One of the UK’s top cosmetic dentists is warning people against travelling abroad in the hope of a cheap fix after seeing a huge rise in ‘Turkey teeth.’

Dr Ken Harris, who runs the multi-award winning Riveredge Cosmetic Dentist in Sunderland, has seen a massive rise in people needing remedial treatment after travelling to Turkey for cosmetic dentistry. He is urging people to think twice before agreeing to bargain price veneers, which can cause a huge amount of damage to teeth.

“We have seen a number of people who have gone to Turkey and then decided to have their teeth done, or booked a travel package which includes some kind of cosmetic treatment,” said Dr Harris.

“The results in some cases have been horrendous. The teeth are ground down to virtually nothing and then in some cases it is crowns, not veneers, which are being fitted and then the patient comes home and realises how many problems they now have.”

Dr Harris is also concerned at the “assembly line” approach of some clinics, where people are literally in and out in a few hours.

“To get this kind of treatment done takes time if it is done right,” he said. “It’s impossible for veneers to be fitted in a few hours and this is why people find they need a huge amount of work done to have them corrected, although in some cases their teeth are completely ruined.”

He advises anyone thinking about travelling for this kind of treatment to get proper advice and do their research before making the decision.

“While it may seem a very good deal, in the long run it can set people up for problems that they might never recover from,” said Dr Harris.

Riveredge Cosmetic Dentistry has a world-wide reputation, with Dr Harris (BDS, MFGDP, FFGDP RCS (Eng), MSc Restorative and Aesthetic dentistry) one of only two Fellows of the British Academy of Aesthetic Dentistry (BACD) and a regular lecturer to dentists around the globe.

He is recognised as one of the leaders in the field of cosmetic dentistry, often being brought in by other practices to handle complex cases.

The strong team at Riveredge includes Dr Richard Coates BDS (UNcle) Pg Dip CID, who chairs The North East Private Dentists group, is a long standing member of The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and holds a diploma in implantology from Newcastle University.