Where did the term “Turkey teeth” come from?
The term spread through images shared on social media by young patients, mainly from the UK and Ireland, who had travelled abroad for cosmetic dental treatment and come back. What drew attention in the posts was not the rows of crowns in the same shade and shape, but the teeth beneath them, whittled down like pencils. Commentaries published in the British Dental Journal in 2023 criticised this practice for over-preparation and its long-term consequences.
The first thing to know is this: the full crown is a valid treatment used everywhere in the world. What is criticised is not the crown itself but applying crowns to healthy teeth, in large numbers, and without trying options that remove less tooth structure. The same mistake can be made in any country; the fact that the term carries a country’s name has no medical meaning.
For a patient living abroad and considering treatment in Istanbul, the real question is not “Should I have it done in Turkey?” but “Which dentist, for what reason, will remove how much of my tooth?” The rest of this page sets out to answer that question.
How much tooth does full-crown preparation remove?
A crown is a cap that wraps around the visible part of the tooth on all sides. For the cap to fit, a certain thickness is removed from every surface of the tooth. In laboratory measurements on front teeth, full-crown preparation removed roughly 63–72% of the crown structure; in veneer preparations the figure stayed between roughly 3–30% depending on the design.
Fixed prosthodontics textbooks list conservation of tooth structure as a fundamental principle. The remaining dentine thickness and the response of the pulp (the nerve and blood-vessel tissue of the tooth) are inversely related: the more is cut, the more the pulp is stressed. For this reason, wherever possible, partial-coverage restorations, minimal taper, preparation that follows the natural planes of the tooth, preserving the most dentine around the pulp and avoiding unnecessary extension below the gum are recommended.
During cutting, large numbers of dentinal tubules are opened, each of them connected to the pulp. Heat from working without coolant or at high speed, chemicals touching fresh dentine and bacterial leakage all add to pulp damage. A healthy tooth carries none of these risks, whereas a full crown brings all of them into play at once.
What are the long-term consequences of over-preparation?
Vital teeth that are crowned can lose their vitality over the years. In a survey in Scotland, inflammation around the root tip was found in roughly one in six crowned teeth. A 25-year follow-up in Norway reported loss of vitality in a notable share of crowned teeth. In Hong Kong, pulp necrosis was seen in roughly 15% of teeth under metal-ceramic crowns within 10 years, with a higher rate in teeth serving as bridge abutments.
A tooth that loses its vitality needs root canal treatment, which can mean drilling through or replacing the crown and sometimes root fracture and loss of the tooth. When a crown reaches the end of its life it is replaced, and a little more tooth structure is lost at every replacement. Someone who has 20 full crowns in their twenties may go through this cycle several times over the next 50–60 years.
These are population-level findings; not every crowned tooth develops a problem. But the risk lasts a lifetime and the tooth structure removed does not come back. The decision to crown a healthy tooth is therefore not one that can be “changed later”.
Which options remove less tooth structure for healthy front teeth?
Most cosmetic complaints concern shade, shape or alignment. Each has a solution that does the least damage to the tooth. The table below compares the options by the amount of tooth structure removed.
| Option | Tooth structure removed (approx.) | Reversible? | Pulp risk | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitening | None | Yes | Very low | Shade problem only |
| Orthodontics (braces or clear aligners) | None | Largely | Very low | Alignment and spacing problems |
| Composite bonding | Very little or none | Partly | Low | Small chips, gaps, shape |
| Porcelain veneers | Roughly 3–30% of crown structure | No | Low to moderate | Shade, shape, small defects |
| Full crown | Roughly 63–72% of crown structure | No | Necrosis in a notable minority over 10–25 years | Heavily filled, fractured or root-treated tooth |
The order always starts with the least intervention. For a dark shade, whitening is tried first, not veneers or zirconia. For crowding, orthodontics is considered instead of crowns that cut the tooth to make it look straight. For small chips and gaps, composite bonding is usually enough. The full crown is reserved for teeth that have already lost a large part of their structure.
Questions to ask before treatment
The most effective protection against over-preparation is asking the right questions before you sit in the chair. The questions below are not meant to test a dentist but to make the decision together.
- How many of my teeth are healthy, and how many have fillings or root canal treatment? Why do the healthy teeth need crowns?
- Can the same result be achieved with whitening, orthodontics, bonding or veneers? If not, why not?
- How much structure will be removed from each tooth? Can you show me on a model or a digital design?
- When the restorations reach the end of their life, how is replacement done, and what state will my tooth be in by then?
- Can I have the plan in writing, with tooth numbers?
Informed consent is not a signature but an educational process: the problem, the consequences of leaving it untreated, the proposed plan, realistic expectations, all reasonable options including no treatment, and the risks and benefits should be discussed in understandable terms. Consent signed on the morning of surgery or preparation is a recognised weakness. If you are coming from abroad, this discussion can take place by video or e-mail before you travel; how it works is explained on our online pre-assessment page.
How do you protect yourself when travelling from abroad?
For a travelling patient, limited time creates pressure to finish treatment in one go. This pressure increases the pull towards the option that looks fastest and most comprehensive, namely a large number of crowns. The sequence below helps you avoid that trap.
- Before you come, send current photographs and a panoramic X-ray if you have one; which teeth are healthy can be roughly seen even remotely.
- Ask for a written preliminary plan. The plan should give each tooth’s number, the proposed procedure and the reason.
- Show the plan to your dentist in the country where you live and get a second opinion. For plans that include “crowns on all front teeth”, a second opinion is essential.
- On the first day, have only the examination, a digital scan and a trial (mock-up). You can see the expected appearance in your mouth without anything being removed from your teeth.
- If preparation is to go ahead, confirm that the plan has not changed and that the amount to be removed is the same as stated.
For the list of documents needed, see our what to send before your trip page. When treatment is finished, ask in writing which tooth received which treatment, the materials used and the care instructions; your dentist at home will need these records.
What changes if a crown really is necessary?
For some teeth the full crown is the right treatment: in heavily filled, fractured, root-treated or severely worn teeth, a crown holds the remaining structure together. Even then, two principles apply. First, a crown is placed only on the tooth that truly needs it; the healthy tooth next to it is not cut “so the shade matches”. For healthy neighbouring teeth, more conservative options such as whitening or veneers can be combined within the same plan.
Second, crown preparation is carried out with the least possible reduction. Digital scanning and design help calculate the amount to be removed in advance and work without thinning the tooth excessively; we describe this process on our digital smile design process page. The vitality of the tooth beneath the crown is monitored over the years with regular check-ups; these checks can also be done in your home country thanks to the records shared with your dentist there.
At our clinic, our head physician, Dr. Dt. Mehmet Fuat Bozaba, a dentist working in periodontology and oral surgery, and our dentists working in prosthetic and cosmetic dentistry draw up the plan together, giving priority to preserving tooth structure. The examination decides which option suits you; you can request a pre-assessment by sending your photographs to +90 544 289 66 33 on WhatsApp.
Frequently asked questions
Is “Turkey teeth” the name of a disease?
No. It is a media and social-media label criticising the excessive grinding down of healthy front teeth for full crowns; it does not appear in any diagnostic classification. Commentaries published in the British Dental Journal in 2023 used the term in this sense. The outcome is the same whichever country the procedure is carried out in; the country’s name in the term has no medical meaning.
What is the difference between a veneer and a crown?
A veneer is a thin layer covering only the front surface of the tooth; its preparation removes roughly 3–30% of the crown structure. A crown wraps around the tooth on all sides and its preparation removes roughly 63–72%. Veneers suit shade and shape problems; crowns are considered for heavily filled, fractured or root-treated teeth. A detailed comparison is on our veneers vs zirconia crowns page.
Will a healthy tooth that is crowned need root canal treatment later?
It may. Long-term studies report loss of vitality and inflammation at the root tip over the years in a share of vital teeth that were crowned; one study found pulp necrosis in roughly 15% within 10 years. Not every crowned tooth has this problem, but the risk lasts a lifetime. The more that is cut and the younger the tooth, the more the pulp is stressed.
My teeth are healthy but I dislike their colour. What should I do?
The order starts with the least intervention: professional whitening is tried first. If whitening is not enough, or there are also small shape problems, composite bonding or porcelain veneers are considered. A full crown on a healthy tooth for colour alone means irreversible loss of tooth structure and should not be the first option. The examination shows which step is sufficient.
I am coming from abroad. Can I see the result before any cutting?
Yes. With a digital scan and design, the expected appearance can be shown on screen and then in your mouth with a temporary trial (mock-up), without anything being removed from your teeth. Setting the first day aside for the examination and the trial alone gives you time to decide. If you do not like the trial, nothing permanent has been done and the plan can be changed.
What should a written treatment plan contain?
Each tooth’s number, the proposed procedure and the reason, the alternatives considered and why they were not chosen, the type of material to be used, the expected lifespan and the care instructions. The option of no treatment should also be discussed. This document makes it easier to get a second opinion and lets your dentist understand the treatment once you are home.
Will asking for a second opinion offend the dentist?
It should not. For an irreversible plan covering all the front teeth, a second opinion is a reasonable step anywhere in the world. You can show the written plan and your X-rays to your dentist in the country where you live. A dentist who can defend their plan does not shy away from this; on the contrary, if an option with less reduction is proposed, they will want to evaluate it with you.
I already have over-prepared teeth. What can be done?
The structure removed does not come back, but the current situation can be managed. First, the vitality and root-tip status of each tooth are assessed with X-rays; root canal treatment is carried out if needed. Poorly fitting restorations or ones irritating the gums are replaced after gum health has been restored. Regular check-ups and good hygiene extend the life of the remaining tooth structure. An examination is needed for this assessment.
Related guides
Contact: Yayla Dental Akademi, Ferit Selimpaşa Cad. No:44A, Bahçelievler, Istanbul (Basın Sitesi, opposite Migros; about 600 m from İlkyuva metro station, line M3). Monday–Saturday 10:00–21:00, Sunday closed. WhatsApp and phone: +90 544 289 66 33 · Online booking: DoktorTakvimi.
Sources
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Search the databases: PubMed · Google Scholar · NIH PMC · Cochrane (institutional access may be required).
This page is for information only; diagnosis and treatment plans are determined by a dentist after an examination. Figures are population averages from the cited sources and do not describe an individual outcome.
