A dad-of-two has said he wishes he 'could turn back time' after undergoing disastrous dental work in Turkey.
Jon Denton decided to fly to the country which has become synonymous with smile makeovers earlier this year, as it was a lot cheaper than having treatment in the UK.
But the delivery driver has now found himself 'without any functional teeth' after the botched procedure and says he can no longer even bite into a 'soft' bit of cake.
He is now desperately trying to raise funds to help him fix his gnashers - as he's lost his confidence, often doesn't want to leave the house and fears the problem will ultimately 'ruin' his relationship.
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Jon's dental ordeal dates back to January 2020, when he was involved in a serious motorbike crash.
Paramedics had to knock his front teeth out to fit a breathing tube down his throat, while the accident itself also 'caused significant trauma to his teeth'.
"I noticed my teeth crumbling and deteriorating quite soon after the accident," Jon explained. "I then had metal fixations put into my jaw for ages afterwards during recovery, so I couldn't really brush my teeth.
"When they started getting really bad, I knew I needed help. But the cheapest quote I got in England was between £20,000 to £30,000, which I couldn't afford.
"My teeth would crumble while I ate and I had constant tooth ache. If I bought a burger, I had to cut it up like you did when you were little."
Jon said he found himself 'covering his mouth' when conversing with people to disguise his decaying teeth, while he also avoided smiling as he was so self-conscious.
The dad, from Hertfordshire, then decided to explore his options with dentists in Turkey - and he found a practice with 'good reviews' that 'didn't pressurise you into booking' to help him fix his smile.
In January this year, he stumped up £3,500 and flew out to the country to undergo treatment, before handing over another £800 when he landed. He had 14 implants fitted into his mouth and claims that the clinic informed him he was a 'suitable' candidate for them. The following day, his new teeth were then glued in.
Due to having a phobia of needles and dentists, Jon was sedated during the procedures, which saw him spend six hours in the chair.
According to a GoFundMe set up to help him pay for further dental work, 'all of his natural teeth were removed and 14 implants were placed into his gums, with temporary teeth cemented on'.
But Jon says he was left in 'excruciating' pain in wake of this and weeks after getting what he thought was his dream smile, his temporary teeth fell out when he returned to the UK.
"When I came back, I was really happy but I was always in pain," Jon said. "I just thought it was part of the process. After the painkillers had worn off, it was a nine out of 10-excruciating pain.
"The pain was constant and my mouth was throbbing. My temporary bottom teeth fell out, I laughed while sitting on the sofa and they just fell out. Excruciating pain followed.
"I physically couldn't brush my teeth as they were so sore, it was becoming unbearable. They told me to fly back out and they'd reattach the teeth."
Jon flew back to Turkey for a check-up in March and hoped that the dentist would help remedy the issues with his implants - but says he instead woke up from the procedure to find that all of his teeth had been taken out.
"I remember waking up and there was nothing [no teeth] there," Jon said. "Other than the front one that was a bit sore, all the rest of the teeth were solid. There was no need to remove them all.
"It was a shock to find they were all removed. For a couple of days, I just locked myself away. In comparison, I was in a better position before going to Turkey than I am now.
"I know some people have gone to Turkey and got absolutely brilliant teeth but it's not the case for me. It's the worst thing I've ever been through. I wish I could turn back time."
The GoFundMe claims that the clinic told Jon his 'gums had not healed and claimed he had diabetes and a disease, without clearly explaining what they meant'.
"When Jon returned to the UK, he immediately saw his GP, who confirmed that he does NOT have diabetes," it states.
"He also visited a dentist, who diagnosed a severe gum infection. He was told that the antibiotics previously prescribed were ineffective and was given a new course to properly treat the infection."
The dentist in Turkey removed all the implants as they had allegedly failed. Jon says he was then offered the option of paying to have dentures fitted by the clinic or to get a partial refund of £2,700, which he opted for.
The GoFundMe goes on to say that UK dentists have since informed Jon that he 'did not have sufficient bone to support the implants' and that he has 'no ridge, so dentures are not suitable for him'.
Jon hopes to raise funds to help him afford a full set of implants which are 'specifically designed for people with bone loss' to finally fix his smile.
The dad, who is working more than 50 hour weeks to help save up for the treatment, added: "If I don't sort this out, It's going to ruin my relationship. I wake up in a foul mood everyday and I don't want to go to work which is affecting my bills and income. The amount of pain I have gone through, I've got to go through it all again."
Topics: World News, Health, UK News, GoFundMe
Olivia Burke