For patients travelling from Switzerland
Swiss patients arrive with a particular set of circumstances: dental treatment is largely outside basic insurance, costs at home are among the highest in Europe, and the arithmetic of travelling is therefore different from anywhere else.
The insurance position
Swiss basic health insurance (Grundversicherung) does not generally cover routine dental treatment — this is the well-known structural feature of the system, and it means most Swiss patients are paying privately whether they are treated in Zürich or in Ankara. Supplementary dental insurance (Zahnzusatzversicherung) varies considerably in what it covers and whether it extends abroad.
- Whether your supplementary policy covers treatment outside Switzerland
- Whether prior approval or a cost estimate is required
- What documentation is needed for a claim, and in which language
- Whether the policy distinguishes between EU and non-EU treatment
- Any annual limits that apply to the treatment you are planning
Treatment in German or English
Consultation, treatment plan, consent documents and aftercare instructions are available in German and English. For French- or Italian-speaking patients, English is generally the working language and documents are provided accordingly.
Getting to Ankara from Switzerland
Zürich and Geneva both connect to Ankara, mostly via Istanbul with some direct services. The transfer to the practice from Ankara Esenboğa takes around 45 minutes.
- Airport
- Ankara Esenboğa (ESB)
- From Zürich
- Around 3–4 hours including connection
- Airport to practice
- Approximately 45 minutes
- Time difference
- Türkiye is 2 hours ahead in winter, 1 hour in summer
Comparing a Swiss quotation properly
The cost difference between Swiss and Turkish dental treatment is larger than for almost any other European market, which makes it more important rather than less to compare like with like. Check that both quotations describe the same implant system, the same number of units, the same materials and a finished result — and then add both trips of travel where the treatment needs two.
Records worth bringing
Swiss practices generally hold excellent digital records, and sending them makes the assessment considerably more useful.
- Recent digital radiographs
- Any existing treatment plan or Kostenvoranschlag
- A list of current medication and relevant medical history
- Details of previous dental work, particularly existing implants
Common questions
Does Swiss basic insurance cover dental treatment abroad?
Basic insurance does not generally cover routine dental treatment at all, whether in Switzerland or elsewhere. Whether a supplementary policy contributes to treatment abroad depends entirely on that policy — check the terms and ask in writing.
Are there direct flights from Zürich?
There are direct services alongside frequent connections via Istanbul. Flight options are proposed around your treatment dates.
Can I be treated in French or Italian?
Consultation and documents are provided in German, English and Turkish. English is the usual working language for French- and Italian-speaking patients, and everything you sign will be in a language you have confirmed you read comfortably.
Is the cost difference really that large?
For most treatments it is substantial, and it reflects differences in overheads, salaries and laboratory costs rather than in the implant or the ceramic. The honest comparison includes both trips of travel and a like-for-like specification.
Get a plan you can compare
Send your records and receive an itemised written preliminary plan — specified closely enough to compare directly against a Swiss quotation.