A young Australian man who flew to Turkey for a budget teeth transformation has been slammed by dentists - with one saying it was the worst thing he could have done to his teeth.
The latest cosmetic fad is dubbed 'Turkey Teeth' and involves filing down teeth to pegs then replacing them with crowns or veneers.
The procedure, which leaves patients with a Hollywood smile, is being fuelled on social media under the hashtag #Turkeyteeth which has been viewed more than 100million times.
Australian TikTok influencer Mahmoud Ismail travelled to Turkey in December to get the gap in his front teeth fixed.
The 35-year-old spent more than $3,000 on 18 crowns, and his teeth were ground down so the entire structure could be covered.
Ismail shared a video of his transformation to his social media accounts documenting every step of the treatment process.
'All right guys, I'm here in Turkey and the main reason I'm here is to close this gap, bro,' Ismail explains as he points to the gap in his top front teeth.
Young Aussie Mahmoud Ismail wasn't happy with his smile and decided to travel to Turkey to get get veneers. He documented his transformation showing his shaved down teeth (pictured)
'I've lived with it all my life, it's my signature and its time to let go of the gap. We're going to close it... I'm f*****g nervous.'
The clip then shows Ismail siting in a dentists chair mid-procedure with all of his top teeth shaved down.
'Look how it looks, bro, I'm f****d,' Ismail says as he lifts is top lip.
The social media influencer explains he has to wait two days before the dentist can put crowns on his shaved top and bottom teeth.
The video then cuts to Ismail with his hand over his mouth before he reveals his smile transformation.
'After one week of f*****g torture bro the teeth are finally in,' Ismail says.
'They've put the teeth in and I've got to say, cuz that looks so weird. Bro there's no gap anymore.'
'Bro, I'm having an identity crisis, I already miss the gap, what the hell.'
Ismail explains he opted for the 'third whitest' shade for his teeth claiming he did not want his smile to look fake.
The 35-year-old said he wanted to get rid of his 'signature gap' in his top front teeth (left). Ismail revealed his new smile claiming it was 'weird' not to see his gap and that he opted for the third whitest shade so his smile did not look fake
But many dentists were not impressed with the budget teeth transformation.
'Omg!!?, as a dentist, this is a crime please don't recommend people to do this. You only needed to close the gap not to destroy the whole teeth,' Dr Alhadi said.
'As a dentist, it pains me to see you destroy your teeth. Could have easily closed with two composite bondings or a brace,' Cosmetic Dentist Dr Gurvinder Bhirth said.
A third dentist Dr Mubashir Bilal Hussain claimed the procedure was the 'worst' thing he could have done to his teeth.
'The effects will show when you are around the age of 50. It's like taking out the foundational brick wall of your house to build a beautiful apartment over it which will collapse in a few years,' Dr Hussain wrote.
Another person chimed: 'This is the equivalent of destroying a perfectly good brick and mortar house and replacing it with plywood just to change the colour of the ceiling.'
'Six months with Invisalign and a bit of whitening to finish and you'd have the same result but with your own teeth,' another commented.
Other social media users defended Ismail claiming his teeth looked great.
'Mashallah, awesome transformation! As long as you're happy with them my bro,' one person wrote.
Another person agreed: 'Great result. These people judging you and saying whatever.. if it makes you happy and you like it then it's fine.'
Ismail said he had a 'bit of an identity crisis' in the weeks following the procedure but was happy with his decision despite the backlash he faced from people online.
'I was in pain for the first few days because of the pressure of the crowns on my gums, but I loved the new look but it took me time to adjust to the look given I had my gap for all my life,' he told media.
'I haven't stopped smiling for the last two months. I feel more confident in front of the camera and smile in the mirror more often.'
'Even if my teeth get ruined in 5-10 years it would still work out extremely cheaper to go back to Turkey and fix them all over again.'
The Sydneysider said he was happy with his decision despite the barrage of backlash he received from dentists claiming the procedure was the 'worst' thing he could do
Sydney dentist Doctor Ellis Vakirtzis told Daily Mail Australia he has seen a rise in aggressive dental work performed overseas.
Dr Vakirtzis said it 'hurts' to see healthy teeth cut away and wants to warn patients of long-term risks involved in cosmetic dental procedures such as crowns and veneers.
'When these procedures are performed in a proper and conservative way, these complications are very rare,' Dr Vakirtzis said.
'I have started to see some really aggressive work performed by overseas dentists on my Facebook/Instagram/TikTok feed, where a significant amount of healthy tooth structure is cut away until they are little stumps.'
'Shaving down teeth can reduce their overall strength and can lead to the tooth’s nerve being damaged requiring root canal therapy.
'Unfortunately, this aggressive work increases the chance of complications arising as shaving the teeth down can reduce their overall strength and can lead to the tooth's nerve being damaged requiring root canal therapy.'
Sydney dentist Doctor Ellis Vakirtzis (pictured) has noticed a rise in aggressive overseas dental work and wants patients to understand the possible long-term risks involved in crown and veneer procedures
The Dulwich Dental Services doctor explained treatment for crown or veneer complications is often challenging and can be very expensive to fix.
'For starters, as the treating dentist is overseas it will be difficult to see them for any needed follow up or remedial work,' Dr Vakirtzis said.
'Remedial work is challenging to perform because of the lack of healthy tooth structure left, and this becomes particularly tricky when the work passes its use-by date.'
He advised patients to carefully consider travelling overseas for any type of cosmetic work and to consult their doctor to understand the different options available.
'Ultimately, it is important for each individual to weigh up the pros and cons,' Dr Vakirtzis said.
‘There’s no doubting the importance of a great smile, but more than this - try and be comfortable with the skin you’re in!’
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