UK reality TV stars are praising men with 'Turkey Teeth'. They shouldn't be.

The people we see on our screens are often the same people who influence trends. 

Take the Kardashians, for example – they redefined a beauty standard for an entire generation. 

This week, UK's most popular reality TV show, Love Island, returned for another season. 

The show has been known for influencing cosmetic trends – with the term 'Love Island Face' coming about after a surge in popularity of lip, cheek and jaw filler with contestants on the show.

Now, in the first episode of the latest season, a contestant discussed a worrying trend she personally loves: 'Turkey Teeth'.

Oh no.

Ohhhh yep.

Turkey Teeth is a phrase used to describe someone who has travelled to get veneers or crowns fitted in Turkey, a popular destination to get cosmetic procedures done as it's far cheaper than in the UK.

Contestant Jess Harding told Love Island presenter Maya Jama that Turkey Teeth are something she finds attractive on a man.

"I like Turkey Teeth, I don't know why!" she says.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not just looking for someone with Turkey Teeth. If they've got nice teeth that's fine, but if they've got Turkey Teeth, that's a bonus!"

“Turkey teeth” she wants a guy with CHOMPERS #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/QmyusoMEkX

— victoria (@vxictoriaa) June 5, 2023

The procedure, which leaves patients with very straight, very white teeth, has become increasingly popular on social media in 2023.

Just search #turkeyteeth and hundreds of videos will appear of men and women documenting themselves travelling to Turkey to get the procedure done and sharing their teeth before and after. 

But many of those videos include horror stories.

In 2022, British couple Jade and Kelly Tushingham went to Turkey to get veneers. It cost them $7,000 AUD, whereas, in the UK it could cost five times the price.

They claim the procedure "ruined their lives".

"Lots of our friends had already had it done and told us that it didn't hurt. I've always wanted it done, even though my teeth before were actually OK. But even now, we're both still in constant pain," Jade tells The Independent.

Despite trying to get help back in the UK, the women have struggled to find a dentist who will agree to fix them. 

"No dentists in the UK would even touch them," Jade says. 

"Our teeth visually do look lovely, and we have people asking us all the time where we had them done because they want theirs doing.

"We always say no, absolutely do not have them done. We would never recommend them to anyone."

@georgiafoxx11 #fyp #turkeyteeth #turkeyteethjourney #teethtok ♬ I Cry - Flo Rida

As you would expect, the 'Turkey Teeth' trend has dentists extremely concerned.

Although they understand the appeal, it's ultimately not worth it, Dr Aodhan Docherty tells Mamamia.

"Travelling overseas for dental treatment is tempting in order to save on the cost of treatment. I understand that treatment costs in first-world counties such as Australia, US and UK are more than other counties such as Turkey," he says. "However, they are that way for a reason!"

"The training that we have here and priority placed on preserving as much tooth enamel as possible is largely disregarded in countries such as Turkey," he continues.

"As a result, while people think they are getting veneers they often get crowns instead, which are very destructive and damaging to the teeth."

Veneers and crowns look similar once fitted (at least to someone who isn't a dentist) but the application process is quite different. 

When you see those terrifying photos of teeth shaved down before the procedure, those people are getting crowns.

Crowns cover the whole tooth so the natural teeth underneath need to be ground down beforehand. They also damage the teeth underneath and don't last as long.

Veneers, on the other hand, are only half a millimetre thin – so dentists only need to lightly buff the natural teeth before applying them.

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A post shared by Dr Aodhan Docherty (@dr.aodhan)

It's not just the risk of damaged teeth that's a concern either. 

"We all see the stories of people returning with abscesses and swollen faces and think it wouldn’t happen to us, however, I see people on a weekly basis that suffer from this," Dr Docherty says. 

"Ultimately, weigh up the cost vs your long-term health."

And everyone who comes in to get their 'Turkey Teeth' fixed, tells the dentist the same thing.

"I often have to deal with the things that go badly for people having overseas work done, and the thing they say immediately is how much they regret it." he says.

"How they wish they just had it done properly here the first time. It’s super sad."

Feature image: ITV.