Couple warn against ‘Turkey teeth’ as £4k procedure ‘ruined their lives’ leaving them unable to eat or drink

A couple who paid £4,000 for “Turkey teeth” claim the cosmetic procedure has “ruined their lives”, leaving them unable to eat or drink.

Jade Tushingham, 32, and her partner Kelly Tushingham, flew to Antalya, Turkey, in September last year and decided to combine a beach holiday with an overhaul of their smiles.

The couple visited a private clinic near their hotel for the first stage of their transformation. They were both given X-rays and had their teeth shaved down, which they said caused them "instant" pain.

They then had to wait in the clinic’s reception for around five hours with their "shark teeth" before dentists fitted sets of temporary veneers. The pair were then left waiting for a permanent set for over five days while their teeth ‘’stubs’’ caused them agony.

Jade, from Chester, Cheshire, said: "Lots of our friends had already had it done and told us that it didn’t hurt. I’ve always wanted it done, even though my teeth before were actually OK. But even now, we’re both still in constant pain. All the food at the hotel looked beautiful, but we just couldn’t eat any of it.

"We survived on mashed potatoes and soup, even drinking was difficult as our teeth were so sensitive. Looking back now, we 100 per cent would not have had it done. It’s cost us so much money and it’s been hell.

"We used some savings we already had to pay for it doing. They look lovely, and in pictures are perfect but it’s like a nightmare.’’

Jade and Kelly arrived for their procedures on 24 September 2022, and said they became instantly ‘’on edge’’ as the clinic seemed ‘’unprofessional’’

Jade explained: “Before having the actual veneers fitted we had to have all of our teeth filed down dramatically and have our temporary sets done. ‘It was scary seeing our teeth filed down to almost nothing and it was really painful.

“On top of that it was a long process that day, from around 9am to 6pm. We were a bit on edge and exhausted. After all our teeth were gone they fitted the temporary veneers but I was already scared.”

‘Absolutely do not have them done’

On 29 September, the couple nervously returned to the clinic to have their crowns fitted but both describe the procedure as being ‘’like a blood bath’’.

"The process was horrible, there was just blood everywhere,” Jade added. “I was told by the dentist that I wouldn’t need to be numbed for the actual veneers fitting. I asked to be numbed because I was already in so much pain.

“The dentist was quite narky, and said ‘I’m going to have to numb you then’. We both ended up having numbing. I think they were just sick of us, because some people just sit there and have it done, but we all have different pain thresholds."

At the end of the process, Jade had 25 new teeth fitted, while Kelly had 24. But a week after leaving Turkey, the couple - who paid £4,240 altogether for both sets of permanent veneers - were still in severe pain. They say they are now considering revisiting the clinic to demand their teeth are fixed.

Jade said: “We messaged the dentist on Instagram about it when we got back. It was difficult to communicate due to the language barrier, but she advised us to take Ibuprofen for five days and also try a muscle relaxant.

"We had already been taking Ibuprofen anyway and it didn’t make a difference, so we didn’t know what to do. Nothing seemed to take the pain away. Eating a hot meal followed by a cold drink is just awful.

“We can’t even have a cup of tea because our teeth are so sensitive. Everywhere we go we have painkillers.”

Despite trying to get help back in the UK the couple have struggled to find a dentist who can help.

Jade added: "No dentists in the UK would even touch them. We’re almost four months into this now. One of our friends is six months post-surgery and she is also still in pain, so I think we’ll give it until six months and probably look to fly back out there.

"Our teeth visually do look lovely, and we have people asking us all the time where we had them done because they want theirs doing.

"We always say no, absolutely do not have them done. We would never recommend them to anyone."