Turkey dental work leaves woman in constant pain

A woman has said she is living in constant pain and is unable to breathe through her nose after having dental work in Turkey.

Leanne Abeyance, 41, from Telford, said she had been left with a painful, infected face and the implants could not be removed due to the infections.

Her dental work also caused a collapsed septum which she said the NHS would not fix as it was deemed a cosmetic procedure.

She spent £3,000 on the initial treatment, she said, and has since spent another £2,000 on private work at home to relieve the pain. The government has warned people about the risks of travelling abroad for cosmetic procedures.

"Every day I wake up and I can't breathe through my nose," Ms Abeyance, a DJ and producer, said.

She decided to travel to Antalya in April 2024 to get four dental implants after previously having veneers fitted in the country.

She said she had been quoted about £50,000 to get the work done in the UK but found a dental practice in Antalya which took £3,000 in cash up front.

The NHS guidance is that while being treated abroad might be cheaper than the UK, the risks need to be weighed against the savings.

It adds that patients should consult their NHS dentist first as standards vary in different countries.

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Source: BBC News, 17 September 2025