General Dentistry in Turkey: Check-Ups, Fillings, Root Canals and More

General dentistry is the everyday care that keeps your natural teeth and gums healthy. It covers four jobs: examining your mouth, preventing problems before they start, repairing teeth that are decayed or damaged, and treating pain and infection. A general dentist is usually the first person you see about any dental problem, and the one who decides whether a tooth can simply be cleaned, filled or saved, or whether it needs something more.

In practice, general dentistry includes a dental check-up with X-rays where needed, professional cleaning (scaling and polishing), tooth fillings, root canal treatment, tooth extraction, inlays and onlays for larger cavities, fissure sealants, fluoride treatment and night guards for teeth grinding. These treatments are less visible than veneers or implants, but they decide how long your natural teeth last and whether more complex work is ever needed.

At Er Dental Clinic, international patients use general dentistry in two ways. Some come to Istanbul for a larger treatment such as crowns or implants and have a check-up, a cleaning or a filling alongside it, so that the new work is placed in a healthy mouth. Others travel for general care on its own, for example a painful tooth that needs root canal treatment or several old fillings that need replacing. Either way, the plan starts the same way: a free online consultation, then an examination with a dentist in Istanbul who confirms what each tooth needs before any treatment begins.

Most dental problems follow a predictable path, and the right treatment depends on how far along that path a tooth has gone. A tooth is built in layers. The hard outer enamel protects the softer dentine beneath it, and at the centre sits the pulp, the living tissue with the nerve and blood vessels. Below the gum, the root is held in the jawbone.

Tooth decay starts on the enamel surface, where plaque bacteria turn sugars into acid. At this early stage there may be only a chalky white spot, and fluoride, careful cleaning and sealing the grooves of back teeth can help stop it. Once decay breaks through into the dentine, it spreads faster and a cavity forms; the decayed part is removed and the tooth is repaired with a filling, or with an inlay or onlay if the cavity is large. If bacteria reach the pulp, the nerve becomes inflamed or infected, which often causes lingering pain, and root canal treatment is used to clean and seal the inside of the tooth. When a tooth is too broken down or the infection cannot be controlled, extraction may be the safest option.

The earlier a problem is found, the smaller and simpler the repair usually is. That is the main reason regular check-ups and X-rays matter: decay between teeth or under an old filling often causes no symptoms until it is already deep.

You do not need to wait for pain to see a dentist. These are the most common reasons to book an examination:

• Toothache. Pain that lingers after hot or cold drinks, throbbing pain or pain when you bite can mean deep decay or an inflamed nerve.
• Sensitivity. Short, sharp twinges can come from worn enamel, exposed roots or a small cavity.
• Bleeding or swollen gums. Bleeding when you brush is usually the first sign of gum inflammation.
• A broken or lost filling. An old filling that has chipped or fallen out leaves the tooth open to decay and fracture.
• A darkened tooth. A tooth that turns grey or darker can be a sign that the nerve has been damaged.
• Grinding or clenching. Flattened, chipped teeth, a tired jaw in the morning or headaches can point to bruxism.
• Bad breath or a bad taste. These can come from plaque and tartar, gum problems or an infected tooth.
• No symptoms, but overdue a check-up. Many problems do not hurt in the early stages, which is when they are easiest to treat.

Toothache or a dental emergency in Istanbul? If you develop toothache while you are in Istanbul, contact us on WhatsApp with a short description and a photo of the area, and our team will advise you on the next step. Some symptoms need urgent medical care straight away rather than a dental appointment: swelling that spreads towards the eye or down the neck, a high temperature, or difficulty swallowing or breathing. In that case, go to the nearest hospital emergency department or call the local emergency number first.

Patient stories

Hear From Our International Patients

Patients from the UK, Romania, France, Ukraine and Russia talk about their treatment at Er Dental Clinic. Each video shows the treatment the patient had.

United KingdomZirconium CrownRomaniaZirconium CrownFranceZirconium CrownUnited KingdomZirconium CrownRussiaZirconium CrownUkraineZirconium CrownUnited KingdomZirconium CrownRomaniaZirconium CrownUnited KingdomZirconium CrownRomaniaZirconium Crown

Two conditions are behind a large share of general dental treatment. Tooth decay is the most common reason for fillings, inlays and onlays, root canal treatment and many extractions. Teeth grinding (bruxism) wears and cracks teeth, damages fillings and crowns, and is managed with a night guard and other measures. Each has its own page explaining causes, signs and how treatment changes at each stage.

General dentistry is for anyone who wants to keep their natural teeth healthy, but our international patients usually fall into one of three groups.

The first group is visiting Istanbul for another treatment. Before crowns, veneers, bridges or implants are placed, any decay, gum inflammation or infected nerves need to be treated, because new restorations last longer on healthy foundations. A check-up and a professional cleaning are often done at the start of the trip, and fillings or root canal treatment are added to the plan only where the examination shows they are needed.

The second group is overdue a check-up. If it has been some time since your last dental visit, an examination with X-rays shows what is happening beneath the surface, and small problems can be treated before they become large ones.

The third group has a specific problem: a painful tooth, a broken filling, sensitive teeth or jaw pain from grinding. For these patients, the priority is finding the cause and relieving the symptoms, then planning any further treatment.

Some factors make dental problems more likely: frequent sugary snacks or acidic drinks, a dry mouth (often a side effect of medicines), smoking, diabetes, gum recession that exposes the roots, many existing fillings and irregular cleaning between the teeth. Bleeding gums are usually the first sign of gum inflammation; a professional dental cleaning, together with better cleaning at home, is the usual first step.

Most people come to us with a symptom rather than the name of a treatment. The cards below link each common concern to the page that explains the treatment most often used for it. The final choice always depends on an examination and X-rays, and one symptom can have several possible causes, so treat these as a starting point.

General dental treatment is priced treatment by treatment, so the total depends on how many teeth need care and what each one needs. Fillings, inlays, onlays and root canal treatment are priced per tooth. Our published prices are clinic-direct rates:

• Simple tooth extraction: from £90 / €100 / $120.
• Professional dental cleaning / scaling: £95 / €110 / $130.
• Composite dental filling: £100 / €120 / $140 per tooth.
• Surgical tooth extraction: £130 / €150 / $175.
• Deep dental cleaning: £130 / €150 / $175.
• Root canal treatment: £215 / €250 / $290 per tooth.
• Root canal retreatment: £260 / €300 / $350 per tooth.
• Ceramic inlay or onlay restoration: £345 / €400 / $460 per tooth.

Your final plan is confirmed after your X-rays are reviewed and your teeth have been examined. If you are coming for a package such as crowns or implants, root canal treatment and extractions on natural teeth are quoted separately, only if needed. Treatments without a published price, such as sealants, fluoride varnish or a night guard, are quoted after your assessment. The price page lists every treatment and what each package includes.

A few comparisons come up again and again in general dentistry. The first is a filling or an inlay/onlay. A filling is placed directly in the tooth in one visit and suits small and medium cavities. An inlay or onlay is made outside the mouth from ceramic and bonded in place; it is usually chosen for larger cavities or weakened cusps, and it generally keeps more natural tooth than a crown.

The second is root canal treatment or extraction. When a tooth is infected, keeping it is usually considered first, because your own tooth keeps its place in your bite and avoids the need to replace it. Extraction becomes the better choice when there is too little healthy tooth left to restore, when the root is fractured or when treatment is unlikely to succeed. If a tooth is removed, the gap can later be restored with an implant, a bridge or a denture.

The third is how to manage teeth grinding. A custom night guard is the usual first step because it protects the teeth directly. Reducing triggers such as stress, caffeine and alcohol, repairing worn teeth and, in some cases, other treatments for the jaw muscles are discussed after an assessment.

Finally, a panoramic X-ray gives an overview of the whole mouth, while smaller bitewing or periapical X-rays and 3D CBCT scans show more detail where it is needed.

Good general dentistry starts with an accurate picture of your mouth and your health.

Our approach is to treat the cause, keep as much of your natural tooth as possible and choose the least invasive repair that will last. A tooth is never extracted when it can reasonably be saved, and a crown is not proposed where a filling, inlay or onlay would do the job.

1. 1Find the cause. Examination and X-rays identify why a tooth hurts, breaks or decays, not only where.
2. 2Save the natural tooth. Keeping your own tooth is considered first, with extraction reserved for teeth that cannot be restored.
3. 3Least-invasive repair. The smallest repair that will protect the tooth is chosen: a filling before an inlay or onlay, an onlay before a crown.
4. 4Prevent recurrence. Cleaning, sealants, fluoride and a night guard where needed reduce the chance of the problem coming back.

Most general treatments can be planned around a short stay in Istanbul, and many can be combined with other treatment in the same trip. The length of your visit depends on the treatments in your plan and is confirmed in writing before you book.

1. 1Send photos and X-rays online. Share photos of your teeth, any recent X-rays and a description of your symptoms.
2. 2Examination and X-rays. At the clinic, your dentist examines your teeth, gums and bite and takes the X-rays needed.
3. 3Written plan and price. You receive a written plan that lists each treatment and its price, and agree it before treatment starts.
4. 4Treatment. Cleaning, fillings, root canal treatment or extractions are carried out under local anaesthesia where needed.
5. 5Aftercare advice and check-up interval. You leave with written aftercare advice and a recommended check-up interval to follow at home.

What you do at home matters as much as the treatment itself. A few habits protect both your natural teeth and any new fillings, crowns or implants.

Brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, spitting out rather than rinsing afterwards so the fluoride stays on the teeth. Clean between your teeth once a day with interdental brushes or floss, because a toothbrush does not reach these surfaces, and they are where decay and gum inflammation often start.

Keep sugary and acidic foods and drinks to mealtimes rather than spreading them through the day. Each sugary snack gives plaque bacteria another chance to produce acid. Water is the safest drink between meals, and stopping smoking helps both your gums and healing after treatment.

If you grind or clench your teeth, wear your night guard as advised and bring it to your check-ups so its fit can be checked. After a filling, root canal treatment or extraction, follow the specific instructions your dentist gives you; for example, after an extraction you should protect the blood clot by avoiding rinsing, smoking and drinking through a straw on the first day.

Once you are home, keep up regular check-ups with your own dentist. Your dentist in Istanbul recommends a check-up interval based on your risk of decay and gum disease, and we give you copies of your X-rays and treatment notes so that your local dentist can see what was done.

General dental treatments are routine, but it helps to know what is normal afterwards and when to get in touch.

Your dentist explains the risks that apply to your treatment before you give your consent.

Send us photos of your teeth, any recent X-rays and a short description of your symptoms for a free online consultation. Our dental team reviews them and replies with a written treatment plan and an estimated quote, so you know what each tooth needs before you decide to travel.