wrong at home? | Describes a clear process and contact | “It won’t” |
If you feel rushed
It is fine to end a call by saying you would like time to think. A good dentist will expect that for a large treatment. The NHS treatment abroad checklist warns against feeling pressured to decide quickly. If a clinic follows up with time-limited offers, treat that as a sales tactic, not a clinical reason.
Your next steps
- Ask your UK dentist for a copy of your most recent panoramic X-ray, or book one privately.
- Write your one-page note: problem, goals, health, dates and budget.
- Choose two or three dentists from our ranking or speciality pages whose field matches your treatment.
- Send each the same X-ray and note, and ask for a short video call with the dentist named in the reply.
- After each call, send your written summary and ask the clinic to confirm it.
- Compare the answers side by side before you pay any deposit.
If a clinic will not let you speak to the dentist, or answers only with prices, that comparison will usually make the decision for you.
Fifteen minutes on a call can save you from a plan that is wrong for you.
A call with our top pick
Precious Dental publishes this guide. If you would like our implant surgeon, Dt. Hüseyin Yavuz Özbek, or a colleague to look at your X-ray and talk you through it, you can contact us. Use the same questions with us as with anyone else. Our ranking method explains how we compare other dentists.
Common questions
Will a Turkish dentist agree to a video call?
Many will, especially for larger treatments. If a clinic refuses to let you speak to the dentist before booking, consider that carefully.
What if the dentist does not speak English well?
A coordinator can translate. What matters is that the dentist answers the questions, not the coordinator.
Should I send an X-ray first?
Yes. A recent panoramic X-ray lets the dentist give a much more useful view.
Is a plan made over video final?
No. It is a starting point. The dentist should confirm or change it after examining you and taking a scan.
Sources
Checked October 2026. Where we give our own view as a clinic, we say so.
Want our top pick to look at your case?
Send an X-ray or a few photos to Precious Dental in Antalya. Dt. Hüseyin Yavuz Özbek, our implant surgeon, or one of his colleagues will reply with a written plan and price. No obligation, and you are free to compare it with any dentist in this guide.