Revealed: The horrifying images that are sure to put everyone off seeking dental treatment in Turkey
A single mother has shared her horrific ordeal following a dental procedure in Turkey, which left her suffering from severe jaw pain, nosebleeds and chronic sinusitis.
Leanne Jefferis, from Telford, flew to Turkey last May to have her teeth removed and dental implants fitted to fix her broken smile.
Ms Jefferis, a professional DJ, had veneers and bridges fitted in 2009 while living in Turkey, but knew they 'wouldn't last forever'.
When they began falling out, she resorted to gluing them back in with nail glue until she could afford a more permanent fix.
Veneers are thin coverings bonded to the front of teeth for cosmetic purposes, while crowns are thicker, covering the entire tooth to protect damaged or weakened ones.
After six months of research, the single mum made what she thought was a brave decision: to get dental implants.
Tempted by glossy social media ads and the lower cost of treatment abroad, it was a choice she would come to regret.
On 8 May 2024, she checked into ES Clinic in Turkey for an initial consultation.
She knew she'd need her teeth removed and screws inserted for the implants—but after an X-ray, the dentist warned the procedure would be far more complicated than she'd been led to believe.
In a video posted to TikTok that has garnered over 19,900 views, the DJ documented the procedure from start to finish.
'I'm very sacred, tomorrow they're pulling all my teeth out and then stitching them all up,' she said. 'Then, I think they will put in the screws'.
But, it wasn't as simple as 'walking in and out, leaving smiling and happy', like she thought it would be.
She was informed that she would need to have more screws, a bone graft and a sinus lift before she could be fitted with implants.
A sinus lift is a surgical procedure which involves placing a bone graft between the upper jaw and the membrane of the sinuses that are closest to the back teeth.
The idea is that the sinus lift will naturally fuse with the jaw, allowing an implant to be placed.
Whilst it is a fairly simple procedure, many patients and doctors opt for general anesthetic to minimise pain.
However, to save money, Ms Jefferis opted out of being put under general anesthetic, that would cost an additional £400, and was awake for the entire procedure.
She had 25 injections in total, as well as one in her hip, but the pain was still 'excruciating'.
'I felt like I was choking with the vacuum thing and the water', she said.
'They were at it for 4 hours total. The pain was horrendous. The screws were in and I felt like the man from Jaws,' she added.
Despite being in pain from the procedure, which left her with substantial bruising, Ms Jefferis was initially happy with the results of the temporary implants and started feeling 'pretty' again just two weeks after the ordeal.
But, just a month after having her implants fitted, Ms Vance started experiencing problems with her temporary implants that would eventually result in painful blisters forming in her nose, leaving her face disfigured.
The temporary teeth that she had fitted just one month before started falling out, revealing the peg-like screws. Then, the plate that was holding the implant in place snapped.
In the next video Ms Jefferis posted to TikTok, she was unrecognisable.
Her body had started to reject the implants.
'I get the worst headaches and nose bleeds that won't stop,' she explained.
'Because I have low blood count, my body can't fight infection. I've got cold sores in my nose which form scabs and pull my nose in. It's all misshaped and I am constantly in pain. I feel like the world is staring at me.'
She continued: 'I look so ugly I could cry. My dentist in the UK won't see me. My temps have snapped. I hate what I've done and I can't do anything about it.'
'Don't believe what you see or hear', she warned her followers.
Temporary implant are only supposed to last for four to five months, but doctors advised Ms Vance not to go back to get her final teeth fitted until the swelling in her face had gone down.
A year later, she still hasn't had the final implants fitted and she is taking back-to-back antibiotics to manage the pain.
Sinusitis is the swelling of the sinuses and is usually caused by an infection. It is a common condition and usually clears up on its own within four weeks, but Ms Jefferis has been battling symptoms for a year.
Common symptoms include pain swelling and tenderness around the cheeks, eyes and forehead, a high temperature, headaches, bad breathe and toothache.
Ms Jefferis is now waiting on her infection to clear up before getting further treatment but hopes that sharing her story will encourage others to have surgery in the UK rather than going abroad.
This comes as research published in March shows that more than a quarter of people unable to access an NHS dentist have resorted to DIY treatments such as pulling teeth out with pliers.
Meanwhile, a fifth who failed to access proper care in the UK over the past two years went abroad for a check-up or dental procedure.
A Department of Health and Social care spokesperson said: 'NHS dentistry is broken after years of neglect, forcing patients to resort to desperate measures.
'We're already rolling out 700,000 extra urgent dental appointments and preventing tooth decay in young children through supervised toothbrushing.
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