Coming from Finland to Turkey for dental implants

Dental care in Finland runs on two tracks. You can access public dental care through the terveyskeskus (health centre) run by your local hyvinvointialue (regional wellbeing services county); since the 2023 health and social services reform, these services have been run by the hyvinvointialueet rather than municipalities, with Helsinki organising its own services separately. This is a subsidised system, though waiting times can vary by region. Alternatively, you can see a private hammaslääkäri (dentist), in which case Kela (Kansaneläkelaitos, the Social Insurance Institution) reimburses part of the treatment. For a substantial course of treatment such as implants, the patient's own share stays large either way.

Kela's reimbursement does not cover every treatment; a procedure that is purely cosmetic is excluded from reimbursement, and implants largely fall into that category. Kela can also give a partial reimbursement for private dental treatment received in EU/EEA countries, Switzerland and the UK, but Turkey is not on that list. So do not expect a reimbursement from Kela for implant treatment carried out in Turkey.

On the dental hygiene side, Kela's rules are fairly detailed: two dental hygienist visits a year are reimbursed without a referral, and with a referral this can rise to as many as fifteen over two years. This detail matters, because regular hygienist check-ups after implant treatment are one of the habits that decide how long treatment lasts, and Kela largely supports this check in Finland.

Finland is a long country running north to south, and for patients living outside Helsinki, flying to Istanbul usually means a domestic connection first. Delays and cancellations caused by snow and ice in winter are a known risk; when you plan your return for straight after day 3, it is worth factoring this in and leaving a buffer day if you can. This is not part of the treatment itself, but it is a detail your travel plan needs to be realistic.

To act quickly if a problem comes up once you are home, you need to take your full records with you: the brand, diameter, length and position of the implants used, an X-ray taken after treatment, and a written treatment plan. With these, whoever you see, whether at the terveyskeskus or a private hammaslääkäri, can see what they are dealing with. The Suomen Hammaslääkäriliitto's (Finnish Dental Association) patient information is a useful starting point for what to look at when judging the quality of treatment.

The clinical process is three days, that is 72 hours, and each of those three days is full: day 1 is surgery and the first try-in, day 2 is further try-ins and choosing the final tooth shade, day 3 is the final fixed teeth. This protocol was not designed for patients missing a single tooth; for a single gap, a conventional implant with your own hammaslääkäri means fewer procedures and less travel.

The breakdown below shows whether the trip is really worth it for patients coming from Finland.

The order below rules out the most common hiccups from the start.

1. 1

   Send your imaging

   Send your panoramic X-ray or CBCT scan if you have one, your list of medicines, and any long-term conditions. If we think this is not right for you, we tell you before you travel.

2. 2

   Plan your flight connection and a buffer day

   If you live outside Helsinki, factor in the domestic connection; in winter, add a buffer day to your return where you can.

3. 3

   Find a hammaslääkäri in Finland now, for after you are home

   Decide on your terveyskeskus or a private dentist for routine check-ups, and pass your records to them once treatment is done.

4. 4

   Set aside three days, and plan any holiday separately

   The clinical process is three days, that is 72 hours: day 1 is surgery and the first try-in, day 2 is further try-ins, day 3 is the final fixed teeth. Put your return flight at the end of day 3.

5. 5

   Take your complete records home with you

   The brand, diameter, length and position of the implants, an X-ray taken after treatment, the written treatment plan and what the guarantee covers. Without these documents, your hammaslääkäri cannot safely treat you.

6. 6

   Set the check-up schedule from the outset

   Because treatment is complete with the final teeth on day 3, you do not need a second treatment trip; agree before you travel which check-ups happen in Finland.

If your wait in the public system is short, or Kela's support at a private clinic is enough, coming to Turkey may not always be the fastest route.

The patterns below come up again and again in patients coming from Finland, and every one of them can be prevented with planning.

This is the period that really begins once you are back in Finland, and it needs to be planned from the outset.

1. The first week

   Swelling goes down and you need fewer painkillers. Most questions in this week are resolved by photo and phone.

2. The first month

   A bite check. If your hammaslääkäri can do this with your records, go along; if not, we plan together how to proceed.

3. The first year

   Because treatment is complete on day 3, there is no separate treatment visit; check-ups are more frequent in the first year and then space out. Keep your Kela-supported hygienist appointments regular.

4. Yearly care

   A check-up, professional cleaning and monitoring the bone level around the implants. This is what decides how long the treatment lasts, and it needs to happen regularly in Finland.

Looking only at the total figure when you compare quotes from the two countries is misleading. Here is what should go into the calculation:

Matching the scope

Whether the final fixed teeth are included, how many implants, whether check-ups are in scope. A comparison made before these are matched is misleading.

Travel and the domestic connection

If you live outside Helsinki, a domestic flight is part of the cost too; when the clinical process fits into a few days, this comes to a single trip.

What Kela contributes

Kela's reimbursement covers EU/EEA countries, Switzerland and the UK, but not Turkey; there is no contribution to expect here.

The cost of care in Finland

The yearly check-up and professional cleaning will happen there. This is part of the total, and leaving it out makes the price difference look bigger than it really is.