Transport for London faces backlash over ‘Turkey Teeth’ ad

Sadiq KhanTransport for London was today accused of “unethical” advertising of “turkey teeth” procedures.

TfLunder the control of the Mayor of London, shows ads for the Istanbul dental clinic Dentakay, which offers the ‘Hollywood Smile’ treatment.

A controversial dental procedure popularized by stars such as Katie Price and Love Island Jack Finchaminvolves filing natural teeth onto pins and replacing them with crowns or veneers.

But many Britons say they have suffered pain and complications from cheaper treatment abroad.

The resulting trend has been dubbed “turkey teeth”, although MailOnline is not aware Dentakay has received any complaints from patients about the work they have received, and critics of the ad have said it is not an attack on the company but the concept of promoting treatment. abroad where UK safeguards do not apply.

UK dentists have already warned that complications can leave patients with huge medical bills for repair work, with some even refusing to touch patients being treated abroad because they don’t want to take responsibility for them.

Dentakay’s ad, which was shown on subways and buses, features a photo of a smiling woman with the text: “If you can’t smile back, you should fly to Istanbul.” Book now.’

British dentists have slammed TfL over advertising.

dr. MJ Rowland-Warmann, chief medical officer at Smileworks Liverpool private dental practice, said: “Ethically I think it’s wrong.”

“One has to question whether TfL took due care to protect potential patients,” she added.

She said the fact that cosmetic dentistry is being advertised to thousands of people using TfL services without any warning is not right.

“People are overwhelmed by predatory marketing,” she said.

“Companies are trying to make money off of impressionable and often vulnerable people who don’t realize the ramifications of what they’re getting themselves into.

“I’m not allowed to advertise like that to under-18s, but you have treatment there that’s not general dentistry, it’s not your six-month check-up … it’s very aggressive, ‘keep it for life or you’ll have problems with it forever’ dentistry.’

dr. Rowland-Warmann called for such ads to have a disclaimer warning people about dental or cosmetic work abroad.

“It should come with a disclaimer, just like gambling,” she said.

TfL did not confirm to MailOnline how much it earned from Dentakay’s ads, but it is likely to be in the thousands.

The transportation network rents out its ad space to independent companies and then takes a cut of the money.

One of these companies cited the cost of a ‘significant impact’ TfL advertising campaign costing at least £5,000.

A TFL spokesman said the ad was in line with their policy, but added that they were now seeking further clarification from the UK’s advertising watchdog.

“This campaign has been reviewed by our advertising partner and complies with policy,” they said.

“We have also written to the Advertising Standards Authority to advise whether additional disclaimers are required for such ads.”

Turkey teeth attracted national attention this summer amid reports that thousands of Britons were receiving the treatment in a bid to get a celebrity smile.

Interest in the procedure has been fueled on social media by the hashtag #Turkeyteeth on platforms such as TikTok, where it has been viewed more than 250 million times.

But some people have claimed that overseas dentists have given them crowns instead of the crowns they requested, leaving them in agony as a result.

While both veneers and crowns can improve the appearance and function of your teeth, the latter is much more invasive.

A veneer is a very thin layer of porcelain, but it can be made of other materials and is usually chosen more for cosmetic purposes. Only a portion of the tooth is shaved to place the veneer.

While the crown is about twice as thick and covers the entire tooth. Most of the tooth is removed to make room.

Dentakay prides itself on its website that it can offer treatment within the same day and at a much lower cost than dentists in the UK.

A similar procedure in the UK can cost up to £500 per tooth, while Dentakay says it can cost as little as £850 for a full set of teeth in Turkey.

dr. Rowland-Warmann added that it is important to emphasize that the problem is not with a single company, but with the industry as a whole.

“We have to be careful not to let xenophobia or nationalism cloud our opinion,” she said.

“Not all dentists in Turkey are bad, the vast majority are wonderful and ethical.

“We’re talking about bad dentistry, not foreign dentistry.”

dr. Rowland-Warmann added that dentists in the UK are held to high ethical and regulatory standards, allowing patients financial support if something goes wrong, which is not always the case overseas.

Dentakaya has been contacted for comment.