Dental care abroad: what to check before you travel

Start with your dentist at home

See your own dentist before you make plans. Ask for an exam, X-rays and an opinion on what treatment you need and what your options are. Ask for copies of your records to take with you. The CDC also advises talking with your own doctor well before you travel (CDC).

Ask the same dentist whether they will see you after the trip, for checkups and if something goes wrong. Some work, such as implants, uses parts that are not always interchangeable between brands. Ask whether your dentist can look after what the clinic abroad plans to use.

For how each treatment works, the steps, the risks and the questions to ask any dentist, read our treatment guides.

What to check about the clinic

Licensing in that country

Check that the clinic and each dentist who will treat you are licensed by the health authority of that country. Ask for the license or registration numbers, and check them with the official source, not only with the clinic. The CDC notes that dentists abroad may not face the same licensing oversight as dentists at home (CDC).

Türkiye: Ministry of Health authorization

Facilities in Türkiye that treat international patients need an International Health Tourism Authorization Certificate from the Ministry of Health. The Ministry publishes the lists of authorized facilities on its health tourism website, in Turkish (Ministry list). Check that the clinic's exact name and address appear on the list, and ask for its certificate number.

A second requirement starts on January 1, 2027. Dental practices, polyclinics and similar facilities must also hold a health-tourism certificate issued by the provincial health directorate. Hospitals and medical centers must instead be accredited by TÜSKA, the Turkish health-care accreditation institute. The Ministry says facilities that have not done this by December 31, 2026 cannot continue to accept international patients (Ministry notice).

We check every clinic in Türkiye on Vwellny against the Ministry of Health’s list of facilities authorized for international health tourism.

Who will treat you

Ask for the names of the dentists who will treat you, where each one is licensed, and whether the same team will see you on every trip. The CDC suggests looking for international accreditation of the facility, such as from Joint Commission International, and notes that accreditation does not ensure a good outcome (CDC).

Materials and your records, in English

Ask in advance which materials and products the clinic will use, such as the crown or veneer material, the aligner system, or the brand, model and sizes of any implant. Before you leave, get your X-rays and scans, the treatment notes and any prescriptions, in English (CDC). Your dentist at home will need them. For implants, the FDA advises keeping the brand and model on file (FDA).

What the price includes, and what happens if something goes wrong

The CDC advises asking what the quoted price includes, including follow-up fees (CDC). Get written answers to these questions before you pay a deposit:

• What does the quote include: the exam, imaging, each procedure, lab work, temporary and final work, medicines and follow-up visits?
• What does it leave out, such as flights, hotels, local transport, extra nights or extra trips?
• What aftercare is included, and for how long?
• If something fails or breaks, what will the clinic do, who pays, and will you need to travel back?
• What are the warranty terms, and what conditions apply, such as regular checkups at home?
• What is the refund policy if you cancel or stop treatment?

Number of trips and healing time

Some treatment cannot be finished in one trip. For implants, the bone needs time to bond with the implant before the final teeth go on, often three to nine months (Cleveland Clinic). That often means at least two trips. Crowns, bridges and porcelain veneers are usually made in a dental lab, so ask how many days the lab needs and whether you should stay until the fit has been checked.

Ask the clinic for a written timeline that shows each trip, how many days you need to stay and how soon after treatment you can fly. Plan time to rest. The CDC notes that vacation activities such as drinking alcohol, strenuous exercise, sun exposure and long tours can slow healing (CDC).

Who handles problems once you are home

Before you go, agree with both your dentist at home and the clinic abroad how complications will be handled (CDC). Ask the clinic who to contact with urgent questions after you return. Ask your insurer whether it covers follow-up care at home for treatment done abroad, and plan how you would pay for that care if it does not.

The CDC notes that you may not have the same legal recourse abroad as at home (CDC).

The CDC checklist for medical travel

The CDC Yellow Book chapter on medical tourism says dental care is the most common type of medical tourism among US residents. Its advice for people planning care abroad includes these steps (CDC):

• Talk with your own doctor well before you travel. Consider seeing a travel medicine clinician about 4 to 6 weeks before your trip.
• Make sure your routine vaccines are up to date, especially hepatitis B.
• Bring enough of your regular medicines for the whole trip.
• Agree with your dentist at home and the clinic abroad how complications will be handled.
• Check whether your health insurance covers care abroad. Consider extra coverage, including medical evacuation insurance.
• Research the destination, the facility and the person who will treat you. Look for international accreditation, and know that accreditation does not ensure a good outcome.
• Ask what the quoted price includes, including follow-up fees, and whether follow-up happens at the same facility.
• Check your government's travel advice for your destination. US citizens can read the State Department's travel advisories and enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.
• Get a complete copy of your records in English before you leave, and tell your clinicians at home about the treatment you had and where.
• Plan your flights around your recovery.
• Do not delay care if a problem appears during your trip or after you return.

The CDC also describes the risks. Infections are the most common complications of medical travel. Others include blood clots from flying after surgery, and medicines and devices abroad that may face less regulatory oversight. Some medicines may be counterfeit (CDC).

After you come home

• See your dentist at home soon after you return, and bring your records, X-rays and details of any materials or implants used.
• Keep up regular checkups and daily cleaning, as your dentist shows you.
• Get care right away if an implant feels loose or painful (FDA), or if you notice bleeding gums, fever, pus or swelling (Cleveland Clinic). Do not wait for your next trip. For warning signs that need an emergency room, read our dental emergency guide.