New teeth in Albania cost about €600 each, but in the UK the same tooth costs four times as much

New teeth in Albania cost about €600 each. In the UK, France or Germany, the same tooth can cost four times as much. That is why Anthony Hook, a 58-year-old man from Bolton who cleans windows, spent months researching before he travelled to Tirana, Albania. Now he is one of thousands of foreign patients turning Tirana into a centre for cheaper dental care.

Tirana has nearly 400 dental clinics for about 600,000 people. A new tooth fixed into the jaw, called an implant, costs about €600 there. French patient Stephane Pealat paid €13,500 in Tirana instead of about €50,000 at home. Lower clinic costs and cheaper flights help make these prices possible.

Hook chose Albania partly because he had heard bad stories about dental work in Turkey. "I have heard so many bad things," he said. The UK Foreign Office says seven British people died in Turkey in 2025 after medical treatments. Turkey is still the main foreign choice for many people in western Europe, but Albania now offers similar prices and, for some patients, fewer worries.

The business is growing fast. It earns about €200 million to €250 million a year, and at least 50,000 Italians visit Tirana every year for care. But fast growth brings concerns. Fatmir Ibrahimaj, head of the country's doctors' association, warns patients not to trust online advertising alone. The government is thinking about an official quality mark, but the details are not clear yet. Hook still likes the mix of treatment and a holiday, and would happily return every month.