Vicky Robinson jetted off to get a full set of crowns in October last year for the procedure she says was supposed to set her back £3,000
A mum of three says that her “nightmare” Turkey dental makeover is the worst thing she’s ever done as she’s been left in “agony” for six months.
Vicky Robinson jetted off to get a full set of crowns in October last year for the procedure she says was supposed to set her back £3,000. But when on the operating chair she claims the surgeon carried out procedures that she hadn’t asked for, including two sinus lifts and removing and replacing seven of her teeth with implants, upping her bill to £10,000 in the process.
Vicky, 47, from Nottingham, says she was sent home three days later but was in agony because the screws in her implants had come loose. “They did all this stuff without asking. As soon as they got me in the chair, nobody spoke English. I don’t know what I was thinking but when I got the bill, I was in shock. They ripped seven teeth out but only gave me six implants.
“I had two sinus lifts for £500 each. I didn’t even know what a sinus lift was. My mouth was a mess. They stitched my cheek and gum together and I had an abscess. My face was so swollen and I was in so much pain. If there’d been a cliff nearby I would have jumped off it. When I got home, I couldn’t get well. I couldn’t eat out of the side of my mouth and I couldn’t drink. I lost weight but I was too embarrassed to go to the hospital.”
Vicky claims she flew back to Turkey last month to have her crowns and implants removed and refitted at the same surgery. She says that this time, the surgeon didn’t coat the crowns properly, leaving holes visible in her teeth. She added: “I can’t live without antibiotics because there are holes in my crowns and food gets stuck in them causing an infection. The first time I went, they sold me the dream. They put me in a nice hotel. The second time, the hotel was a shambles. They’re supposed to coat the teeth to cover the holes but they didn’t.”
Vicky plans to fly back out to Turkey next week to have the holes filled in and get a £500 refund for two implants that have fallen out. She fears she’ll never be happy with her smile. Vicky said: “These teeth are supposed to be permanent and I hate them. I’m really fuming. This is my life and it’s been ruined. I can’t eat on one side and I don’t know what’s wrong. My face is wrecked. I can’t go out. The first thing people point out is my swollen face. I don’t think it’s ever going to get better. I feel so embarrassed.”
Vicky had four veneers fitted on her top, front teeth in the UK seven years ago that cost £4,000. She said: “I had a gap in my teeth that I didn’t like so I had veneers and it was successful. The dentist was around the corner if I needed her. I wanted the rest of my teeth to match so I decided to go to Turkey. This place in Turkey said they didn’t do veneers, they just did crowns. I’ve spent all my savings. I’ve probably spent £20,000 altogether including flights to get back out there, hotels and babysitters for my children.”
Vicky is sharing her story to encourage other people to have surgery in the UK rather than going abroad. She added: “I feel like standing outside with a picket telling people not to do it. It’s a nightmare. It’s the worst thing I’ve ever done. I wish someone had called me before I went to tell me not to do it. I felt like I did a lot of research. If anyone else is thinking of going to Turkey to get their teeth done, don’t do it.”