A Welsh scaffolder says a dental operation in Turkey was "the worst mistake" of his life. Matthew Bowen, from Rhondda Cynon Taf, has spent around £14,000 on the surgery, travel and accommodation — but claims he is facing another costly operation after his new gnashers left him bereft of confidence.
The 35-year-old, of Abercynon, told WalesOnline he started having dental issues aged 19 when he sustained a broken jaw from an assault in Aberdare's Tesco supermarket. "All my teeth started crumbling after that," said the self-employed scaffolder. In the two years before he got his teeth done in Turkey, he typically worked seven days a week, 12 hours a day, so he could afford what he thought would be his "perfect smile".
The crowns he wanted were not available on the NHS and getting them fitted privately in the UK would have cost him £27,000, said Mr Bowen, but after a recommendation from a Turkish friend he opted to go to the Aras Selcuk Advanced Dentistry clinic in Marmaris for a £7,800 operation. When we approached Dr Selcuk he told us he stood by his work, adding: "This is the only patient with problems so far. Everyone is happy, only this guy is not."
Mr Bowen travelled to Marmaris in 2022 to discuss the surgery then spent months saving up before returning in January 2023 for the operation. In total, he had 18 teeth removed and 12 metal implants inserted to his jawbone. He would then return home for a three-month healing period before the next stage, which would see porcelain crowns fitted. But Mr Bowen claims problems started in the aftermath of the first stage. "The pain was so bad I couldn't get out of bed for weeks. Every time I stood up my whole head would hurt. My brother flew out to Turkey to support me and then I flew home three weeks after the operation."
While waiting for his crowns Mr Bowen had no teeth so lived off a soft diet. He then went back to Marmaris in April 2023 to have the crowns inserted. But he claims his teeth were "falling apart" within weeks of being put in, so he returned to the clinic in August 2023 for another operation. This time he had the crowns fitted with dental glue, he said, whereas the previous ones had been screwed in. Dr Selcuk told WalesOnline he carried this out for free as a goodwill gesture even though he believed the original work was of a high standard.
"I had the new set put in but the same thing happened," claimed Mr Bowen. "My teeth are chipped and cracked. There's damage to ten of the crowns. I've got a big gap from my gums to my teeth. You can see all my saliva coming through the tops of my teeth." He flew to Turkey again in August 2024 — this time without an appointment — in the hope of a fix but Dr Selcuk said there was nothing more he could do. "He was shocked when I turned up," said Mr Bowen.
Dr Selcuk told us: "I made it free the second time, and each time he comes with something else. I told him the saliva between the gum and the teeth is normal. Even your original teeth can crack if you don't take care about it. You have to be careful when eating and avoid grinding your teeth at night. Otherwise you can crack them — these teeth are porcelain."
Mr Bowen insists he has taken care of his teeth. "Ever since I've had them done I've been on a soft diet because I don't want them to break. It's quite frustrating, not eating the food I want to eat. I've got night guards and I wake up with bits of my teeth in my night guards. I feel down all the time because of my teeth. I've been working so many hours to get the money to get them fixed. It has been making me quite ill."
Mr Bowen says he has spent £6,200 in travel and accommodation costs on top of the £7,800 he paid the clinic. He claims he has sought corrective work on the NHS but "no dentist in the UK will touch me now 'cause I've been to Turkey". However, he says he has been in contact with another Turkish dentist who has recommended another operation to prevent him losing his implants. "Another £4,000 that's going to cost me," said Mr Bowen, who is due to fly for the surgery in a few months. "I don't really want to pay any more, but I still want a perfect smile."
Dr Selcuk's clinic says on its website that he has treated 8,023 "happy patients". Speaking to WalesOnline the dentist said he carried out Mr Bowen's procedure in the same manner that "everyone is doing", including UK dentists. He added: "When we finished the work the first time, he said he wanted to change to another set, so we did new crowns, all for free, no charge at all. I asked him, 'Are you happy?' And he says everything is good... He should just be careful. He shouldn't eat something hard."
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