'Tirana teeth': Albania hopes to be the new Turkey for dental work

He has been asked to pose for photos showing off his new smile – and he is only too happy to oblige.The 58-year-old window cleaner from Bolton, in Greater Manchester, is the proud owner of a sparkling new set of "Tirana teeth".That is not a brand name – at least, not yet.

But it would be a fitting slogan as Albania moves decisively into the medical tourism business.Tirana, its capital city, is the focus of operations.

And once you spot the first tooth, you start seeing them everywhere.

They seem to be all over the city centre.Rest assured, these are not the physical remains from a night out that ended in a punch up.

Rather, they are the kind of larger than life-size illuminated molar that – in these parts at least – advertise that a dental clinic is not too far away.In Tirana's metropolitan area alone, there are almost four hundred dental clinics – and most of them are in the city centre.

That's more than enough for a population of around 600,000 people.So, it is not surprising that dozens of dentists are now targeting customers from further afield.

They have set up websites and signage in English and Italian, as well as Albanian.Hook, being treated here, was attracted by the low cost of dental work in AlbaniaDental implants in Albania are typically around €600 ($700; £516) per tooth, similar in price to what is charged in Turkey, which has long been the main overseas destination for people in western Europe who are seeking much cheaper dental work than….

He made his first visit to Tirana to watch England's footballers play Albania last year – but then found himself intrigued by all the signs for dentists.

That nudged him into doing something about his missing teeth.He thought he'd go to Albania rather than Turkey, because he was concerned by media coverage of dental or hair transplant work in Turkey that had gone wrong.In fact, even the UK Foreign Office warns that it is "aware of seven British nationals having died in Turkey in 2025 following medical procedures"., external It adds that "some British nationals have also….

It took me two days to research it because I'm not one for jumping into anything."Several return trips later, Anthony now has a mouthful of impressive implants – and, unsurprisingly, he is all smiles.

"I'd come here once a month for a holiday if I could," he chuckles.Elite Dental is one of the biggest clinics in Tirana.

It is fully licensed by the Albanian health authorities – and so are all of its 15 resident dentists.The man who runs the place, Ardtur Dema, says he is "not in favour of damaging proper teeth for aesthetics".

Instead he says the priority is "changing people's lives" through restoring their ability to chew, and indeed – to smile.Dema believes that as long as Albania remains outside the EU, prices for treatment are likely to remain low.