A testimony published on November 13 by the Italian newspaper “La Repubblica” has brought attention back to the safety of dental treatments in Albania. An Italian patient claims that during a procedure in Tirana, 26 teeth were removed within six hours and that she later had difficulty eating. She also raises concerns about the size and placement of the dentures. These are the patient’s claims, as reported by the Italian newspaper.
“They put in teeth that were too large for my mouth and had to hammer them in. It was torture,” the Italian patient recounts to Italy’s leading newspaper.
She also raised concerns about the dentures that were fitted, which according to her were too large for her mouth and had to be adjusted during the procedure. But clinics have increased in this sector, some even without a license, as Fiks Fare showed when a dentist had mutilated a patient rather than treating her.
Albania must take this account seriously. The reputation of dental services is protected by reviewing complaints transparently and seeking accountability when violations are proven. Silence toward a serious allegation fuels suspicion and also harms professionals who work correctly.
The questions that need to be clarified in this case are concrete: what was the diagnosis, why was that procedure chosen, what alternatives were explained to the patient, and what follow-up was offered afterward? The answers should come from documents and expert assessment, while also hearing the clinic.
Dental tourism can build a sustainable reputation for Albania only when the patient feels protected even after paying and returning to their country.
The Order of Dentists licenses professionals and cooperates with the State Health Inspectorate to monitor compliance with the rules. Clinics also require an activity license from QKB. So, the dentist’s license and the clinic’s license are two different requirements.
The official verification checklist for dental clinics includes professionals’ permits, physical conditions, disinfection, sterilization and its documentation, patient records, medical waste management, and authorization for radiation-source equipment when used. The criteria, therefore, are not lacking in documents. The question is how regularly and with what results their implementation is checked.
Health institutions should publish clear data: how many clinics operate, how many have been inspected, what violations have been found, and whether deficiencies have been corrected. The public should also know where to complain and within what timeframe they will receive a response.
Dental tourism has grown, but this case, like several others in which dentists rush to take foreigners’ euros and mutilate them because they are foreigners, gives our country a bad image.