A mother from Shropshire has spoken out about her ordeal after a dental surgery abroad left her in excruciating pain and with lasting facial damage. Leanne Abeyance, aged 40, who works as a DJ, travelled to Turkey to undergo what she hoped would be a transformative dental procedure, only for it to turn into a nightmare that has upended her life.
Seeking to replace her 13-year-old veneers with dental implants, Leanne opted for treatment overseas as a cost-saving measure. The same procedure in the UK would have set her back approximately £40,000. In Turkey, she was quoted £8,000 for the entire process, with an initial payment of £3,000 and the remainder due upon completion.
Leanne recalls that the dentist in Turkey suggested a comprehensive overhaul of her dental structure, including a sinus lift, bone grafts and 15 dental implants—eight on her upper jaw and seven on the lower. Her teeth were extracted, implants and screws fixed, and after a short recovery, temporary teeth were fitted. She was scheduled to return to Turkey five months later for permanent teeth, but things swiftly took a turn for the worse.
Within weeks of the initial surgery, Leanne began experiencing debilitating headaches and sinus issues, symptoms she had never endured before. More alarmingly, the shape of her face started to alter—and she became so distressed she visited A&E, where she was prescribed antibiotics but offered little else in the way of intervention.
A further scan at a private UK dental clinic brought the gravity of the situation into stark relief. It revealed that two implants had been inserted incorrectly; one had pierced the sinus cavity and the other penetrated her nose. The physical impact was as severe as the emotional toll. “I’m in the worst pain of my life and I’m in and out of A&E,” Leanne said, describing sensations akin to “broken glass being smashed in my face and smeared around.”
Since the botched surgery, Leanne has been without proper teeth—her mouth instead left with protruding screws, and her face visibly sunken. “My face has collapsed. I’ll never have a nice smile,” she lamented, explaining that the pain surpasses even childbirth. Her face became bruised and swollen, leaving her both physically and mentally drained.
Leanne described the distressing details of the original procedure: “When the first lot of injections went in and they started to remove my teeth, I could feel everything. The sinus lift felt like they were hammering something up my nose.” Isolated in a foreign country and overwhelmed by pain, she struggled to eat or communicate, resorting to desperate calls to family and friends for support.
Returning to the UK did little to ease her suffering. The anticipated five-month window between initial and final stages of treatment instead became a relentless cycle of hospital visits, antibiotics and consultations. Ultimately, a 4D scan confirmed the severity of the medical errors, with the only potential solution being a complete removal and re-fitting of all implants—an operation estimated to cost around £45,000.
Now, Leanne has turned to fundraising to cover the cost of urgent corrective surgery. The failed trip not only left her facing financial uncertainty but has deeply affected her mental health and quality of life. She has lost significant weight, cannot work, and feels unable to care for her daughters Gracie, 14, and Emelie, 11, as she would like.
Discussing the wider implications of her experience, Leanne hopes her cautionary tale will serve as a warning to others considering so-called “Turkey teeth” procedures. She emphasised that quick-fix solutions advertised abroad often carry hidden risks. “It’s not as easy as walk in, walk out to the perfect smile like celebrities say. There’s no such thing as the perfect white smile.”
Her story offers a sobering perspective on the pitfalls of medical tourism and underlines the importance of comprehensive aftercare and regulation when seeking complex treatments outside the UK. As Leanne continues to battle pain and restore her health, she remains determined to rebuild her life, though the emotional and physical scars will undoubtedly linger.