A mum who flew to Turkey for dental surgery said she is thrilled with her new teeth after ignoring the "risks" of having the work done abroad.
Sally Murphy, 58, flew out for cheaper treatment after being quoted £19,000 for dental work in the UK. After having some dental work in her twenties that was coming loose, Sally needed a tooth extraction, four mouth implants and a temporary retainer.
But after being quoted £19,000 to have it done in the UK, she instead went abroad where she paid £4,800 for the operation, flights and hotel.
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Sally, from Wallasey, will have to pay a further £4,800 in January when she flies over to have the final part of her treatment, but will still save almost £10,000. She described the operation as "lifesaving" as for years she has had to be cautious about what she can or can't eat, due to the work she had 30 years ago coming loose.
She said: "I would eat a sandwich but break it up or cut it up, and I've done that for the last four years because I've known that my bridge is not strong anymore. Because I'm always with people, I could not go out without my teeth."
Sally went to the dentist about three years ago for an X-Ray and had a bridge fitted in that dentist when she was in her twenties. She said she could feel it getting loose when she was eating and it felt like she "had sand" inside the bridge.
Sally previously told the ECHO her teeth made her look like "Nanny McPhee". When her cap fell out, she called her dentist, who told her she was no longer on their books because she hadn't been for three years.
She said: "I started looking at getting implants done privately here but looking at the price it's just ridiculous. Eventually I set on a clinic in Antalya because I had heard a few good write ups about that."
Despite speaking to people who had been to Turkey and had the operation done, Sally was still concerned that she would "look ridiculous". The married mum-of-two said: "I was scared to go over because I've seen people with the typical Turkey teeth and thought that they look ridiculous.
"I thought that if you went over and had them, that you could only have the screaming white teeth. If you're really young then you get away with it, but when you get to my age you don't get away with that.
"I was thinking that I couldn't get that done because I would look really stupid, but then somebody I know had them done and I thought they looked so different, and they just looked like really great teeth.
"I get to decide what shade I want for my new implants, so I'm not going to go for the Hollywood smile."
Until she has the second part of her treatment in January, Sally can only eat soft foods to stop the new dental work being damaged. Sally added: "They are not designed for you to go out and have steak and chips, they are designed to protect their work.
"I've had pasta in the airport, but it was al dente so I couldn't eat it as I couldn't bite it so I've been having a bowl of porridge for breakfast and soup for lunch. I'm going to go shopping and buy a whole load of vegetables and tomatoes and make a load of different soups. It's not going to kill me.
"When I go to see my family on Christmas Day, I'm going to have mash potato and get my mum to liquidise peas and I'll have gravy and I'll be happy with that."
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