Frequently asked questions.

Send a few photos of your teeth, or a panoramic X-ray if you have one, on WhatsApp or through the consultation form. A dentist reviews them, and our international team replies in your language with your options. Every step is explained on our international patients page.

Yes. Clear photos of your teeth from the front and from both sides are enough to start. A panoramic X-ray helps if you have one, and your plan is confirmed with a 3D tomography and a digital scan at your examination in Istanbul.

What bothers you about your teeth, what you would like to change, and your general health and any medication you take. Add which dates could work for you. The more we know, the fewer questions we need to ask back.

Yes. Reviewing your photos or X-ray and sending you a written plan costs nothing, and there is no obligation to book afterwards.

A dentist reviews them. Our international department handles the conversation with you, arranges appointments and stays in touch, in English, Arabic, French or Turkish.

Your dentist confirms the plan when you are examined in person, with a 3D tomography and a digital scan. If the images show something different, your dentist explains what changes and why. Treatment then follows the written plan you approve.

You do not have to work it out on your own. Tell us what you would like to change, and a dentist suggests the options that suit your teeth. For an overview, see our treatments.

We do not publish fixed prices, because the cost depends on your teeth, the treatment each one needs and the materials. Send us photos or an X-ray and you receive a price range with your written plan, free and with no obligation.

Two people asking for the same treatment rarely need the same work. A list price would leave out the things that change the cost, such as how many teeth are treated, the bone you have and the material chosen. A price range based on your own photos or X-ray is more honest.

Your treatment options, explained, a price range, and the days and visits you would need in Istanbul, so you can plan your flights. The final plan is confirmed after your examination.

Only after a dentist has examined you in Istanbul. The examination, 3D tomography and digital scan show what your case really needs, and the plan you approve sets out the treatment that follows.

For implants, the number and type of implants, the implant system, the bridge or crown material and whether grafting is needed. For a smile makeover, the number of teeth, whether each one needs a veneer, a crown or only bonding, and the material. Your plan states what applies to you.

Only if your case needs it, and not without your agreement. If the examination shows that something extra is needed, your dentist explains why and it is written into your plan before treatment starts.

No. Take the time you need, compare, and ask as many questions as you like. There is no obligation to book after your assessment.

Both replace a full arch of teeth with a fixed bridge on implants. All-on-4 uses four implants and often avoids grafting when the back of the jaw is thin. All-on-6 spreads the load over six implants when there is enough bone. Your dentist recommends one after seeing your 3D tomography.

Not always. When several teeth in a row are missing, a few implants can carry a bridge that replaces all of them. Whether separate implants or an implant-supported bridge suits you depends on your bone and where the gaps are; read more on our dental implants page.

Implants are placed under local anaesthesia, so you should feel pressure rather than pain during the procedure. Soreness and swelling afterwards are normal in the first days, and your dentist prescribes medication for that.

Your dentist plans this with you before surgery. In many full-arch cases a fixed temporary bridge is attached to the implants soon after they are placed. If your bone needs more time, your dentist explains the temporary option for your case, so ask us which applies to you before you decide.

That is assessed case by case from your 3D tomography. Options include a bone graft, a sinus lift in the upper back jaw, All-on-4 with angled back implants, or, where the upper jaw has lost too much bone, zygomatic implants. Your dentist tells you which, if any, suits your case.

Implant treatment is usually planned in more than one visit, with a healing period at home in between, and grafting can add to that. Your written plan states the days and visits you would need, before you book flights.

Yes, implants made of zirconia, a ceramic, are an option for some cases. Titanium suits most people and has the longer track record; read the honest comparison on our zirconia implants page.

Implants can last many years when they are cleaned well and checked regularly. Smoking, gum health and teeth grinding all affect how long they last, and the bridge or crown on top may need maintenance over time.

A plan that changes the look of your smile, tooth by tooth. Depending on your teeth it combines porcelain laminate veneers, zirconia or E-max crowns, whitening, composite bonding and gum contouring. Read more on our smile makeover page.

It depends on each tooth. A veneer covers the front of a sound tooth and needs little preparation; a crown covers the whole tooth and suits teeth that are heavily filled, broken or root-treated. Many plans combine both.

Some enamel is removed, and this cannot be undone. For a veneer it is a thin layer at the front of the tooth; for a crown the tooth is reduced all round. Ask your dentist whether whitening, bonding or orthodontics could do the job with less.

Yes. A new shape is designed and tried on your teeth, in many cases as a temporary mock-up, so you see shape and shade before your final teeth are made.

It is the name often used for a very white, very even smile, usually made with veneers or crowns. Some people want that look; others prefer a shade close to natural teeth. You choose the shade together with your dentist.

No. Ceramic does not respond to whitening, so the shade you choose is the shade you keep. If you want your natural teeth whiter, that is done first and the ceramic is matched to them.

Yes. Our before and after gallery and patient video stories show real patients. Every mouth is different, so your dentist explains what is realistic for yours.

It depends on what has to be corrected and on your daily routine. Aligners are hard to notice and come out for meals, but they only work if you wear them most of the day. Fixed braces work around the clock and can carry out some movements that aligners cannot.

Only if you can come to Istanbul regularly for the whole treatment, because braces and aligners need check-ups at the clinic over many months. Tell us where you live and how often you travel, and your dentist will say plainly whether a plan is realistic. Read more on our orthodontics page.

Our dentists treat crooked teeth and bite problems with clear aligners and braces. You can meet our dentists and ask for a specific dentist when you get in touch.

Teenagers and adults can be treated. What matters is the health of your teeth and gums, so anything such as decay or gum inflammation is treated first.

Fitting them does not normally hurt. Your teeth feel tender for the first days afterwards, and again after each adjustment or each new aligner, because they are starting to move. The soreness settles.

Yes. Teeth tend to drift back once the appliance comes off. A fixed wire behind the front teeth, a removable clear retainer, or both, hold the result.

Sometimes it should. Moving teeth into a better position first can mean less preparation for veneers, or the right space for an implant. Your dentist tells you whether it makes sense for your case.

It depends on your treatment and your case. Your written plan states the days and visits you would need, before you book flights.

After your written plan is ready and your clinic dates are agreed with your coordinator. Booking in that order means your treatment days, your stay and your transfer line up.

We coordinate your airport transfer. Send us your flight details once your dates are agreed, and your coordinator tells you how the pick-up works.

We coordinate your stay with partner hotels near the clinics, including the Sheraton Grand Istanbul Esenyurt, Days Inn by Wyndham Istanbul Esenyurt and Boris Hotel. Your coordinator confirms the arrangements with you before you travel.

Yes. Tell your coordinator when you plan your dates, so the arrangements for your companion can be discussed in advance.

That depends on your nationality. Check the official entry requirements for your passport before you book flights.

Your coordinator stays in touch and your dentist is one message away for questions and follow-up. Routine check-ups can be done with a dentist near your home.

İkon Dental has three clinics in Istanbul: Hadımköy (Arnavutköy), Bahçeşehir (Başakşehir) and Kıraç (Esenyurt). For patients from abroad, the Bahçeşehir clinic's address and map and our international patient line are on our contact page.

Since 2008. İkon began as a two-chair practice in Hadımköy; the Bahçeşehir and Kıraç clinics opened later. Read our story.

Our dentists, under the clinical standard set by our medical director, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hakan Yılmaz. Your plan tells you who does what before treatment starts, and you can ask for a specific dentist. You can meet our dentists before you travel.

Yes. İkon holds the International Health Tourism Authorisation Certificate of the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Health, for its Başakşehir and Hadımköy clinics.

Our international department works in English, Arabic, French and Turkish, from your first message to the follow-up after you fly home.

Our clinics use 3D tomography (CBCT), panoramic and intraoral X-rays, iTero and 3Shape TRIOS intraoral scanners in place of impression paste, and 3D resin printers for models and surgical guides. Instruments are sterilised in class-B autoclaves. More on our clinics and technology page.

Our Google ratings are 4.9 for Bahçeşehir, 4.9 for Hadımköy and 5.0 for Kıraç. Read more on our reviews page, and watch patients tell their own stories in our patient video stories.

Yes, if you are already in Istanbul. Message us first and we will tell you when a visit is possible. Otherwise, the free online assessment gives you a written plan before you travel.