We are increasingly hearing, and being warned, about so-called “Turkey Teeth”, but could “Tirana Teeth” – teeth which have received cosmetic treatment in Albania – be the bright, new shiny alternative for dental tourism?
Albania enters the dental tourism race
The United Kingdom has joined other Western European countries in becoming a target country for the Albanian dental tourism industry. Recent coverage by the BBC highlights growing competition in the dental tourism market, with Albania entering the race to draw European patients away from both their domestic providers and Turkey, a strong player in in the global market for dental work.
Tirana, the capital city of Albania, has attracted a growing number of dental tourists, including British nationals. With prices comparable to what is charged in Turkey for dental implants, and over four hundred dental clinics in Tirana alone, it is easy to see why Britons seeking affordable dental care might consider “Tirana Teeth”.
Its rise closely parallels the “Turkey Teeth” phenomenon, which saw a surge of British tourists travelling to Turkey for low-cost dental treatments to enhance their smile.
Push and pull factors
For Britons, it is less dissatisfaction with the quality of domestic dental care than it is the lack of affordable treatment options at home that has pushed them towards dentistry outside of the UK. Dental clinics in Tirana have capitalised on this, with some providers advertising savings of up to 70% compared to UK providers for dental implants.
In much the same way that dental clinics in Turkey are utilising digital marketing to attract international clients, providers of dental tourism in Albania are now setting up their websites and signage in English, consolidating Britain’s position as a target country for Albanian dental tourism.
The phenomenon of dental tourism, specifically dental tourism in Turkey, has attracted considerable attention in the British press. The commentary is generally unfavourable, with British-based dental practitioners voicing their concerns about post-operative complications and the costs of remedial care. This is not unique to Turkey; however, Turkey has emerged as a key player.
Negative coverage of this kind competes with the digital marketing strategies of dental clinics abroad, which have ultimately raised the profile of dental clinics offering cheap procedures, often as part of a package holiday. For some, the combination of cheaper dental work and low-cost flights is too great an opportunity to miss.
Could Albania displace Turkey as the go-to destination?
It is clear that reporting of this topic by the UK news media has broken through and may even be tempering the aspirations of some Britons to travel to Turkey for cosmetic dental work.
One patient, interviewed by the BBC, framed his decision to seek out cosmetic work in Albania rather than a rival destination, specifically Turkey, as a response to media coverage of dental work gone-wrong in Turkey. He commented that he had “heard so many bad things [about dental work in Turkey] … I went onto the internet and looked into it properly.” This suggests that patients are retaining a risk-averse disposition even as they shop around for cheaper dental treatment abroad. This is, of course, a good thing, if it reduces the number of Britons suffering adverse health consequences associated with dental tourism.
If, however, negative coverage of dental tourism in Turkey has the effect of diverting Britons to an alternative destination – such as Albania – where the same set of issues may eventually emerge, the risks associated with international dental care will simply replicate rather than resolve.
Providers of cosmetic dental treatment in Albania are keenly aware of the “Turkey Teeth” phenomenon, and are minded to protect the reputation of Albanian dentistry from similar reputational damage and to reassure dental tourists. Accordingly, some providers have registered with the Albanian Medical Tourism Association in order to confer credibility upon their practice and set themselves apart – both clinically and ethically – from less reputable operators.
The bottom line
None of this is to suggest that Turkey and Albania offer inferior-quality treatment for dental concerns. Many of the services offered by dental clinics abroad – which have enhanced aesthetics as their primary goal – appear at odds with the minimally invasive dentistry culture in the UK. This may, in part, account for the cautious approach of British dentists.
Whether the destination is Turkey or Albania, the push and pull factors largely remain the same for Britons seeking dentistry abroad – difficulties in accessing affordable dental care in the UK compared to affordable, seemingly “quick fix” solutions abroad.
> Since you’re here, why not read about feeding your oral microbiome?
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