Sending X-rays and photos to a dentist abroad
The first opinion you get from an Antalya dentist is only as good as what you send. Here is how to send something useful.
Medically reviewed by Dt. Hüseyin Yavuz Özbek, implant surgeon · Updated October 2026Ask your UK dentist for a recent panoramic X-ray (OPG), or pay a private practice for one. Take five photos in daylight: smiling, teeth together front-on, both sides, and the top and bottom teeth from above and below. Add a short note about your health, medicines and what you want. Send the same set to each dentist you contact.
Most Antalya dentists will give you a first opinion from photos and an X-ray. A blurry selfie gets you a vague answer. A clear set of photos and a recent X-ray gets you a specific one, and lets you compare dentists fairly.
The X-ray
The most useful X-ray is a panoramic one, called an OPG or OPT. It shows every tooth, the roots and both jaws. For implants it gives a first idea of the bone. For veneers it shows old fillings, root treatments and gum disease.
- From your dentist: ask for copies of any recent X-rays. You are entitled to your records; a small fee may apply.
- Privately: many UK practices and imaging centres take an OPG for a fee without being a registered patient.
- How recent: within six to twelve months is best.
- Format: a digital file is ideal. A clear phone photo of the X-ray on a screen also works.
A 3D (CBCT) scan is usually done in Antalya on your first day. You do not need one before.
The photos
Use daylight, near a window, with a friend holding the phone if possible. No flash. Take these five:
- Full smile, front-on, at a normal distance.
- Teeth together, lips pulled back, front-on.
- Left side and right side, teeth together, lips pulled back.
- Upper teeth from below, mouth wide open (a mirror helps).
- Lower teeth from above.
For veneers, add a photo of your face, relaxed and smiling. For dentures, take photos with and without the denture.
The note
A few lines make a big difference:
- What bothers you and what you would like.
- Your age and general health.
- Every medicine you take.
- Whether you smoke.
- When you could travel, and how often.
Read questions to ask yourself for a sample note.
Send the same set to everyone
If you compare three dentists, send them the same X-ray, photos and note. Then the differences in their answers come from them, not from what you sent. Read shortlisting three dentists.
What a first opinion can and cannot do
A good dentist will tell you what they can see, what they cannot, and what might change once they examine you. Be wary of a detailed plan for twenty crowns from a single selfie. Read reading your dentist’s treatment plan.
Sending to Precious Dental
You can send your X-ray and photos on WhatsApp, +44 7575 589099, or through our contact form. A dentist reviews them and replies with a written plan and price. We use your photos only to give you a dental opinion.
Common photo mistakes
- Using the flash. It flattens colour and hides detail. Use daylight.
- Taking selfies at arm’s length. The angle distorts teeth. Ask someone to take the photos straight on.
- Lips covering the teeth. Gently pull your cheeks back with clean fingers or a spoon handle for the close-ups.
- Sending only a smile. The dentist also needs your back teeth and bite.
- Filters and beauty modes. Turn them off. Many phones smooth and whiten automatically.
If you cannot get an X-ray
Photos alone can still get you a useful first opinion, especially for cosmetic work. Tell the dentist you have no X-ray. A careful dentist will say what they can and cannot judge without one, and will rely on the scan in Antalya before confirming the plan. Be cautious of anyone who gives a detailed implant plan, with exact numbers and prices, without any X-ray at all.
Older X-rays
An X-ray from two or three years ago is better than none, but say how old it is. Teeth, bone and gums change. The dentist will treat it as a rough guide.
Keeping your information private
Send your photos and X-rays only to clinics you are seriously considering. Ask how they store them and who sees them. You can ask any clinic to delete your images if you do not go ahead. At Precious Dental, your photos are used only to give you a dental opinion. Read our privacy policy.
What to expect back
A good reply includes what the dentist sees, what they would suggest and why, any alternatives, what might change after an examination, the likely number of visits and a price. Read reading your treatment plan to make sense of it.
Getting copies of your records in the UK
Your dental records, including X-rays, are personal information. Under UK data protection law you can ask an organisation for a copy of the information it holds about you, which the Information Commissioner’s Office calls a subject access request. In practice, most dental practices will simply email or print your recent X-rays if you ask at reception. If they are slow, a short written request referring to your right of access usually helps. Ask for the files in digital form if possible.
If you do not have a UK dentist
Many people who are thinking about treatment abroad have not seen a UK dentist for a while, sometimes because they could not find an NHS place. The NHS website has a service to find a dentist near you. A private practice or imaging centre may also take a panoramic X-ray for a fee without a full course of treatment. Phone and ask whether they offer an OPG on its own, how much it costs and whether they will give you the image file.
Photo set by treatment
| If you are asking about | Most useful photos |
|---|---|
| Veneers or crowns | Relaxed smile, big smile, teeth together front and sides, and a portrait of your face |
| Single missing teeth | Close-up of the gap from the front and from the biting side, plus teeth together |
| Full-arch implants | All five standard views, with and without your denture, and your face smiling with the denture in |
| Worn or broken teeth | Biting surfaces from above and below, and teeth together from the sides |
Writing a clear first message
Dentists receive many short messages like “price for implants?”. Yours will get a better answer if it is organised. A useful order is: what you want to change, your main worry, your health and medicines, whether you smoke, when you could travel, and what you have attached. Keep it short. A dentist can always ask follow-up questions. Read questions to ask yourself for an example.
How to judge the reply
- Did a dentist reply, or a coordinator? Is the dentist named?
- Does it mention specific teeth, or is it a generic package?
- Does it say what cannot be judged without an examination?
- Does it give options, not just the biggest plan?
- Does it list what is included in the price?
If the answer to most of these is no, ask for more detail before going further. Read reading your treatment plan.
When the first opinion is “we need to see you”
Sometimes a careful dentist will not commit to a plan from photos, for example when an old bridge hides what is underneath, or when an X-ray suggests infection. That is not evasive; it is honest. Ask what range of outcomes is possible and what each would roughly involve, so you can decide whether to travel.
Sending checklist
- Recent panoramic X-ray, or a note that I have none.
- Five daylight photos, no filters.
- Short note on health, medicines and goals.
- Same set to each dentist.
Common questions
Can I get my X-rays from my UK dentist?
Yes. You can ask your dentist for copies of your X-rays. They may charge a small fee.
What is an OPG?
A panoramic X-ray that shows all your teeth and both jaws in one image. It is the most useful single X-ray for a first opinion.
Is a plan from photos reliable?
It is a first opinion. A 3D scan in Antalya can change it. Treat it as a starting point, not a final plan.
Are my photos kept private?
They should be. Ask the clinic how they store them. Precious Dental uses them only to give you a dental opinion.
Sources
- NHS: treatment abroad checklist
- NHS: healthy teeth and gums
- ICO: getting copies of your information (subject access request)
- NHS: find a dentist
Checked October 2026. Where we give our own view as a clinic, we say so.
Send your question to a Precious Dental dentist
Send an X-ray or a few photos. A Precious Dental dentist will reply with a written plan and price. Ask us who would treat you at each stage. No obligation.