Getting a second opinion on a crown plan

A crown plan can look completely reasonable on its own. The teeth are listed, the material is named, the price is clear. What you cannot tell from the plan alone is whether every one of those teeth needs a crown, or whether another dentist looking at the same mouth would suggest something smaller. That is what a second opinion is for.

The NHS treatment abroad checklist puts it simply: before going abroad for treatment, talk to a GP, dentist or other clinician. They can give a second opinion on whether the treatment is necessary, and they may be involved in your aftercare. The General Dental Council gives the same advice for dental treatment abroad, and adds that your own dentist will need to know about your plans in case of later problems.

Second opinions also work the other way. If a UK dentist has quoted you for crowns and you want to compare, a clinic abroad can review the same records. Both directions follow the same rules: same records, same questions, and a written answer you can compare.

What to send

A second opinion is only as good as the information behind it. If the second dentist sees different X-rays, or just your smile in a selfie, you are not comparing like with like.

The full written plan

Not a screenshot of a message thread with a total in it. You want the version that lists every tooth by number with the treatment and material for each. If you are not sure how to read it, our guide to tooth numbers on a crown plan walks through the code. In the UK, the GDC's standards say dentists must give a written treatment plan before treatment starts, including the proposed treatment and a realistic cost, so you should already have one from a UK practice.

X-rays

The most useful is the panoramic X-ray the plan was based on, plus any smaller close-up X-rays and 3D scans. These show what the camera cannot: decay between teeth, old root fillings, infection at the root tips and bone levels. If your X-rays were taken at a UK practice, you can ask for copies. In the UK you have a legal right to copies of the personal information an organisation holds about you, including dental records. The Information Commissioner's Office calls this a subject access request and says organisations usually have one month to respond.

Photos

Clear, unfiltered, in daylight: a full smile, a relaxed face, close-ups of the upper and lower teeth from the front, and biting together. Turn off any beauty mode on your phone camera. Our article on showing your dentist the smile you want explains why that matters.

Medical history and what you want

List your medicines and conditions, and write a short note about what is bothering you. A second dentist answering "is this plan right for what I want?" needs to know what you want.

What to ask

Asking "is this a good plan?" invites a vague answer. Specific questions get specific answers. Take these with you or send them in writing.

About each tooth

• Which of these teeth actually need a crown, and why?
• Which are healthy apart from colour, shape or position?
• For each healthy tooth, what are the alternatives: bonding, whitening, a veneer, straightening, or nothing?
• Is anything on the X-ray, such as decay, a failing root filling or bone loss, that the plan does not mention?

About the bigger picture

• Could fewer teeth give a result I would be happy with?
• Are my gums healthy enough for crowns now?
• What is likely to happen to these teeth over the next ten or twenty years if they are crowned, and if they are not?
• Is the material suggested sensible for each position? Our page on crown types gives the background.

The underlying question in all of these is the one in our article do you really need a crown? A second opinion is most valuable on the teeth that are borderline.

When the plan comes from abroad

A BBC test in 2022 shows why this step is worth it. The broadcaster messaged clinics on Instagram with photos of a presenter's slightly uneven lower teeth. Of the 120 Turkish clinics that answered, 70 proposed work that meant trimming natural teeth, such as crowns or veneers. None of the 34 UK clinics that replied suggested crowns or veneers, and some suggested aligners or bonding. As a clinic in Turkey ourselves, we take that seriously: an ordinary problem can be answered with very different amounts of drilling, and a second look is how you find out which answer you have been given.

Be aware that some UK dentists are wary of overseas work. A Yorkshire dentist told the BBC in 2024 that fixing work done abroad can be tricky because "you don't know what they actually did, you don't know what's underneath", and that some dentists worry about being held responsible for it. Reviewing a plan before treatment is a different thing from repairing work afterwards, but when you book, ask whether the practice is happy to look at an overseas plan.

The GDC's patient advice lists questions to put to any clinic abroad. They include who will carry out the treatment and what qualifications they have, whether the work is guaranteed, what aftercare is provided, what happens if you are unhappy with the result and who pays for extra flights and remedial work. Ask them before you book, and compare the answers to what your UK dentist says about aftercare at home.

When the plan comes from the UK

People send us UK plans for many reasons. Usually it is cost, sometimes it is because they want to know whether a different material or fewer crowns would work. Price questions are covered on our crown prices page; here the point is the clinical comparison.

Send the UK plan, the X-rays it was based on and your photos. Our free written plan is based on your X-rays and photos and lists each tooth separately, so you can compare it line by line with the UK version. Where it differs, ask us why. If a tooth on the UK plan looks healthy to us, the plan should say so. We prefer to protect a healthy tooth rather than crown it.

Keep your UK dentist in the loop whichever plan you choose. They will be the one you see for check-ups for years afterwards, and the NHS checklist suggests discussing with them how your notes will be shared with the overseas team.

Comparing two opinions

Lay the two plans side by side and mark where they agree and where they differ. Agreement on a tooth, especially a broken or heavily filled one, is reassuring. Where they differ, look at the reasons.

• One says crown, one says leave it: ask what the risk is in leaving it. A tooth left alone today can still be crowned later. The reverse is not true.
• Different materials: often both are reasonable. Ask why each was chosen for that position.
• One found a problem the other did not: this is the most important difference. Ask the other dentist to look at that specific tooth on the X-ray.
• Very different numbers of teeth: usually the cosmetic part of the plan. Decide what result you actually want, then see which plan delivers it with less drilling.

Neither opinion is a vote. The useful outcome is that you understand why each tooth is on the list and feel able to say yes or no to each one.

What a second opinion cannot do

A review from records cannot replace an examination in the chair. X-rays and photos show a lot, but some things, like cracks, gum pockets and how loose a tooth is, are only fully checked in person. That is true of any plan written remotely, ours included, so a remote plan should always be checked again in the chair before treatment starts. With us, the fit, bite and shade of every crown are checked at a try-in before anything is fixed permanently. Our guarantee page explains what is covered afterwards.

Ask for a plan to compare

If you have a crown plan from anywhere and would like a second view, send it to us with your X-rays and photos. Our free written plan lists each tooth, what we would suggest and why, and you can take it to your own dentist to discuss. You can read more about how we work on why Precious Dental.

Common questions

Will my UK dentist give a second opinion on a plan from Turkey?

Many will, usually as a private consultation. Some UK dentists are cautious about getting involved in treatment done abroad, so ask when you book whether they are happy to review an overseas plan and what records they want you to bring.

How do I get copies of my X-rays from my dentist?

In the UK you can ask any organisation, including a dental practice, for a copy of the personal information it holds about you. This is called a subject access request. The Information Commissioner's Office says organisations usually have one month to respond.

What if the two dentists disagree?

That happens, especially on borderline teeth. Ask each one to explain their reasoning for the teeth where they differ. A disagreement about a healthy tooth is usually a sign to choose the more conservative option, because a tooth that is not crowned can still be crowned later.

Can you give a second opinion on a plan from my UK dentist?

Ask us. Send your X-rays and photos, along with the UK plan if you like, and our free written plan will list each tooth so you can compare the two side by side.

Should I get a second opinion even if I trust the clinic?

It is worth it for any plan involving several crowns. The NHS treatment abroad checklist suggests speaking to a GP, dentist or other clinician before going abroad, partly because they may be involved in your aftercare.

Sources

1. NHS. Treatment abroad checklist
2. NHS. Going abroad for treatment
3. General Dental Council. Going abroad for dental treatment
4. General Dental Council. Standards for the Dental Team, Principle 2: Communicate effectively with patients
5. Information Commissioner's Office. Getting copies of your information (SAR)
6. BBC News (2024). Dentist facing rising tide of broken 'Turkey teeth'
7. BBC News (2022). Turkey teeth: Are cut-price reality TV teeth worth it?

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