Maltepe Dental Clinic in Istanbul has outlined its continuity-of-care protocol for international patients through the seven-year case of an Australian couple. Tracy and Jeff of Emerald Beach, Australia, first came to the clinic for a crown and have returned for dental care when a dental problem has unexpectedly arisen, most recently after a tooth gave way during a walk across Sicily.
The trip to Istanbul was not on the couple's itinerary. When Tracy's tooth gave way in Sicily, they booked flights, messaged the clinic and had an appointment in place before they landed. Clinical evaluation and digital radiography showed a fractured cusp on an upper molar, and the clinic fabricated and seated a new crown in its on-site laboratory, resolving the acute symptoms. Jeff used the same visit for a cleaning, checkup and X-ray.
The case speaks to a continuity-of-care concern raised by the Australian Dental Association. In Policy Statement 2.2.6 on Elective Overseas Dental Treatment, last revised in November 2023, the association, which advises Australian residents to have elective dental treatment in Australia, cites the difficulty of finding a local practitioner to continue or repair treatment started overseas. It also notes that complications from such treatment are not always covered by travel insurance.
"Continuity is the primary benchmark of clinical care, and it cannot be evaluated solely on an initial procedure," said Dr. Yusuf Ilhan, co-founder and lead dentist of Maltepe Dental Clinic. "Our continuity-of-care protocol keeps every international patient's records, scans and treatment notes in one central file, so a patient who contacts us from abroad is treated from a complete history rather than from scratch."
The couple's history with the clinic covers more than one family member and more than one procedure. Jeff, who said their dental issues come with age, received a single tooth implant at the clinic about two years ago, and the couple's daughter, who first attended as a teenager, has been treated there as well. Appointments are booked by email or WhatsApp and fitted around the family's long-distance walking trips, and records and digital scans from each visit are archived centrally.
Similar concerns appear on the Better Health Channel from the Victorian Government Department of Health, which lists lack of follow-up care among the risks of medical tourism, citing the Australian Medical Association and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. The clinic says its continuity-of-care protocol is designed around that follow-up gap.
Dr. Alper Gurhan, co-founder of the clinic, said the experience of one returning family does not on its own establish general safety or effectiveness. "This family came back because a tooth broke while they were traveling and they knew we held their full history," he said. "Long-term dental health requires sustained oversight, and that is what the protocol is built to provide."
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Maltepe Dental Clinic has provided dental crowns, implants, cosmetic dentistry and related services for more than two decades, treating patients from over 85 countries. The clinic operates an in-house laboratory and maintains a branch in London. It holds ISO 9001:2015 certification and an International Health Tourism Authorization Certificate issued by the Turkish Ministry of Health.
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For more information about Maltepe Dental Clinic, contact the company here:
Maltepe Dental Clinic
Dr. Alper Gurhan and Dr. Yusuf Ilhan
+905452315329
smile@maltepedentalclinic.com
Kosuyolu Cad. No:51 Kadikoy/Istanbul 34718