If treatment goes wrong when you get home
Pain, swelling, a loose crown, a broken temporary bridge: most problems after treatment abroad can be handled calmly if you know the order of steps.
Medically reviewed by Dt. Hüseyin Yavuz Özbek, implant surgeon · Updated October 2026If you have severe pain, swelling spreading to your face or neck, fever or difficulty swallowing or breathing, get urgent help: call NHS 111, or 999 in an emergency. For other problems, contact your UK dentist, then write to the Turkish clinic with photos and the UK dentist’s findings, referring to your guarantee. Keep a dated record of everything.
Some discomfort after dental treatment is normal: tenderness after implants, sensitivity after crowns, a few days of swelling. This guide is for when something feels wrong, or breaks, after you are back in the UK.
When to get urgent help
Call NHS 111, or 999 in an emergency, if you have:
- Swelling that spreads to your eye, cheek, neck or under your jaw.
- A high temperature, or feeling very unwell.
- Difficulty swallowing, breathing or opening your mouth.
- Bleeding that will not stop with pressure.
- Severe pain that painkillers do not control.
Tell them what treatment you had abroad and when. Have your medicines list and treatment summary to hand.
Common non-urgent problems
- A loose or broken temporary bridge between trips.
- A crown or veneer that comes off or chips.
- A bite that feels wrong, or teeth that hit first on one side.
- Gum soreness or bleeding around an implant. The Oral Health Foundation warns that plaque around an implant can lead to peri-implantitis, so do not ignore it.
- A screw that feels loose on an implant crown or bridge.
Step by step
- Photograph the problem in good light, with the date.
- See a UK dentist. Ask for a short written note of what they find and, if possible, an X-ray.
- Write to the clinic. Send the photos and the UK dentist’s note, refer to your guarantee, and ask what they propose. See how to complain for what to include.
- Agree the plan in writing: a repair trip, UK treatment paid by the clinic, or something else.
- Keep everything in one folder.
Records make this much easier
A UK dentist working on implants they did not place needs the brand, system and size. If you have your implant card, scans and treatment summary, they can start straight away. If you do not, ask the clinic for them now. See the records to bring home.
Plan for this before you go
- Register with a UK dentist, NHS or private, before treatment.
- Tell them you are having treatment abroad. The NHS checklist suggests talking to your UK clinician first.
- Know your guarantee: who pays travel, how to claim.
- Save the clinic’s out-of-hours number.
Common questions
Will an NHS dentist see me after treatment abroad?
NHS urgent dental care is available through NHS 111. Routine care depends on finding an NHS dentist with space. Many patients use a private UK dentist for aftercare.
Should I let a UK dentist fix it?
For urgent problems, yes. For guarantee repairs, check with the clinic first, because treatment by another dentist can affect your guarantee. Your health comes first.
What if I cannot fly back for a repair?
Ask the clinic whether it will contribute to UK treatment instead. Some guarantees allow this; many do not.
Sources
Checked October 2026. Where we give our own view as a clinic, we say so.
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