Tooth extraction in Turkey: what you should know first
Tooth extraction in Turkey is performed by dentists, oral surgeons and maxillofacial surgeons in dental hospitals and clinics in Istanbul, Antalya and Izmir. A simple extraction takes a few minutes under local anaesthetic; a surgical extraction of a broken-down tooth or an impacted wisdom tooth takes twenty minutes to an hour. The price is a fraction of a private extraction in the UK or the US, but nobody flies to Turkey for one extraction. It is almost always one step in a larger plan: removing teeth that cannot be saved before dental implants, All-on-4 or dentures, or wisdom teeth taken out during a trip for veneers.
Two things decide whether an extraction abroad is a good idea. The first is whether the tooth needs to come out at all: a tooth that can be kept with a root canal and a crown is nearly always worth more than an implant, and a dentist who removes treatable teeth to sell a full set of implants or veneers is the main risk of cheap dental tourism. The second is timing: a socket needs weeks to months to heal before a standard implant can be placed, which decides how many trips your plan needs. For the whole specialty see dental treatments in Turkey.
Tooth extraction cost in Turkey compared with the UK, the US and Germany
There is no hospital package price for tooth extraction on this page, so the Turkish figures are approximate ranges per tooth; the exact price is confirmed in a written quote after the dentist has seen an X-ray. When extraction is part of an implant, All-on-4 or smile plan, clinics usually include it in the package or charge a reduced fee per tooth.
| Country | Simple extraction, one tooth | Surgical extraction or impacted wisdom tooth | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | about €30–€80 (approximate, confirmed in a written quote) | about €80–€250 (approximate, confirmed in a written quote) | Often included in implant and All-on-4 packages; panoramic X-ray €15–€40 if not included; sedation extra |
| United Kingdom | NHS Band 2 about £75 in England; private about £100–£300 | private about £250–£500, more under sedation or general anaesthetic | NHS wisdom tooth removal only when NICE criteria are met; waiting lists for hospital extractions |
| United States | about $150–$400 | about $300–$800 per tooth; four wisdom teeth under sedation $1,500–$3,000 or more | Anaesthesia and X-rays often billed separately |
| Germany | about €50–€150 | about €150–€400 privately | Statutory insurance covers medically necessary extractions, including wisdom teeth |
What changes the price: whether the tooth is whole or broken at the gum line, whether bone is removed or the tooth sectioned, a bone graft placed at the same time, sedation, and the number of teeth. Ask for a quote that lists each tooth, the X-ray and any graft separately.
Simple extraction, surgical extraction and wisdom teeth
| Type | When it is used | Anaesthesia and time | Healing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple extraction | A visible tooth with an intact crown | Local anaesthetic; 5–15 minutes | Socket closes over in 1–2 weeks; bone fills in over 2–4 months |
| Surgical extraction | A tooth broken at the gum line, curved or fused roots, a root left after a failed extraction | Local anaesthetic, sedation on request; 20–60 minutes; a flap in the gum, sometimes bone removal, stitches | Swelling 2–3 days; stitches out or dissolving in 7–10 days; bone 3–6 months |
| Wisdom tooth removal | Impacted, partly erupted or decayed third molars causing pain, infection or damage to the next tooth | Local, sedation or general anaesthetic; 20–45 minutes per tooth | 3–7 days of swelling and limited opening; lower teeth heal more slowly |
| Extraction with socket preservation | When an implant is planned and the socket wall is thin or damaged | Local anaesthetic; bone graft and membrane placed in the socket | Implant usually after 3–4 months |
Wisdom teeth are the most common reason international patients ask for an extraction and have their own page: wisdom tooth removal in Turkey covers impaction, the nerve risk in the lower jaw and removing four in one session. Difficult cases — teeth near the nerve canal or the sinus, large cysts, patients with medical conditions — belong with an oral and maxillofacial surgeon in a hospital; a dental cyst removal is sometimes done at the same time.
When a tooth should be saved instead of extracted
Dental associations in the UK and the US agree: a natural tooth that can be restored predictably should be kept. A root canal with a crown succeeds in roughly nine out of ten cases, costs less than an implant and keeps the bone and gum around it. Extraction is right when the tooth is split below the gum, when too little root is left for a crown, when a root canal has failed and a retreatment or apicoectomy is not realistic, when a wisdom tooth causes repeated infection, or when teeth must go for orthodontics or a full-arch restoration.
Be cautious if a plan removes many teeth that do not hurt. Ask for the panoramic X-ray (or a cone-beam CT) and the reason for each extraction, and get a second opinion at home if a plan takes out teeth your own dentist has not mentioned; the "Turkey teeth" article explains how over-treatment happens.
Tooth extraction before dental implants: timing and trips
Most patients who have teeth extracted in Turkey are preparing for implants, so the timeline matters:
- Immediate implant: placed in the socket on the day of the extraction, when there is no active infection and enough bone to hold it firmly; standard in All-on-4, where the remaining teeth are removed and four to six implants placed in one session with a temporary bridge within days.
- Early placement: about 6–8 weeks after extraction, once the gum has healed.
- Delayed placement: 3–6 months after extraction, when bone has to fill the socket first or after a bone graft or sinus lift — the usual reason an implant plan needs two trips.
Have the extraction and the implant planned by the same clinic if you can; if teeth were extracted at home before travelling, bring the date and the X-rays.
How a tooth is extracted and what it feels like
After a panoramic X-ray and a medical history — tell the dentist about blood thinners, bisphosphonates, diabetes, heart valve problems and allergies — the area is numbed with local anaesthetic. You feel pressure, not pain; if you feel sharp pain, say so and more anaesthetic is given. In a simple extraction the tooth is loosened with an elevator and lifted out with forceps; in a surgical extraction the gum is opened, a little bone may be removed, the tooth is divided and taken out in pieces and the site stitched. Sedation or general anaesthesia is available at hospitals for several surgical extractions or anxious patients — see dental treatment with sedation. You bite on gauze for 30–45 minutes and leave once the bleeding has stopped.
Afterwards most patients have soreness for two to three days after a simple extraction and three to five after a surgical one, controlled with ibuprofen and paracetamol; swelling peaks on day two or three.
Healing after tooth extraction and flying home
- First 24 hours: no rinsing, spitting, straws or smoking — all can dislodge the clot; soft, cool food; no alcohol; head raised in bed. A little oozing is normal, bleeding that does not stop with 20 minutes of firm pressure on gauze is not.
- Days 2–7: gentle warm salt-water rinses from day two, soft food, no smoking for at least a week; stitches dissolve or are removed after 7–10 days.
- Weeks 2–4: the gum closes over the socket; a white or grey layer in it is healing tissue, not infection.
- Months 2–6: bone fills the socket.
Flying is safe the next day after a simple extraction and two to three days after a surgical one, once bleeding has clearly stopped; cabin pressure does not open the wound. Carry gauze and painkillers in hand luggage.
Dry socket and other risks of tooth extraction
The complications are described by the dental associations and in NHS patient information. The most common is dry socket (alveolar osteitis): the clot is lost and the bone exposed, causing throbbing pain from day two to four and a bad taste. It affects roughly 2–5 in 100 extractions and up to 20–30 in 100 lower wisdom tooth removals in some studies; smoking, the contraceptive pill and difficult extractions raise the risk. It is painful rather than dangerous and is treated with a medicated dressing — so know who treats you if it starts after you have flown home. Other risks: infection, prolonged bleeding (more likely on blood thinners), a root tip left behind, damage to a neighbouring tooth, an opening into the sinus after an upper molar, and — mainly for lower wisdom teeth — temporary or rarely permanent numbness of the lip, chin or tongue. Patients on bisphosphonates or after radiotherapy to the jaw risk the bone failing to heal and need a specialist assessment first.
What to check before you book tooth extraction in Turkey
Ask for the X-ray-based reason for each extraction, a quote that lists every tooth and any graft, the qualification of the person operating (an oral or maxillofacial surgeon for impacted teeth or medical risk), whether sedation is given by an anaesthesiologist, who you contact for dry socket or bleeding at home, and how the extraction fits into the implant timeline. The clinics on our site are listed on this page; how it works explains the quote and the trip, and general dentistry covers the routine treatments you can combine in the same stay.
Hospitals with Dental Treatments in Turkey
Frequently asked questions
Approximately €30–€80 for a simple extraction and €80–€250 for a surgical extraction or an impacted wisdom tooth, per tooth — approximate ranges, confirmed in a written quote after an X-ray. When extraction is part of an implant or All-on-4 plan it is usually included in the package. A private extraction in the UK costs about £100–£500.
Yes. Impacted or partly erupted wisdom teeth are removed by oral surgeons under local anaesthetic, sedation or general anaesthesia, and all four can often be taken out in one session. See the wisdom tooth removal page for impaction types, the nerve risk in the lower jaw and healing time.
The injection stings briefly; during the extraction you feel pressure, not pain. Afterwards expect soreness for two to three days after a simple extraction and three to five days after a surgical one, controlled with ibuprofen and paracetamol.
The socket closes over in one to two weeks and the gum is healed in three to four; bone fills the socket over two to six months, which is the period an implant plan waits for. Swelling after a surgical extraction peaks on day two or three.
Dry socket is loss of the blood clot, causing throbbing pain from day two to four and a bad taste; it affects a few in 100 simple extractions and more after lower wisdom teeth. Avoid smoking, straws, spitting and vigorous rinsing for the first days. It is treated with a medicated dressing, so know who to contact if it starts after you fly home.
The next day after a simple extraction and after two to three days after a surgical one, once bleeding has clearly stopped. Cabin pressure does not open the wound. Carry gauze and painkillers in hand luggage.
Often, if there is no active infection and enough bone to hold the implant; it is standard in All-on-4, where the remaining teeth are removed and the implants placed in one session. Otherwise the implant is placed 6–8 weeks or 3–6 months later, which usually means a second trip.
Keep the tooth when it can be restored predictably: a root canal with a crown succeeds in roughly nine out of ten cases, costs less than an implant and preserves bone. Extract when the tooth is split below the gum, too destroyed for a crown, or has a failed root canal that cannot be retreated. Get a second opinion on any plan that removes many pain-free teeth.
No — the saving on one or a few extractions is smaller than the flight. It makes sense when the extractions are part of an implant, All-on-4, veneer or crown plan, or when you are in Turkey for another treatment and need wisdom teeth removed.
Any blood thinners, bisphosphonates or osteoporosis medicines, diabetes, heart valve problems or previous endocarditis, radiotherapy to the jaw, pregnancy, allergies and previous problems with local anaesthetic or bleeding. Bring a list of your medicines and any recent X-rays.