What to ask your dentist in Estonia before a dental trip to Turkey

Why start with your own dentist

When planning a dental trip it feels natural to start with the clinic in Turkey. It is worth starting instead with the person who has seen your teeth for years. The UK dental regulator, the GDC, advises talking to your own dentist before going abroad for treatment, for two reasons: they can advise based on your dental history, and they need to know your plans if a complication appears later.

The conversation does not commit you to treatment in Estonia. It gives you a local assessment to compare the Turkish offers against, and a dentist who knows what is going on in your mouth when you come home.

Questions about the treatment you need

1. What do you see, and what do you think is necessary? Ask for it in writing, even briefly: which teeth and which treatment.
2. Are there several options? For example a bridge or an implant, a crown or a filling. You do not have to choose now. You want to know what a clinic in Turkey might talk about.
3. What must be done before larger treatment? For example gum treatment or treating a particular tooth. If that is missing from the Turkish plan, you have a good question.
4. What could change the plan? A local dentist may be able to say whether bone or roots could bring surprises. That helps you understand why a quote can change after an examination.

If your dentist in Estonia also gives you a quote, you have a real baseline. Put it in the same table as the Turkish offers. The method is in how to compare dental quotes.

Questions about X-rays and documents

1. Which images do I have, and can I get a copy? According to TEHIK's health portal FAQ, the portal shows records of radiology examinations, but the images are issued to the patient by the provider that did the examination. Ask the clinic that took them.
2. Is the image recent enough? A clinic may want a new one. Ask your dentist whether the existing image is still usable.
3. What do you need in writing from the clinic in Turkey to help me later? Usually the treatment plan, implant brand and model, materials and a list of work done. Ask what your dentist specifically wants.

VeriClinify does not accept X-rays, CT scans, mouth photos or treatment plan files. A description is enough to ask for offers. If you later decide to share images with a clinic, that is a decision between you and that clinic. See what to prepare for a preliminary dental quote.

Questions about after the trip

1. Are you willing to check me after treatment done abroad? Some dentists are, some are not. Better to know beforehand.
2. What will it cost? If your dentist is a Tervisekassa contract partner, you can use the dental benefit, 60 euros a year or 105 euros for some groups, for an examination and other reimbursable services. Ask what is reimbursable.
3. If a temporary tooth breaks or I have pain, can I come to you? For an acute condition, emergency dental care at a Tervisekassa contract partner is free when the dentist judges it to be an emergency. More in a dental problem back in Estonia after treatment abroad.
4. Do you have experience with this implant system? If the Turkish clinic names a brand, ask whether your dentist can work with its parts later.

Questions not to ask

Do not ask your dentist to choose a clinic in Turkey or to rate competitors. They know no more about that work than you do. They can, however, tell you whether the Turkish plan describes the same treatment they recommended or something else. That is valuable.

What this means for you

One short conversation with your dentist gives you three things: a local assessment, the images you already have, and knowing whether someone in Estonia will see you after treatment. All three make comparing Turkish offers more honest. If you want several clinics to answer the same description, you can request offers through VeriClinify and choose yourself.

Limits

This page does not replace a dentist's assessment or say which treatment suits you. It does not say treatment in Turkey is better or worse than in Estonia. The GDC is the UK regulator; its advice is general and does not describe Estonian law. Tervisekassa amounts are as of 30 September 2026.