Dental crowns in Turkey: what you should know first
A crown is a cap that covers the whole visible part of a tooth. It is made in a dental lab, or milled from a digital scan, and cemented over the tooth after it has been reduced on every side. Crowns restore teeth that are broken, heavily filled, worn down or root-canal treated, and they also hold bridges in place. At the hospital dental departments on our site a zirconia crown starts at €210 per tooth, the hospital's own list price for international patients.
The question that matters most is not the price but whether each tooth really needs a crown. A crown removes much more tooth than a filling or a veneer, and that cannot be undone. Many of the problems reported after dental work abroad come from crowns placed on healthy teeth for cosmetic reasons. This page explains when a crown is the right treatment, which material suits which tooth, what crowns cost in Turkey compared with home and how the treatment goes. For dental treatment in Turkey in general — how trips are organised, packages, guarantees and choosing a clinic — see our guide to dental treatments in Turkey.
Zirconia Crown in Turkey: how it works
- 1Send your photos and questions
Free and without obligation: tell us what you want to change and send a few photos — by form or WhatsApp.
- 2Get a written plan and price
A surgeon reviews your case and you receive a personal plan with the price, usually within 24 hours. Compare hospitals; nothing is paid in advance.
- 3Travel, surgery and aftercare
Airport pick-up, examination, surgery and check-ups in Istanbul, then follow-up with your surgeon after you fly home.
Zirconia Crown in Turkey: hospitals and prices
Hospitals on our site that perform Zirconia Crown, with each hospital's own list price for international patients, shown in your currency.
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Price from€210 Get price
- Within about 2 hours
A coordinator replies in your language by WhatsApp or e-mail.
- Within 24 hours
A surgeon reviews your photos and you receive a written plan with the surgeon's name and the price.
- You decide
Ask anything and take your time — nothing is paid in advance.
Why plan Zirconia Crown in Turkey with Treat Journey?
- Free for patients
Searching, comparing and requesting quotes costs nothing. You pay the hospital directly, at the price in your written quote — never a pre-payment to us.
- Real hospital prices, published
Every price on this page is the hospital's own price for international patients, shown live in your currency, with what the package includes.
- A named surgeon and a written plan
Your quote names the surgeon and the hospital and lists exactly what is included — no anonymous packages.
- Licensed hospitals only
We list licensed hospitals with an international patient department; accreditations such as JCI are shown on each hospital page.
- Honest reviews
We show real patient reviews, including Google reviews and critical ones, and we never invent ratings.
- Support before, during and after
A coordinator in your language answers within hours, arranges transfers and an interpreter, and stays in touch after you fly home.
When is a crown really needed?
If you are asking yourself “do I need a crown?”, the honest answer depends on how much sound tooth is left. A crown is usually the right choice when:
- A large part of the tooth is missing: a filling would replace more than about half of the tooth, or an old large filling keeps breaking.
- The tooth is cracked or fractured: a crown holds the pieces together and spreads biting forces.
- The tooth has had root canal treatment: back teeth in particular become brittle afterwards and are usually crowned. See root canal treatment.
- The tooth is badly worn: from grinding or acid erosion, when the bite has to be rebuilt.
- A bridge or an implant needs it: a dental bridge is held by crowns on the neighbouring teeth, and an implant is finished with a crown.
A crown is usually not needed when a tooth is healthy and you only want it whiter, straighter or more even. In that case whitening, bonding, veneers or aligners keep far more of your own tooth. A small cavity needs a filling, and a moderate one an inlay or onlay — a partial ceramic restoration that replaces only the missing part.
Crowns in Turkey cost compared with the UK, US and Germany
Zirconia crowns in Turkey start at €210 per tooth at the hospitals on this page; the hospital list below shows each one's price in your currency. Across the market, crowns for international patients in Turkey mostly cost about €150–€450 per tooth depending on the material. The table compares typical prices for a single crown; the figures outside Turkey are approximate private fees and vary between practices and cities.
| Country | Zirconia crown | E-max crown | Porcelain-fused-to-metal crown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | from €210 | about €250–€450 | about €130–€250 |
| United Kingdom (private) | about £600–£1,200 | about £600–£1,200 | about £450–£900 |
| United States | about $1,000–$2,500 | about $1,000–$2,500 | about $800–$1,800 |
| Germany (private) | about €600–€1,500 | about €700–€1,500 | about €500–€1,000 |
Turkish prices other than the live price are approximate and confirmed in a written quote. In England, a crown that is clinically needed can be done on the NHS as a Band 3 treatment, which costs much less than a private crown — if you can get an NHS appointment. In Germany, statutory health insurance pays a fixed subsidy towards a crown. A trip only makes financial sense when several crowns are needed, or crowns combined with other treatment; for a single crown, the flight, hotel and days off often cancel out the difference.
What changes the price: the material and the lab; whether the tooth needs a root canal, a post or a core build-up first; X-rays and a CBCT scan; gum treatment; and the number of units. A crown package usually includes the examination, a panoramic X-ray, the scan or impressions, a temporary crown, the final crown, cementation and transfers. Ask for an itemised quote that lists every tooth.
Types of dental crowns in Turkey: zirconia, E-max and porcelain crowns
The material is chosen for the position of the tooth, the forces on it and how visible it is. The dentist should explain the choice tooth by tooth.
| Material | Strength | Appearance | Typically used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monolithic zirconia | Very high | Good, slightly more opaque | Back teeth, people who grind, bridges |
| Layered zirconia | High core, the porcelain layer can chip | Very good | Front and back teeth |
| E-max (lithium disilicate) | Moderate to high | Very natural, translucent | Front teeth and premolars |
| Porcelain-fused-to-metal | High | Good, a grey line can show at the gum over time | Back teeth, longer bridges |
| Full metal / gold | Highest, least tooth removed | Metallic | Back teeth that do not show |
Zirconia crowns in Turkey are the most requested because they are strong and metal-free. Porcelain crowns is a loose term: it can mean E-max, feldspathic porcelain or porcelain-fused-to-metal, which differ a lot in strength and price, so ask which one your quote means. Cermet crowns and porcelain crowns have their own pages.
Crowns vs veneers
A veneer covers only the front of a tooth and usually needs about 0.3–0.7 mm of enamel removed. A crown covers the whole tooth, which is reduced by roughly 1–2 mm on every side. A study in the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry (Edelhoff and Sorensen, 2002) found that preparing a front tooth for a full crown removes roughly two thirds of its visible structure — several times more than a veneer.
- Crowns: for teeth that are already weakened — broken, heavily filled, root-filled or worn — and for back teeth that take chewing forces.
- Veneers: for healthy front teeth when the change is mainly colour, shape or small gaps.
Crowns cost less per tooth than veneers at many clinics, which is one reason full sets of crowns are sold as a “smile”. Be wary when a clinic proposes crowns on every visible healthy tooth. The long comparison, and what went wrong with “Turkey teeth”, is in our veneers in Turkey guide.
How crowns are fitted, and how many days you need
- Examination: X-rays, a check of the gums and the bite, and a plan for each tooth. Decay and gum disease are treated first.
- Preparation: under local anaesthetic the tooth is shaped; a core build-up or post is added if too little tooth is left. Anxious patients can ask about treatment with sedation.
- Scan and temporary crown: the tooth is scanned or an impression is taken, and a temporary crown protects it.
- Lab work: usually three to five working days; some clinics mill single crowns the same day.
- Try-in and cementation: fit, shade and bite are checked before the crown is cemented.
- Bite check: a short visit a day or two later to adjust high spots.
Plan 5–7 days in Turkey for crowns made in a lab, and longer if root canal treatment is needed first. Crowns on implants are a second trip, after the implant has healed for about three to six months. Your coordinator arranges transfers and appointments, as explained in how it works.
Recovery and life with a crown
Crowns need no recovery time in the surgical sense. Sensitivity to cold and slightly sore gums for a few days are common; ordinary painkillers usually help. You can eat normally once the anaesthetic wears off, but avoid sticky and very hard food with a temporary crown. If the bite still feels high after a few days, or a tooth aches when you bite, have it checked — an uneven bite is the most common cause of early problems.
A crowned tooth can still decay where the crown meets the tooth, so brush twice a day, clean between the teeth with floss or interdental brushes and keep your usual check-ups at home. If you grind your teeth, wear a night guard. You can fly the day after the final cementation; take the treatment records home (see the dental hub on aftercare at home).
Risks of crowns: what studies show
- Loss of the nerve: preparing a vital tooth for a crown can injure the nerve. In a study in the International Endodontic Journal (Cheung and colleagues, 2005), about one in six vital teeth under metal-ceramic crowns had lost their nerve after ten years, and more under bridge supports. The tooth then needs root canal treatment, often through the crown.
- Chipping and fracture: the porcelain layer of layered crowns can chip, especially in people who grind; monolithic zirconia rarely chips.
- Loosening: a crown can come off, usually when there was little tooth to hold it; an intact crown can often be re-cemented.
- Decay and gum problems: at poorly fitting edges plaque collects, causing decay and gum inflammation.
- Over-treatment: crowns on healthy teeth are the main avoidable risk, because the tooth structure removed is lost for good.
Before you book, ask which teeth will be crowned and why, which material and lab are used, and what happens if a crown fails after you are home. General checks are in our guide on choosing a safe clinic in Turkey. Crowns at the hospitals on our site are fitted in hospital dental departments, such as Lokman Hekim Istanbul Hospital.
How long do crowns last?
With good care, most crowns last 10–15 years and many longer. Systematic reviews in Dental Materials (Sailer, Pjetursson and colleagues, 2015) found that more than nine in ten single crowns on natural teeth — metal-ceramic, zirconia and lithium disilicate alike — were still in place after five years. Crowns fail mostly through decay at the edges, loss of the nerve, chipping or the tooth underneath fracturing, and how much healthy tooth was left matters more than the material.
Plan for replacement at some point: a crown is not for life. Keep the written plan, the material, the shade and the X-rays, so that a dentist at home can repair or replace it if needed.
Zirconia Crown in Turkey reviews
Reviews of the hospitals and surgeons on this page that perform Zirconia Crown, with reviews about this treatment first. Reviews from Google are marked.
Today, my brother and I came to Lokman Hekim Hospital for a routine check-up. We come every year. But this year, we would like to thank Ms. Selda for welcoming and caring for us. She listened patiently, explaining everything step by step. I would like to thank her here as well and wish her continued success. Seeing such a caring person in such an institution truly made us happy.
It's a terrible place. I used many of its departments, even had surgery there, but I'll never go near it again. When you call about the results, they even hang up on you.
The receptionist in the emergency room told us our registration was complete and directed us to the doctor. However, when we went to see the doctor, we were told that no record had been created for us. Communication and coordination between departments are completely lacking. Patients being directed from one place to another in this way causes both a waste of time and serious inconvenience. One of the most basic things a hospital should have is order, communication, and professionalism. Unfortunately, we saw none of these. We were extremely dissatisfied with our experience. In terms of service quality and patient satisfaction, it is definitely an institution far below our expectations. We were not at all pleased.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Cardiology Specialist Dr. Servet for his knowledge, experience, and valuable approach towards the patient. I would also like to thank Nurse Halenur for her smiling face, attentiveness, kind approach, and gentle touch. My thanks to the entire team for making me feel safe and valued.
Ms. Selin from the Podiatry department is the perfect example of how much difference people who love their work make. From the very first minute, you feel safe thanks to her smiling face, sweet energy, attentiveness, and meticulousness in her work. It's an experience that's good for both your feet and your soul. 😄 I'm so glad I met her; it's truly valuable to see such wonderful people doing their jobs so well. I wholeheartedly recommend her. ✨
I would like to thank the radiology team at Lokman Hekim Kurtköy Hospital. I had to go both in the morning and close to the end of their shift. Their smiles and hospitality were the same. I'm sure they get very tired, but they definitely don't let it show to the patients. Dr. Birsen Dizman was inside, and Mrs. Kibar, Mrs. Gülten, and Mrs. Bedriye were there, their warm and reassuring demeanor making you feel they love their work. I wanted to thank them here as well. I wish everyone could do their jobs as well as they do.
Frequently asked questions
Zirconia crowns start at about €211 per tooth at the hospitals on our site. Across the market most crowns cost about €150–€450 per tooth depending on the material; the written quote lists every tooth and any preparatory work.
A filling is enough for small and moderate cavities. A crown is usually needed when more than about half of the tooth is missing, the tooth is cracked, it has had root canal treatment or it is badly worn.
A veneer covers only the front of a tooth and removes a thin layer of enamel. A crown covers the whole tooth, which is reduced on every side. Crowns are for weakened teeth; veneers are the more conservative choice for healthy front teeth.
Neither is better everywhere. Zirconia is very strong and suits back teeth and people who grind; E-max porcelain looks more natural on front teeth. Porcelain-fused-to-metal is strong but can show a grey line at the gum over time.
Most last 10–15 years and many longer with good care. Systematic reviews report that more than nine in ten single crowns on natural teeth are still in place after five years.
About 5–7 days for crowns made in a lab, with two or three appointments. Allow more time if root canal treatment or gum treatment is needed first.
The preparation is done under local anaesthetic. Mild sensitivity and sore gums for a few days afterwards are common and usually settle with ordinary painkillers.
Yes, at the edge where the crown meets the tooth. Brushing twice a day, cleaning between the teeth and regular check-ups keep that risk low.
Usually not. The saving on a single crown is often cancelled by flights, hotel and time off. A trip makes more sense when several crowns, a bridge or crowns combined with other treatment are needed.
Keep the crown and see a dentist; an intact crown can often be re-cemented. Ask before you book what the guarantee covers and whether repairs in Turkey include your travel.
No. Ceramic crowns keep their colour, so whiten your natural teeth first and match the crowns to the new shade.