How to read your dentist’s treatment plan
A treatment plan is a dentist’s written opinion of your mouth. Once you can read it, you can check it, compare it and question it.
Medically reviewed by Dt. Hüseyin Yavuz Özbek, implant surgeon · Updated October 2026A good treatment plan lists each tooth by number, what is wrong with it, what the dentist proposes, the materials and implant brand, the stages and number of visits, the name of the treating dentist and the price item by item. Turkish clinics use the FDI tooth numbering system: two digits, the first for the quarter of the mouth, the second for the tooth.
The plan you receive after sending your X-ray is usually a table of teeth, treatments and prices. It can look like a code. It is worth learning to read, because it is the only document that shows what the dentist actually intends to do to each tooth.
Tooth numbers
Turkish clinics, like most outside the UK, use the FDI system. Each tooth has two digits.
- First digit: the quarter. 1 = upper right, 2 = upper left, 3 = lower left, 4 = lower right. “Right” and “left” are yours, not the dentist’s.
- Second digit: the tooth. 1 is the front tooth, counting back to 8, the wisdom tooth.
So 11 and 21 are your two upper front teeth. 36 is your lower left first molar. A plan for “13–23” covers the six upper front teeth, canine to canine.
What should be on the plan
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Diagnosis per tooth | Tells you why each treatment is proposed |
| Treatment per tooth | Crown, veneer, filling, root canal, extraction, implant |
| Materials | Zirconia, E-max, porcelain, acrylic, composite |
| Implant brand | A UK dentist will need it for parts later |
| Extra procedures | Bone graft, sinus lift: the usual reasons a price rises |
| Stages and visits | How many trips, how long each |
| Treating dentist | Who does each stage |
| Guarantee | For each treatment, with conditions |
Common words
- Extraction: taking a tooth out.
- Root canal (endodontic) treatment: cleaning and filling the inside of a tooth to save it.
- Crown: a cap covering the whole tooth. The tooth is filed down all round.
- Laminate veneer: a thin shell on the front of the tooth. Much less tooth is removed.
- Abutment: the connector between an implant and the crown.
- Bridge: false teeth held by teeth or implants on either side.
- Sinus lift / bone graft: adding bone where there is not enough for an implant.
Questions to ask about any plan
- Why does this tooth need this treatment? Ask to see it on the X-ray.
- Are there healthy teeth in this plan? If so, why are they included?
- What is the smallest treatment that would solve my problem?
- What could change once you scan me?
Crowns on healthy teeth
The most important thing to check on a cosmetic plan is how many healthy teeth would be crowned. Crowns need a lot of tooth removed, permanently. Veneers or bonding often give a good result with far less. If a plan crowns all your front teeth, ask why veneers would not work. Precious Dental prefers to keep healthy tooth rather than cover it. Read the veneer consultation.
Comparing plans
When you have plans from several dentists, line them up tooth by tooth. Differences tell you about each dentist’s approach. Read shortlisting three dentists.
On the day
Bring the plan to your first appointment. If the final plan differs, ask which teeth changed and why. Read your first consultation.
A short worked example
Here is a simplified plan of the kind patients often receive, and how to read it.
| Tooth | Finding | Proposed |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Large old filling, crack | Zirconia crown |
| 26 | Missing | Implant + zirconia crown |
| 36 | Infection at root tip | Root canal treatment, then crown |
| 12–22 | Discoloured, chipped | 4 laminate veneers |
Reading it: 16 is your upper right first molar; 26 is the upper left first molar, which is missing; 36 is the lower left first molar; 12 to 22 are the four upper front teeth. Each line has a finding and a reason. You would ask: can 16 be treated with a smaller restoration? Is the implant at 26 in bone that needs a sinus lift? Is 36 worth saving rather than replacing? Would whitening plus bonding be enough for 12 to 22? A good dentist will be happy to discuss each.
Watch for blanket lines
Be careful with lines like “14–24: 10 zirconia crowns” or “full mouth: 28 crowns” with no finding for each tooth. That is a cosmetic package, not a clinical plan. It may still be what you want, but you should understand that healthy teeth would be filed down.
Plans for full-arch implants
For All-on-4 or All-on-6, the plan should say which teeth will be removed, how many implants, the brand, whether bone grafts or sinus lifts are expected, what the temporary teeth are, what the final teeth are made of (for example zirconia on a titanium bar), and how many visits.
When to ask for a second opinion
If a plan includes many extractions or many crowns on teeth that feel fine to you, a second opinion is sensible. A UK dentist can look at the same X-ray and tell you whether they agree. Read shortlisting three dentists.
The full FDI chart
Here is the whole adult mouth in FDI numbers, as if you are looking at the patient. It helps to keep this beside your plan.
| Patient’s right | Patient’s left | |
|---|---|---|
| Upper jaw | 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 | 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 |
| Lower jaw | 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 | 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 |
The numbers ending in 1 and 2 are the incisors at the front, 3 the canines, 4 and 5 the premolars, 6, 7 and 8 the molars. UK dentists often use a different system, so if your UK dentist writes “UR6”, that is 16 in FDI.
Implant plans: what each line should tell you
- Position: which tooth number each implant replaces.
- Brand and system: for example MegaGen, Neodent or Straumann, the brands Precious Dental uses.
- Grafting: whether bone graft or sinus lift is expected or only possible.
- Loading: when teeth go on, same day or later.
- Restoration: single crowns, a bridge or a full-arch bridge, and the material.
Plans with options
A thoughtful plan may give you two or three options, each with a price: for example, “Option A: four implants with a fixed bridge; Option B: two implants with a clip-on denture”. That is a good sign. Ask the dentist which they would choose for themselves in your position, and why.
Translating Turkish terms
Some plans include Turkish terms. Common ones are çekim (extraction), kanal tedavisi (root canal treatment), dolgu (filling), kron or kuron (crown), köprü (bridge), implant, sinüs lifting, kemik tozu or greft (bone graft) and lamina (laminate veneer). Ask for an English version if you are unsure.
Keeping the paper trail
Save every version: the first plan from photos, the final plan after the scan and any change during treatment. Together they are part of your records, and they help a UK dentist understand what was done. Read guarantees and records. If you want our dentists to look at a plan from another clinic as well as making their own, send it with your X-ray to Dt. Hüseyin Yavuz Özbek or our cosmetic team.
Your own plan checklist
- Each tooth has a finding and a treatment.
- I understand why each tooth needs what is proposed.
- Healthy teeth are not included without a reason.
- Implant brand and materials are named.
- Possible extras are listed with prices.
- Number of visits and nights is given.
- The treating dentist is named.
- The guarantee for each treatment is stated.
If anything is missing, ask for it before you book. Read talking about money with your dentist.
Common questions
What do the numbers on my dental plan mean?
Most clinics use the FDI system. The first digit is the quarter of the mouth (1 upper right, 2 upper left, 3 lower left, 4 lower right), the second is the tooth, counting from the front tooth (1) to the wisdom tooth (8).
Why does my plan say 'extraction' for a tooth that does not hurt?
Teeth can be badly damaged or infected without pain. Ask the dentist to show you on the X-ray why the tooth cannot be saved.
Should the plan name the dentist?
Yes, ideally. Ask for the name of the dentist for each stage.
Can the plan change in Antalya?
Yes, after the 3D scan. Ask the dentist to explain any change before treatment starts.
Sources
Checked October 2026. Where we give our own view as a clinic, we say so.
Send your question to a Precious Dental dentist
Send an X-ray or a few photos. A Precious Dental dentist will reply with a written plan and price. Ask us who would treat you at each stage. No obligation.