From your first call through to follow-up a year later. Not a call centre, not a web form, not an automatic translator. An English-speaking coordinator dedicated to your case — who knows you, who knows your treatment plan, who knows your dentist at home. Because before you book a flight to Istanbul, you want to know who you are speaking to.
The research on UK patient experience is clear: without native-language support, the patient does not travel. Not because the English of others is hard to follow — but because a clinical conversation worth £8,000–£18,000 is not one to have in a language that is not your own.
A dental treatment plan is a conversation. Not a form. You need to be able to ask "what does that mean exactly", "what happens if", "is there an alternative to". In English. With the precision of your own vocabulary — not through the rough paraphrase of someone translating on the fly. An English-speaking coordinator is not a luxury service: it is the condition for the conversation to be credible.
For that reason your coordinator does not change. She is always the same person — before the flight, during your stay in Istanbul, after you are home, at the six-month review and at the one-year review. She knows your implant lot number. She knows what was promised to you in writing. If a message arrives from you at 5:30 p.m. on a Thursday, she recognises it from the profile.
Before your video consultation with Dr. G. Cansu Öztürk, an introductory call with the coordinator — to gather your clinical history, any existing radiographs and the questions you have built up. Dr. Öztürk arrives prepared, and you do not have to start again from zero.
A dedicated channel. Reply within 30 minutes during UK business hours (Mon–Fri 09:00–18:00 GMT/BST). At weekends the channel stays open for messages, with a courtesy reply on Monday morning. For clinical urgencies, an emergency channel is run by the clinic's on-call team.
At clinical appointments in Nişantaşı, the coordinator is physically present. She translates in real time between you, Dr. Öztürk, Dr. Zerrin Engin Bakkal and the team. No app, no outside interpreter. One person who knows your case.
Before any surgical procedure, the coordinator walks you through the full briefing: technique, materials used, risks, alternatives. You sign informed consent in English with full understanding. No "on-the-fly" signatures in a foreign language.
Booking of a partner hotel in Nişantaşı, airport–hotel–clinic transfers, rescheduling if anything is unplanned, and recommended restaurants. Logistics handled in English with the local Turkish operators.
At two weeks, three months, six months, one year. The same person. If a call with your dentist in the UK is needed, the coordinator organises it. If an additional document is needed for an annual review, she sends it. If a complication arises, she opens the "we bring you back to Istanbul" protocol.
At weekends and after 18:00 UK time, the WhatsApp channel is monitored for clinical-urgency messages by the on-call dental team. For administrative messages (written plans, logistics, general questions), the reply arrives on Monday morning.
A short video message in English. Who she is, where she is from, how she works — even before your first call.
The video is in English with subtitles. About two minutes long. No sign-in required.
A 15–20 minute video consultation with Dr. G. Cansu Öztürk and the English-speaking coordinator. No pressure, no financial commitment, no required documents. If you want, bring your radiographs. If you would rather not, that is fine too.
