How Long Do I Need To Travel For My Dental Treatment In Turkey?

Having to take time off work and wanting to plan a month or so in advance, many people wonder: How long do I need to travel for my dental treatment in Turkey?

Usually, dental tourists need to visit Turkey once and stay there for about 7-9 days. However, the treatment plan can change depending on the type of treatment you’re undergoing. For some treatments, you only need to spend 1 day in Turkey. So, it can greatly vary. 

Before you’ve made the final booking, your clinic should share the details of the treatment plan with you so you know the expected duration of your treatment in Turkey. 

But to have an idea of what can happen, we’ll provide you with an estimated treatment duration for your dental work in Turkey. 

Can I Travel For Dental Treatment? 

“Medical tourism” refers to getting medical treatment in another country. And dental tourism can be considered a branch of it. It’s, in fact, a fairly common practice for people to travel abroad for dental treatment. So, the answer to whether can you travel for dental treatment is yes. 

Medical tourism

Mainly, people do it to seek elective procedures to save costs and/or to avoid long waiting times in their own national healthcare system. 

However, depending on the country you’re going to travel to and your country visa, you might need to apply for a visa to another country. You can apply for it regularly through an embassy or obtain it through the government’s online visa application system (if available). 

Other than providing the necessary documentation, you might be required to submit an invitation letter from the medical facility for your treatment abroad.  

Can I Travel To Turkey For Dental Treatment?

You can travel to Turkey for your dental treatment. In fact, dental tourism is quite popular in the country. 

According to the Chairperson of the Dental Supplies Industry and Businessmen’s Association (DISSIAD), 100,000 dental tourists visited Turkey in 2020. Implants, fillings, whitening, and smile aesthetics are just a few of the most popular treatments. 

The dental tourism industry in Turkey is also valued in billions. Therefore, quite a few people have decided to come to Turkey to get their teeth done. And there’s your answer to: can you travel to Turkey for dental treatment?  

Turkey medical tourism
Istanbul, Turkey

However, again, you might have to apply for a visa (some countries are exempt). You should consider checking out Turkey’s eVisa platform to find out if you’re eligible to apply for the visa online. If not, you can apply through the Turkish embassy or consulate. 

The maximum duration of stay for a Turkish visa is 90 days (it can be extended through a short-term residence permit). And according to Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, your passport’s expiration date should extend 60 days beyond your visa’s validity period.

For the visa itself, you may need: 

  • Your recent photos (taken in a particular size and style)
  • Passport
  • ID card 
  • Proof of travel arrangements (flight tickets, hotel, bank statement) 
  • Invitation letter
  • Employment certificate (if applicable)
  • Travel insurance
  • Cover letter 

This list is not exhaustive, and you might need other required documents for applying for the visa or you might not need even these documents depending on the country. For more information, you should refer to the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. 

How Long Do I Need To Travel For My Dental Treatment In Turkey?

Depending on the type of treatment you’re undergoing, your duration of stay in Turkey can vary. However, we’ve summarised the estimated timeline for some of the most common procedures. 

Dental Crowns | 7-8 Days

Dental crowns usually require 3 appointments at the clinic, and its itinerary is usually as follows: 

  • Day 1/2: You arrive at the airport and check-in at your hotel. A day after, you go to the clinic, where you have a face-to-face consultation followed by teeth prepping.  
  • Day 3/4: The second appointment usually takes place 2 days after for a demo try-on. 
  • Day 7/8: The third appointment takes place after 2-3 days for the final fitting. 

After that, you’re ready to fly back home. 

Dental Veneers | 6-7 Days

Dental veneer treatment also requires three separate appointments, usually at an interval of 2 days. You can expect your itinerary to be as follows: 

  • Day 1/2: Your flight arrives, and you check into your hotel. An in-person consultation is followed by teeth prepping at the clinic.  
  • Day 3/4: Two days after temporary teeth are fitted for a demo try-on. 
  • Day 6/7: Permanent teeth are fitted after 2 more days. 

You can fly back home afterwards. 

Composite Bonding | 1-2 Days

Composite bonding is relatively much quicker and simpler than crowns and veneers. 

Since it doesn’t require any kind of teeth prepping, you only need to have one appointment to get a new smile. 

Teeth Whitening | 1-2 Days

Teeth whitening can also be completed in just 1 visit to the dentist. Your overall stay might be 1 day longer depending on when you arrive in Turkey (and your scheduled treatment date). 

Smile transformation

Also, while you only need to visit Turkey once for this dental treatment, keep in mind that the results of teeth whitening are not permanent. So, if you’d like to whiten your teeth again, you’ll have to fly to Turkey again.  

Dental Implants | 4-5 Days

If you’re getting (just) dental implants Turkey, you’ll have to visit Turkey twice. 

The first visit might go as follows: 

  • Day 1/2: You arrive in Turkey and head for your face-to-face consultation and implant fitting. 
  • Day 4/5: You come back to the clinic for the removal of your stitches and follow-up check. 

If all’s well, you can return home after this. For 3-6 months, you’ll have to wait for the implant to fuse with the jawbone. And once that’s done, you’ll have to fly back for the second phase of the procedure. 

  • Day 1/2: Your dentist checks that the implant is fused into the bone and places a healing cap inside your gum tissue. 
  • Day 4/5: In the second appointment, the dentist tries the base crowns.
  • Day 7/8: The final permanent restoration is fitted on top of the implant. 

The procedure is finished after that. 

Dentures | 7-8 Days

If you’re planning to get dentures, you’ll need around 3 appointments with your dentist in Turkey. For that, your itinerary might look like the following: 

  • Day 1/2: You arrive in Turkey and then at the clinic so the dentist can take an impression of your teeth. 
  • Day 4/5: You’ll wear a denture model to check if it fits correctly. 
  • Day 7/8: You’ll be given the final denture for wearing. 

Here, you should keep in mind that the treatment timeline can vary if you need a tooth extraction or dental implants for the fitting of dentures. In that case, you’ll need to visit Turkey more than once. 

Tooth Extraction | 1-2 Days

Tooth extraction also doesn’t require a long stay in Turkey. 

You only need to visit the clinic once for your consultation and the procedure itself. Even a follow-up appointment isn’t always required. However, it can change depending on the complexity of the procedure.  

Root Canal | 2-7 Days

A root canal treatment can be completed in just 1 visit to the dentist. If that’s the case, you’ll only have to stay in Turkey for 1-2 days. 

However, if you need another appointment for canal cleaning and filling (after the infected pulp is removed in the first appointment), you might have to wait for a week for that. 

Tooth Filling | 1-2 Days

 A dental filling usually requires just one visit to the dentist. So, you’ll only have to stay in Turkey for 1-2 days. 

It can, however, take longer if you’re getting an inlay or onlay because they’re custom prepared in a laboratory. This can take a week. 

Scale and Polish | 1-2 Days

Scale and polish are also done in just one dental appointment. 

However, a treatment like dental scaling is usually recommended regularly (after every 6 months) to ensure good oral hygiene. 

If you’re planning to get this treatment regularly, you’ll have to visit Turkey accordingly. 

Night Guard | 7 Days

If you’re planning to get a night guard in Turkey, you’ll need to visit the clinic twice. 

The first time, an impression is taken. And in the second appointment, you’ll have your final night guard. It can all take about a week or so. 

Conclusion 

Many people wonder if can you travel to Turkey for dental work. The answer is yes, you can. In fact, it can be very cost- and time-saving. 

However, your duration of stay in Turkey can vary depending on the kind of treatment you need. Keep in mind that we’ve only given you an estimate of the treatment timeline. It can be shorter or longer than that, depending on a variety of factors. 

For an accurate and detailed treatment plan, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

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