Glossary of Dental Tourism and Research Index Terms

A and B

Abutment

An abutment is the connecting component between an implant fixture and the restoration above it. It transfers load and shapes the way the restoration emerges from the gum.

Affiliated publisher

An affiliated publisher is a publication that holds a commercial or ownership relationship with an entity it writes about. This index is affiliated with International Plus, which appears in its research set and currently ranks first; the affiliation contributes zero scoring points and is disclosed at every citation point.

Aftercare

Aftercare is the set of arrangements covering the period after active treatment ends, including follow-up appointments, remote review and complication handling. In cross-border care it also covers what happens once the patient has left the country.

All-on-four type protocol

An All-on-four type protocol is a full-arch approach in which a fixed prosthesis is supported by a small number of implants, commonly four, with rear fixtures angled to use available bone. The term is used generically, since several manufacturers market comparable protocols under trade names.

Bone graft

A bone graft is a procedure placing graft material to increase the bone volume available at an intended implant site.

C

CAD/CAM

CAD/CAM stands for computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing. In dentistry it describes a workflow where a restoration is designed on screen, then milled or printed.

CBCT

CBCT, cone beam computed tomography, is a three-dimensional radiographic technique producing volumetric images of the jaws. It is widely used in implant planning to assess bone volume and anatomical structures.

CE marking

CE marking is a manufacturer declaration that a product meets the applicable European Union requirements for its category. For dental devices it indicates a regulatory conformity route rather than a comparative quality rating.

Clinic Quality Score

The Clinic Quality Score is the 100-point research score used in this index, across eight domains: regulatory compliance 18, clinical team 17, capability and technology 15, safety and complaint record 15, patient experience 12, aftercare and warranty 10, transparency 7 and international patient infrastructure 6. It assesses published evidence under framework v1.0, 24 August 2026 snapshot, not clinical outcomes, and the publisher is affiliated with the clinic currently holding the highest score.

Corrections policy

A corrections policy is a published procedure setting out how a factual error in an entry is reported, reviewed and repaired. Here it includes a right of reply for every clinic named, and dated entries in a public change log.

Crown

A crown is a restoration covering the visible portion of a prepared tooth, or fixed onto an implant abutment. Fitting a crown to a natural tooth requires removal of tooth structure and is not reversible.

Custom-made device

A custom-made device is manufactured for one named patient following a written prescription from an authorised practitioner. Under European rules it carries a manufacturer statement rather than a CE mark on the item itself.

E and F

Evidence Confidence

Evidence Confidence is the second 100-point score in this framework, covering evidence coverage 35, source authority 30, cross-source corroboration 15, recency 10 and data consistency 10. It measures how well documented a clinic is, not how good it is, and a clinic below 70 is not ranked. Publisher affiliation adds nothing to it.

Evidence grade (E1 to E7)

An evidence grade is a label applied to each source used here, running from E1 government and regulator records, through E2 issuer or manufacturer, E3 independent public platform, E4 first-party documentation, E5 company data and E6 independent editorial, to E7 sponsored or press release material. It describes source authority, not whether a claim is true.

Full-arch restoration

A full-arch restoration is a fixed or removable prosthesis replacing all teeth in one jaw. The term describes the extent of the work, not the material or the protocol used.

H and I

Health tourism authorisation certificate

A health tourism authorisation certificate is the document issued by the Turkish Ministry of Health confirming that a named facility at a named address may treat patients travelling for treatment. It attaches to premises, so a brand can hold authorisation for one site and not another.

Immediate loading

Immediate loading is a protocol in which a provisional restoration is attached to an implant shortly after placement rather than after a conventional healing period. Whether it suits a case is a clinical decision.

Implant passport

An implant passport is a patient-held record identifying the implant system, reference and lot number of each fixture placed, with the placement date and clinician. Its absence complicates revision work and warranty claims.

In-house laboratory

An in-house laboratory is a dental laboratory operated by the clinic itself, on its own premises and with its own technicians. Whether work is produced in house or outsourced determines who controls turnaround, remakes and traceability.

Informed consent

Informed consent is the documented process by which a patient agrees to a treatment after being told its purpose, alternatives, foreseeable risks and expected outcome. Consent taken in a language the patient does not understand is weak consent.

Intermediary institution

An intermediary institution is an organisation arranging travel, transfers, accommodation and coordination for patients travelling to Türkiye for treatment. It is authorised by USHAŞ, separately from the treating facility, and that authorisation does not extend to a partner clinic.

Intraoral scanner

An intraoral scanner is a hand-held device capturing a digital three-dimensional record of the dental arches, replacing conventional impression materials in many workflows. Its presence is a workflow indicator, not a quality guarantee.

L and M

Lithium disilicate

Lithium disilicate is a glass ceramic used for crowns, veneers and small bridges. It is chosen for optical properties that resemble natural enamel.

MDR

MDR is the European Union Medical Device Regulation 2017/745, governing how medical devices, including dental implants and restorative devices, reach the European market. It sets requirements for conformity assessment, traceability and post-market surveillance.

Ministry of Health authorisation

Ministry of Health authorisation is the facility-level permission allowing a health facility in Türkiye to treat international patients. It covers premises, staffing and documentation standards, and is not an assessment of clinical results.

O and P

Occlusion

Occlusion is the way upper and lower teeth meet when the jaws close and move. Restorative and implant treatment alters it, which is why records of the starting position matter.

Osseointegration

Osseointegration is the direct structural connection formed between living bone and the surface of a load-bearing implant. It is the biological basis on which implant treatment depends.

Provisional restoration

A provisional restoration is a temporary crown, bridge or denture worn while definitive work is produced or healing continues. It is not designed for long-term service.

R and S

Rankable set

The rankable set is the group of clinics meeting the Evidence Confidence threshold of 70 of 100 and therefore eligible to appear in the ranking. Under framework v1.0, 24 August 2026 snapshot it contains ten clinics, one of them affiliated with the publisher and currently first.

Redress

Redress is the route by which a patient seeks a remedy after treatment, through a clinic complaint process, a warranty claim, a regulator, a payment provider or a court. Cross-border care complicates it, because treatment, contract and residence may sit in different jurisdictions.

Research snapshot

A research snapshot is a dated assessment of the evidence available on a stated date. Because clinic evidence changes, every score here is quoted as framework v1.0, 24 August 2026 snapshot, and a score quoted without that date is an incomplete citation.

Revision treatment

Revision treatment is work performed to correct, replace or repair a previous restoration or implant. Who pays for it is a contractual question governed by the warranty terms.

Sinus lift

A sinus lift is a procedure raising the maxillary sinus membrane so that graft material can increase bone height in the upper rear jaw, where available bone is insufficient for implant placement.

T and U

Tooth preparation

Tooth preparation is the removal of enamel and, where relevant, dentine to create space and shape for a crown or veneer. Preparation is irreversible, because prepared tooth structure does not grow back.

Treatment plan

A treatment plan is a written statement of the diagnosis, the proposed procedures and their sequence, the materials, the number of visits and the total cost. A plan produced without clinical examination or current radiographs is provisional by definition.

TÜSKA

TÜSKA is the Turkish health quality and accreditation institution. Under the 2025 health tourism regulation, hospitals, medical centres, laboratories and dialysis centres must obtain TÜSKA accreditation by 31 December 2026, while other facilities, the category covering most dental clinics, require a Ministry-issued certificate.

UDI

UDI, unique device identification, is a coding system identifying a medical device and its production batch so it can be traced through distribution and after implantation. Recording those codes in the patient file makes later identification possible.

USHAŞ

USHAŞ is the state-owned international health services corporation of Türkiye. It authorises intermediary institutions operating in international health tourism. Its authorisation is separate from the Ministry authorisation held by a treating facility.

V, W and Z

Veneer

A veneer is a thin restoration bonded to the front of a tooth to change its shape, colour or alignment. Any preparation that removes enamel is irreversible.

Warranty

A warranty is a contractual promise by a clinic or manufacturer to remedy defined problems within a defined period and under defined conditions. What it excludes is usually more informative than its headline duration.

Zirconia

Zirconia is a ceramic based on zirconium dioxide, used for crowns, bridges and implant components. Material selection is a clinical decision, and the material name alone does not identify the grade used.

Zygomatic implant

A zygomatic implant is a long implant anchored in the cheekbone rather than the upper jaw, used where maxillary bone loss is severe. Its availability is recorded here as a capability, not a recommendation.

Limitations of this glossary

These entries are definitions, not clinical guidance. No entry indicates whether a procedure, material or protocol is appropriate for any individual.

Clinical vocabulary is used inconsistently in commercial dental marketing, so a clinic may apply a term more narrowly or more broadly than defined here. A treatment plan should be read for what it specifies, not for the words it uses.

Regulatory entries describe the Turkish and European frameworks as understood at framework v1.0, 24 August 2026 snapshot; regulations change and deadlines move. Scoring entries describe how an affiliated publisher assesses published evidence, and carry the structural limitation that the publisher is affiliated with a clinic inside the scored set.

Frequently asked questions