Seems like a boring blog title right? What is so interesting about Traveltomtom going to the dentist in Istanbul? There are so many cool things to do in Istanbul, why would you go to the dentist? Well, the story is a little more interesting than the blog title may suggest. Read how I ended up choosing for a dentist treatment abroad.
Just to clarify, the cover photo for this article is photoshopped of course, but I am sure you understand my joke aka click-bait! LOL
As you all know Traveltomtom is a fully nomadic world traveler for almost 10 years now and hasn’t resided anywhere all that time. Of course I am still a citizen of The Netherlands and holding that very strong passport however, I am not a resident of The Netherlands anymore! Which means I am not benefitting from all the medical insurance privileges and the free health care treatments Dutch residents enjoy.
A couple years ago I always wondered who were those people that would travel for medical treatments? I always thought health tourism was related to plastic surgery and medical treatments abroad were only for cosmetic surgeries.
I learned that time is long gone and health tourism is booming. Not only for cosmetic reasons, but even cancer treatments, eye health, dentist treatments, obesity related surgeries, fertility and sterility, etc. Medical treatments abroad are hot and especially in Turkey were people from all over the world fly to get their surgery done as it the medical industry in Turkey is of very high standards but much more affordable than in many first world countries.
When learning about this it actually made sense because when in Istanbul I constantly see those people that just did their hair transplantation! On my flight from Istanbul to New York, after my dentist treatment in Istanbul, I suddenly saw so many people that had just had their hair transplantation done in Istanbul. Not 10 or 20, but many many more. Crazy…
Anyway, coming back to my story… flying to Turkey to go to the dentist? Well that is me! Traveltomtom just did it! How was it? I will tell you all about it…
Thank you for the compliments
On my Traveltomtom Instagram profile I always get a lot of compliments about my teeth. The most common question is always if I have done something to get my teeth so white. Well photoshop… :) Just kidding! But let’s keep it real… we are living in a world of filters and they definitely help a little too.
However, that only counts for photos, videos will show you the reality! I am pretty happy with my my teeth, not only how white they are but also the shape of my teeth. So do I do anything special for it or do I use whitening products? Nope, sorry! All natural. Grateful for it!
So I must not drink a lot of coffee and tea? Also wrong! I am a big coffee snob and I love sipping tea in the evenings to make myself warm and cosy before I go to bed.
The truth regarding whitening is that in 2019 I did a whitening treatment with a blue light. It was my first time and I was very happy with the result. I would actually love to do it again and although it is a safe way of whitening your teeth, the blue light teeth whitening technique is not completely harmless for the long term. So I have been adviced to do it again after a couple years and when I really feel it is needed again.
So as long as you guys keep on giving me compliments for my white teeth I will stay away from the dentist!
Afraid of the dentist
Those last words are a funny bridge to this topic: afraid of the dentist! On my Instagram stories about me getting my dentist treatment done in Istanbul I also asked my followers if they were afraid of the dentist. Out of the 8,500 people that voted 51% actually said YES. Shocking! I knew a lot of people don’t like the dentist, but that many people voting for ‘afraid of the dentist’ was very surprising.
Well, I kind of understand as Traveltomtom is NOT a fan either. It would be too much to say that I am afraid of the dentist, but the fact that I totally neglected giving my teeth, that I say I am so proud of, the best treatment is definitely a sign. I kept on contemplating to get my teeth checked up and fixed for many consecutive years.
Traveltomtom did not go to the dentist in more than 3,5 years! Something I am really NOT proud of.
I am normally not a person that takes the easy way out, but when it came to the dentist, I sadly did!
Dentist treatment in Istanbul with Meditravelist Health Assistance
A couple years ago I met Yasmin in Istanbul on a travel fair and we became friends. She started a company called Meditravelist that completely focusses on Health Tourism in Istanbul and offers people medical treatments from only the top surgeons, dentist, eye clinics, etc.
Yasmin always tried convincing me to go to the dentist in Istanbul and this time she won. My next adventure after my trip in East Africa was a travel conference in Panama, but to get there I first needed to pick up my suitcase in Dubai. Flying from Dubai to New York with an extra 3 day stop in Istanbul was actually cheaper than a direct flight to New York and I texted Yasmin that I was coming for my medical treatment.
“Just let me know what time you land and Meditravelist Health Assistance Company will arrange everything for you!”, she said!
After I picked up my luggage and went through all the checks and of course quickly bought a Turkey prepaid sim card at Istanbul Airport I found someone waiting for me. Yasmin's Health Tourism company arranged a private driver to pick me up and transfer me to my hotel in Besiktas.
It wasn't just a taxi but a luxury van. How convenient! I used the opportunity and turned it into an office as the drive from Istanbul Airport to Istanbul city center can easily be about 1 hour.
After I completed my check-in I had a couple minutes to freshen up and there was Yasmin already picking me up to drive me to my dentist appointment. At first I felt special, but I quickly learned that Yasmin always picks up her clients personally and accompanies everyone on their first day of their medical treatment in Istanbul.
Everything was already arranged by Meditravelist upon arrival at the dentist. I only quickly had to check in with my passport and I could go straight to get my x-ray taken. What followed was a nervous 5 minute wait to get the results of my x-ray. As I mentioned before it was almost 4 years since I went last to the dentist. Although I didn’t experience any problems with my teeth for a long time I also knew that some things weren’t in perfect state anymore.
The dentist had good news for me though and there was only 1 new cavity that had to be fixed and 2 old cavities needed a fix. Of course I asked immediately for anaesthesia which of course was taken care of by the calm and reassuring team of dental professionals that were watching over my teeth.
The whole thing took about 1 hour and I walked out with a smile, as much as I could smile of course as my mouth was still numb. I didn’t feel anything at all during the whole process.
That said I will probably never get used to the sound of someone drilling in my mouth. Next time I wear my headphones… not sure if that is actually possible, but was just a thought that popped up in my mind.
I couldn’t resist taking a quick selfie with the whole Meditravelist team before I walked out. Thanks for taking such great care of me! You made me feel at ease, determined and confident to do this and guided me so well and professional through the whole process that I can only recommend talk highly about you.
If this article about my medical treatment in Istanbul got you thinking then I have another incentive for you. Readers of Traveltomtom get an exclusive discount code 'TRAVELTOMTOM' that gives you 25% discount on all medical treatments booked through the MediTravelist website.
May be you have always wanted to get a hair transplantation, a boob job or also just want to go to the dentist in Istanbul too and reading this article was that last convincing step that you needed.
Just contact Yasmin's team through the link above, submit your Istanbul health tourism request and mention the 'TRAVELTOMTOM' discount code.
Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below and I am happy to answer and help you out.
Thanks for keeping up with the adventures of Traveltomtom!
