Talking about money with your dentist

In most clinics, the dentist talks about teeth and the coordinator talks about money. That division is convenient but it has a gap: nobody explains why each item costs what it does in clinical terms. You can close that gap by asking your dentist a few direct questions.

“Why do I need each item?”

Go through your plan line by line with the dentist. For each tooth and treatment, ask why. A crown on a tooth with a large old filling makes sense; a crown on a healthy tooth needs a reason. Read reading your treatment plan.

“What could wait?”

Some treatment is urgent: infection, broken teeth, failing bridges. Some is cosmetic and can wait or be done in stages. Ask your dentist to mark what must be done now and what could be done later.

“What could change the price?”

The 3D scan on day one can show that you need more than the X-ray suggested. Ask in advance:

• Might I need a bone graft or sinus lift? How much would that add?
• Might I need extra implants?
• Are extractions included?
• What if a tooth breaks during treatment?

At Precious Dental, the prices for these extras are published: bone graft £150 per cc, sinus lift £350 per procedure, extra implants £300 each. Extractions are free in our implant packages.

“Would a different material be just as good?”

Sometimes a cheaper option is clinically fine. Sometimes it is a false economy. Ask your dentist which and why: zirconia or acrylic for a full arch, E-max or composite for veneers, one implant brand or another.

“What is the cost over the years?”

Ask what maintenance will cost: hygienist visits, replacing a night guard, repairing chips, replacing acrylic teeth. A cheap plan that needs replacing in five years can cost more than a dearer one that lasts twenty.

Where a good dentist helps you save

• Keeping a tooth with a root canal rather than replacing it.
• Whitening or bonding instead of veneers on healthy teeth.
• Fewer veneers, only on the teeth that show.
• Treating one jaw now, the other later.

Read when a good dentist says no.

What to avoid

Pressure to pay a large deposit before you have spoken to a dentist. Prices that change without explanation. A plan that grows on day one with no reason you understand. Read warning signs in the chair.

Our published prices

All-on-6 at Precious Dental is £6,500 for both jaws in total, including implants, zirconia teeth, titanium bar, temporary teeth, extractions, hotel (4 + 5 nights), transfers, X-rays and medication. Flights are not included. Your dentist will explain every item in your own plan.

Comparing prices fairly

Two quotes for “All-on-6” can describe very different treatment. Before comparing totals, check that each quote covers the same things: one jaw or both, the implant brand, the material of the final teeth, whether there is a titanium bar, temporary teeth, extractions, scans, hotel and transfers. Your dentist can tell you which differences matter clinically and which are just packaging. For a full cost breakdown, see allon6cost.co.uk.

Deposits and payment

Many clinics ask for a deposit to book dates. Ask what it covers, whether it is refundable if your plan changes after the scan, and when the rest is due. Pay the balance only after you have seen and agreed the final plan in Antalya. Keep receipts for everything.

If the price changes on day one

Ask your dentist to show you, on the scan, what has changed and why, and ask for a revised written plan with the new price before treatment starts. If an extra procedure is proposed, ask whether it is essential now or could be avoided with a different approach. You are entitled to time to think.

Money and pressure

Discounts that expire today, offers to add more teeth at a reduced rate, or a dentist who talks mainly about price are all reasons to slow down. Price should follow the clinical plan, not lead it.

Guarantees and value

A guarantee has value only if you can use it. When comparing clinics, look at what the guarantee covers, its conditions, and who pays for travel if a repair is needed. A slightly higher price with a clear guarantee may be better value than a lower one without. Read guarantees and records.

What treatment would cost at home

It helps to know the UK picture before you compare quotes. NHS dental treatment in England is charged in fixed bands, and the NHS website explains what each band covers. Some treatments, such as implants and purely cosmetic veneers, are usually only available privately. Private UK prices vary widely by practice and region. Knowing this lets you ask a sensible question: is the saving worth the travel, the time and the follow-up arrangements?

A line-by-line conversation

Here is how a short money conversation with a dentist might go, using an example plan:

The answers tell you what is clinical necessity and what is preference. You may still choose the more expensive option, but you will know why.

Money you may not have counted

• Flights for two trips, and for a companion.
• Extra hotel nights if healing is slower or a check is added.
• Time off work.
• Travel insurance that covers you for the trip.
• UK hygienist visits and check-ups afterwards.
• Travel back to Antalya if a repair under guarantee is needed.

Read travel and recovery and UK follow-up support.

Phasing treatment

If the total is more than you planned, ask your dentist what a phased plan would look like. A common approach is to deal with pain, infection and failing teeth first, then do cosmetic work later. Another is to treat one jaw now and the other in a year. Your dentist should tell you honestly whether waiting would make anything worse or more expensive.

Our package, as an example of what to ask for

Precious Dental publishes what its All-on-6 package includes: implants, zirconia teeth, titanium bar, temporary teeth, extractions, hotel (4 + 5 nights), transfers, X-rays and medication, for £6,500 for both jaws. Whatever clinic you choose, ask for a list like that, so you can see exactly what you are paying for. Our dentists are Dt. Hüseyin Yavuz Özbek, Dt. Şeyda Yılmaz and Dt. Hüseyin Bayram.

Money checklist

• I know why each item is clinically needed.
• I know what could be added and what it would cost.
• I have compared like with like across quotes.
• I know what the deposit covers and when the balance is due.
• I have budgeted for travel, nights, insurance and UK aftercare.
• I know what the guarantee covers and who pays travel for repairs.

With these ticked, price stops being a source of surprises.

Common questions

Why ask the dentist about price rather than the coordinator?

The coordinator can tell you what things cost. Only the dentist can tell you whether you need them.

What usually makes the price go up?

Bone grafts, sinus lifts, extra implants and extra extractions found on the 3D scan.

Can I phase my treatment?

Often yes. Ask your dentist what must be done now and what could safely wait.

What does All-on-6 cost at Precious Dental?

£6,500 for both jaws in total, including implants, zirconia teeth, titanium bar, temporary teeth, extractions, hotel, transfers, X-rays and medication. Flights are not included.

Sources

1. NHS: treatment abroad checklist
2. Oral Health Foundation: going abroad for dental treatment
3. NHS: understanding NHS dental charges
4. GOV.UK: Turkey travel advice, health

Checked October 2026. Where we give our own view as a clinic, we say so.