How to shortlist three Antalya dentists and pick one

You have looked at the lists and have a dozen names. Now what? The answer is not to message all of them. It is to pick three carefully and compare them properly. This article gives you a simple method.

Step 1: choose three on paper

Open the list for your treatment: implants, prosthetic work or veneers. Pick three dentists who:

• do your treatment, according to their clinic;
• have as many of the five profile checks as possible, so you can verify them;
• work at clinics with a review record you are comfortable with.

If you want our honest suggestion, put one of our top picks on your list, then two others. You will see the difference for yourself.

Step 2: send the same information to each

Your comparison only works if everyone sees the same thing. Send each dentist:

• an X-ray, ideally a panoramic X-ray (OPG) from the last six months;
• photos of your teeth and smile, front and side;
• a short description: what bothers you, what you want, your health and medicines;
• the same three questions (below).

Read sending X-rays and photos for how to get good ones.

Step 3: ask the same three questions

1. What do you see on my X-ray, and what would you do?
2. Who would treat me at each stage, and what is their experience with this treatment?
3. What could go wrong, and what would happen then?

Step 4: compare the answers

Step 5: meet the best two

Ask the two strongest for a short video call with the dentist. Use our 12 questions. Notice who answers directly, who listens, and who you would trust if something went wrong.

Step 6: decide

Go back to your table. The best choice is usually the dentist who explained most clearly, was most honest about risks, and named who would treat you. It is often not the cheapest, and it is rarely the one who said yes fastest.

When the plans disagree

If one dentist suggests six implants and another four, or one suggests veneers and another crowns, ask each why. The reasons are often sensible: different readings of your bone, different views on saving teeth. Their explanation tells you a lot about them. Read when a good dentist says no.

Keep a record

Save every reply. When you arrive, you will compare the final plan with what your chosen dentist told you, and a written record makes that easy.

A scoring sheet you can use

For each of your three dentists, give a score from 1 to 3 on each line, then add them up. It is not scientific, but it stops one impressive detail from outweighing everything else.

How long to give the process

Allow two to four weeks from first contact to decision. Dentists may take a few days to reply properly, video calls need arranging, and you need time to think. If a clinic presses you to decide within days, that is a reason to slow down, not speed up.

What to do with the plans you do not choose

Thank the dentists you do not choose and let them know. It is polite, and it means you will not keep receiving messages. Keep their plans: if your chosen dentist’s plan changes a lot on day one, comparing it with the others helps you judge whether the change makes sense.

If none of the three feels right

Go back to the lists and choose three more. Or ask a UK dentist to look at your X-ray and tell you what they would expect a good plan to include. It is better to spend another month choosing than years regretting.

A worked example

Here is how the method might look in practice for someone who needs an upper full-arch implant treatment and wants to keep their lower teeth.

In this example, Dentist B drops out: no named dentist, a much bigger plan with no reason, and no risks mentioned. Dentists A and C both look careful. The video call decides between them.

Using our lists to build your three

Our role lists put our top picks first, then order everyone else by how much their clinic publishes. If you want three dentists you can check easily, pick from those with more of the five profile checks, and open their profiles. For implants, start with the implant dentists list, for example Dt. Hüseyin Yavuz Özbek and Dr. Barış Kipritoğlu. For veneers, start with the cosmetic dentists list.

Getting a UK view

If you have a UK dentist, ask them to look at your X-ray and the three plans. They may not want to advise on treatment abroad, but most will tell you whether a plan seems reasonable for what they can see. That neutral view is valuable. If you do not have a dentist, the NHS website can help you find one.

Common mistakes

• Comparing only the total price.
• Sending different photos to each clinic.
• Choosing the clinic, not the dentist.
• Deciding before any video call.
• Paying a deposit under time pressure.

Keeping your shortlist honest

It is easy to fall for one dentist early and then judge the others more harshly. A simple guard against that is to write down your questions before you contact anyone, and ask all three exactly the same ones in the same order. Read each reply on the same day if you can, and fill in your scoring sheet straight away, before you talk it over with anyone. Then sleep on it.

It also helps to separate two questions that often get mixed up: “Is this dentist good?” and “Is this clinic convenient?”. Hotel, transfers and price matter, but they belong in a second column. Choose the dentist first, then check that the practical side works.

When to stop comparing

Once two dentists have given you clear, honest plans and you feel comfortable with at least one of them, you have enough information. More quotes rarely add clarity. Read choosing a dentist in Antalya.

Common questions

Why three dentists?

Two can disagree with no tie-breaker. More than three and the answers blur. Three gives you a clear picture of what is normal.

What if the three plans are very different?

Ask each dentist why. Differences usually come from how much they want to save teeth, how they read your bone, or the materials they prefer.

Should I include a UK dentist?

It helps. A UK opinion on your X-ray gives you a neutral comparison.

Is the cheapest plan a bad sign?

Not by itself. Compare what is included, the implant brand and the materials before deciding.

Sources

1. NHS: treatment abroad checklist
2. Oral Health Foundation: going abroad for dental treatment
3. NHS: find a dentist

Checked October 2026. Where we give our own view as a clinic, we say so.