From Istanbul to Chennai, the airport has become the first stop on the way to the clinic for many Nigerians. Here is what is driving the trend, and how to come home without regrets.

For decades, medical travel was the preserve of politicians and the seriously wealthy. Not anymore. Japa, the great exodus of recent years, has a cousin: the return ticket. Nigerians are leaving to get medical treatment abroad and come home. And increasingly, what they are getting fixed is teeth.

The numbers behind the boarding pass

Nigerians spent about $549 million on medical travel in the first nine months of 2025 alone, and some official estimates put the full annual cost closer to $2 billion, as this newspaper’s editorial board noted in Medical tourism and the $550m question.

Ask people why they go and three answers keep coming back: cost, speed and confidence.

Cost first. Most Nigerians already pay for healthcare out of their own pockets, so patients shop around like consumers. Once you are paying cash either way, a flight plus treatment abroad can compare surprisingly well with a private bill in Lagos or Abuja.

Speed. Nobody enjoys waiting months for a specialist, especially when the specialist has, in the meantime, relocated to Manchester. In 2024 alone, more than 4,000 doctors and dentists left Nigeria, most of them for the United Kingdom. Patients are following the doctors out.

Then confidence. One bad experience, one misplaced file, one “come back next week” too many, and the family WhatsApp group starts sharing clinic links from abroad.

The dental detour

Nigeria has roughly one dentist for every 44,830 people, according to researchers in Frontiers in Oral Health. Most of those dentists work in the cities. Complex restorative work need 3D imaging, surgical skill and a good dental laboratory, ideally all working together. That combination exists in Nigeria, but it is scarce and rarely cheap.

Which explains the rise of dental implants in Turkey. Over the past decade, Istanbul and Antalya have become household names in complex oral work. British newspapers even coined the phrase “Turkey teeth” for the dazzling smiles their celebrities bring home. Nigerians, many of whom already pass through Istanbul’s airport on the way to everywhere else, can opt for full mouth dental implants package deals in Turkey, which bundle surgery, hotel and airport transfers. 

A short security checklist

Whether you are heading to Istanbul, New Delhi or Accra, a few questions will save you money, pain and a great deal of regret.

1. Plan for two trips, not one. Implants need three to six months to fuse with the bone before the permanent teeth go on. That usually means two visits.
2. Do not choose a clinic because of Instagram. Check that the clinic is licensed by the country’s health ministry and that the person operating is a qualified oral surgeon or implant specialist.
3. Ask what is going into your mouth. Reputable clinics will tell you the brand of implant they use and give you its reference details.
4. Line up aftercare at home before you leave. Talk to a Nigerian dentist in advance. Some are reluctant to repair work done elsewhere, and you do not want to discover this with a loose crown and a wedding on Saturday.
5. Watch out for over-treatment. Ask whether each procedure is truly necessary, and get a second opinion if the plan looks suspiciously ambitious.
6. Be honest about your health. Uncontrolled diabetes and heavy smoking can slow healing and raise the risk of implant failure. Get your blood sugar checked before you book the flight.

The last word

The ideal, of course, is a Nigeria where nobody needs a passport to replace a molar: more dentists trained, more of them choosing to stay, and dental care that finally finds its way into health insurance. Until then, if you must travel for treatment, shop like at Balogun Market: ask every question, compare every price, and never pay for what you cannot see.