Health checks before full-arch surgery abroad
Most people who have All-on-6 are in reasonable health, and many have one or two long-term conditions. A few checks in the weeks before the first trip make surgery safer and avoid the disappointment of a postponed operation in Antalya.
Medically reviewed by Dt. Hüseyin Yavuz Özbek, implant surgeon · Updated October 2026Before travelling for All-on-6, make sure your blood pressure is under control, your diabetes (if you have it) is well managed with a recent HbA1c result, and your surgeon knows about any blood thinner, osteoporosis medicine, heart condition or steroid. Do not stop any medicine without advice. Send the information to the clinic before booking flights, and ask your GP for a printed summary to take with you.
GOV.UK advises anyone considering treatment in Turkey to discuss plans with their UK doctor first. For full-arch implant surgery, that advice has a very practical purpose. A handful of common conditions and medicines change how safely and smoothly the surgery goes. Sorting them out at home, weeks before the trip, is far easier than discovering a problem on surgery morning.
The checks that matter most
| Area | What to do before the trip | Why it matters for surgery |
|---|---|---|
| Blood pressure | Have a recent reading; get high readings treated | Very high pressure on the day can mean postponement; it also affects bleeding |
| Diabetes | Know your recent HbA1c; aim for good control | Healing and infection risk |
| Blood thinners | Tell the surgeon; never stop on your own | Bleeding during and after surgery |
| Osteoporosis medicines | Tell the surgeon, including past use | A rare risk of jawbone damage after dental surgery |
| Heart conditions | Tell the surgeon; bring details of valves or devices | Planning of the procedure and any antibiotic decision |
| Steroids and immune-suppressing drugs | Tell the surgeon | Healing and infection risk |
| Smoking | Stop, ideally weeks before | Higher risk of implant problems and slower healing |
Blood pressure
High blood pressure often has no symptoms, which is why the NHS encourages regular checks. Before surgery it matters for two reasons. Very high readings on the day can lead a surgeon to postpone, and raised pressure makes bleeding harder to control. If you have not had your blood pressure measured recently, get it checked at your GP practice, a pharmacy or with a home monitor. If it is high, see your GP in good time; adjusting medicine can take weeks. On the day, take your usual blood pressure tablets unless told otherwise, and mention nerves: anxiety can push readings up.
Diabetes
People with diabetes can and do have implants. What matters is control. High blood sugar slows wound healing and increases the risk of infection, both of which matter more when a graft or immediate teeth are involved. Ask your GP or diabetes nurse for your most recent HbA1c result, which reflects your average blood sugar over recent months, and share it with the clinic. If it is high, it may be worth spending a few months improving control before the first trip.
On surgery day, think about food. You may eat less than usual for a day or two afterwards, which can affect blood sugar if you take insulin or certain tablets. Ask your diabetes team how to adjust, and pack suitable soft foods and drinks.
Blood thinners
Warfarin, apixaban, rivaroxaban, edoxaban, dabigatran, clopidogrel and aspirin all affect bleeding. The NHS advice is to tell your dentist before any dental procedure if you take one. The decision on whether to change anything belongs to the doctor who prescribes it, in discussion with the surgeon; stopping a blood thinner without advice can be dangerous. If you take warfarin, the surgeon may want a recent INR result. Plan this in good time: the clinic should send its questions in writing, and your GP or anticoagulation clinic should answer them.
Osteoporosis medicines
Bisphosphonates such as alendronic acid, and some other bone-strengthening treatments, are widely used by people over 60. The NHS notes that a rare side effect of alendronic acid is jawbone damage, and advises regular dental check-ups while taking it. This does not always rule out implants, but it changes the discussion of risk and sometimes the plan. Tell the surgeon about any osteoporosis treatment you take or have taken in the past, including injections or infusions, with dates.
Heart conditions
Tell the surgeon about any heart condition: angina, past heart attack, heart failure, valve problems or replacements, pacemakers or other devices. In the UK, NICE guidance does not recommend routine antibiotic cover before dental procedures for people at risk of infective endocarditis. Practice can differ abroad, so the surgeon should know your history and explain what they plan. Bring a copy of any recent cardiology letter.
Breathing and sedation
If sedation is planned, the clinic needs to know about lung conditions such as COPD, about heavy snoring or sleep apnoea, and about any problems with anaesthetics in the past. If you use a CPAP machine at night, mention it; you will want it for the hotel nights too.
Smoking and alcohol
Smoking is one of the clearest risk factors for implant problems. Stopping before surgery, and staying stopped through healing, gives the implants a much better start. See stopping smoking before All-on-6. Alcohol is best avoided for the first days after surgery, especially with antibiotics and painkillers.
Why these checks matter more abroad
At home, a surgeon who has a question about your health can ring your GP the same afternoon. From Antalya that is much harder: different time zones, different systems and a GP practice that does not know the clinic. Problems that would be solved with a phone call in the UK can become a postponed operation abroad. There is also less room to rearrange: your flights, hotel and leave are booked around the surgery date. That is why the time to answer health questions is weeks before the trip, with the answers in writing, rather than on the morning of surgery.
It also matters after the operation. If you develop a problem related to a health condition in the days after surgery, the clinic and any local doctor will need to know your history quickly. A printed summary in your hotel room, and the key facts on your phone, make that possible.
Recent illness and infections
A cold, chest infection, urine infection or a flare-up of a long-term condition in the weeks before the trip can affect surgery. Tell the clinic about anything new, including courses of antibiotics or steroids. A short delay to let an infection clear is better than operating while your body is fighting something else.
When to do all this
- At first enquiryList your conditions and medicines for the clinic.
- Six to eight weeks beforeBook a GP appointment for a blood pressure check and, if relevant, an HbA1c and other results.
- Four weeks beforeSend results to the clinic; get answers on blood thinners and other medicines in writing.
- One week beforeConfirm nothing has changed; pack medicines and paperwork.
- Surgery morningTake usual medicines unless told otherwise; eat if allowed; mention any new symptoms.
Our article on the GP letter covers the paperwork to bring.
When surgery should wait
Sometimes the right answer is to postpone: blood pressure that will not come down, diabetes that is badly out of control, a recent heart attack or stroke, or an infection elsewhere in the body. That is frustrating when flights are booked, but it is the safe decision, and a responsible clinic will make it. Getting the checks done at home first is the best way to make sure it does not happen to you.
At Precious Dental please tell us about your health and medicines when you first get in touch. If something needs attention before surgery, we will say so before you book flights, not after you arrive.
The key message
Very few health conditions rule out All-on-6 altogether. Many need a little preparation. Do the checks early, share the results with the clinic, never stop a medicine without advice, and you give the surgery its best chance of going smoothly.
Common questions
Can I have All-on-6 if I have diabetes?
Often, yes, if it is well controlled. Poorly controlled diabetes slows healing and raises infection risk, so the surgeon will want to know your recent blood sugar results.
Do I need to stop my blood thinner before implant surgery?
Not on your own. The NHS advises telling your dentist if you take warfarin or another blood thinner. Any change must be agreed with the doctor who prescribes it, together with the surgeon.
I take alendronic acid for osteoporosis. Is that a problem?
Tell the surgeon. The NHS says a rare side effect of alendronic acid is jawbone damage, which is relevant to dental surgery. It does not always rule implants out, but it changes the discussion of risk.
Will my blood pressure be checked in Turkey?
Usually, yes, before surgery. If it is very high on the day, surgery may be postponed. Checking and controlling it at home first avoids that.
Do I need antibiotics before dental treatment because of my heart?
UK guidance from NICE does not recommend routine antibiotic cover before dental procedures for people at risk of infective endocarditis. Tell the surgeon about any heart condition so they can decide what is appropriate.
Sources
- NHS: high blood pressure
- NHS: type 2 diabetes
- NHS: warfarin (tell your dentist)
- NHS: alendronic acid, common questions (jawbone)
- NICE CG64: prophylaxis against infective endocarditis
- GOV.UK: Turkey travel advice, health
Checked October 2026. Where we give our own view as a clinic, we say so.
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