Emergency help in Turkey during your trip

This is the article we hope you never need. Writing about emergencies in a guide to dental travel may seem gloomy, but people who know what to do in advance cope far better if something happens. Most of what follows is common sense, with the specific Turkish details that UK travellers do not always know.

Two kinds of problem

Dialling 112

GOV.UK's Turkey advice gives 112 as the emergency number for ambulance, fire and police, and advises dialling 112 and asking for an ambulance in a medical emergency. Operators may not always speak English fluently, so keep calm, say “ambulance” clearly, and give your location: the hotel name and address, written down in advance, is the quickest way. Hotel reception staff can also call for you and give directions. If you are at the clinic, the team will handle it.

Contacting your insurer

GOV.UK advises contacting your insurance or medical assistance company promptly if you are referred to a medical facility for treatment. Most travel insurers have a 24-hour medical assistance line, which can guide you to a suitable hospital, arrange payment and help with getting home. Keep the policy number and the helpline in your phone and on paper. Remember that the GHIC and EHIC are not valid in Turkey, and that many policies exclude planned treatment and its complications; check your cover before you travel.

Hospitals and English-speaking care

GOV.UK notes that the FCDO has a list of medical providers in Turkey where some staff speak English. Large cities such as Antalya have both state and private hospitals. Your insurer will usually advise which one to use. If you are taken to hospital after dental treatment, tell the staff what treatment you have had and when, show your medicines list and the clinic's contact details, and ask them to contact the clinic. The clinic can tell the hospital exactly what was done.

Problems linked to the dental treatment

Most problems after All-on-6 surgery are handled by the clinic: bleeding that restarts, a loose temporary tooth, an infection that needs a change of antibiotic, swelling that worries you. Message or call the clinic, send photos, and follow its advice. The clinic should give you an out-of-hours number before you leave after surgery; check that you have it. Signs that need prompt contact include:

• Bleeding that soaks gauze and does not slow with 30 minutes of firm pressure
• Swelling that keeps increasing after the third day
• A temperature, chills or feeling generally unwell
• Pain that is getting worse rather than better despite painkillers
• A rash, itching or swelling of the lips or tongue after taking a new medicine

Swelling that affects breathing or swallowing, or a severe allergic reaction, is an emergency: call 112.

Problems not linked to the treatment

Being abroad for treatment does not stop ordinary illness. A fall in the hotel, a stomach bug, chest pain or a flare-up of a long-term condition all need the same response as on any holiday: your insurer's helpline, a doctor or hospital, and 112 in an emergency. Tell any doctor about the recent dental surgery and the medicines you have been given.

Blood clots

A swollen, painful leg, or breathlessness and chest pain, in the days after surgery or a long flight can be a sign of a blood clot. The NHS describes the symptoms on its DVT page. In Turkey, call 112 for chest pain or breathlessness; for leg symptoms, contact the clinic or a doctor urgently. See blood clots and flying after surgery.

Consular help

If you are in hospital, have lost your passport or face another serious problem, the FCDO and the British Embassy and consulates in Turkey can help. GOV.UK has guidance on what to do if you are in hospital abroad. In the UK, family or friends can call the FCDO in London on 020 7008 5000, 24 hours a day, if something has happened to you.

Language help

Hotel staff and clinic coordinators in Antalya usually speak English, but ambulance crews and hospital staff may not always. A translation app on your phone, downloaded for offline use before you travel, helps with simple sentences. It is also worth having a few key facts written in Turkish on your card, which you can ask the clinic to write for you: that you have had dental implant surgery, the date, your allergies and your main medicines. The clinic's phone number on the same card lets any doctor speak to someone who knows your case.

Paying for emergency care

Private hospitals in Turkey usually expect payment or a guarantee from an insurer before or during treatment. That is another reason to contact your insurer's medical assistance line early; they can often arrange payment directly. Keep every receipt and medical report, in English if possible, for your claim. State hospitals provide emergency care, but you may still be asked to pay as a visitor.

After you get home

An emergency can also happen after the flight home. In the UK, the usual routes apply: NHS 111 for urgent advice, your GP, an urgent dental service, or 999 in an emergency. Tell whoever sees you about the treatment in Turkey and show the implant passport and aftercare notes. Then let the clinic know what happened. Our page on if something goes wrong explains the next steps.

Prepare before you go

• Save 112, the clinic's numbers and your insurer's helpline in your phone.
• Write the hotel name and address, and the clinic's address, on a card.
• Keep your passport, insurance details, medicines list and GP summary together.
• Share your itinerary with someone at home, and agree a daily check-in on the first trip.
• Check your insurance covers what you think it covers.
• Know which symptoms after surgery are expected, so you can recognise what is not.

For companions

If you are travelling with someone, make sure they know all of the above too. On the night after surgery, they may be the one who decides whether to call the clinic or 112. Give them the card with the addresses, and show them where your medicines and documents are.

Keeping perspective

Serious emergencies during dental treatment trips are rare. GOV.UK says it is aware of seven British nationals who died in Turkey in 2025 following medical procedures, and that others have had complications needing further treatment. Those figures cover all kinds of medical tourism, and they are a reason to prepare carefully, not to panic. Ten minutes of preparation before you travel, and the confidence to call early when something feels wrong, are the best protection you can have.

Common questions

What is the emergency number in Turkey?

112, for ambulance, fire and police. GOV.UK advises dialling 112 and asking for an ambulance in a medical emergency.

Should I call the clinic or 112 after surgery?

For expected symptoms or questions, call the clinic. For signs of a medical emergency, such as difficulty breathing or swallowing, chest pain, heavy bleeding that will not stop or collapse, call 112 first and then the clinic.

Does my GHIC work in Turkey?

No. GOV.UK says the EHIC and GHIC are not valid in Turkey. You need travel insurance.

Will my insurance cover problems caused by the dental treatment?

Often not, as many policies exclude planned treatment and its complications. Check before you go and keep the policy and helpline number with you.

Who can help if I end up in hospital?

Your insurer's medical assistance line, the clinic, and if needed the FCDO, which has guidance on what to do if you are in hospital abroad.

Sources

1. GOV.UK: Turkey travel advice, getting help (112 and FCDO contacts)
2. GOV.UK: Turkey travel advice, health
3. GOV.UK: foreign travel insurance
4. NHS: deep vein thrombosis, symptoms

Checked October 2026. Where we give our own view as a clinic, we say so.