Leanne Abeyance jetted to Turkey to have her 13-year-old veneers replaced with implants, but she was left in agony after the procedure and fears she will be left with no lips
Danielle Kate Wroe Senior Social News Reporter and Emma O’Neill Content Editor
18:57, 18 Mar 2026
(Image: Facebook)
When Leanne Abeyance flew to Turkey in May 2024 to replace her 13 year old veneers with implants, she never anticipated leaving in a worse state than when she arrived.
Leanne, hailing from Telford, Shropshire, opted for treatment abroad as the same procedure would have set her back £40,000 in the UK. The Turkish treatment was quoted at £8,000, but Leanne only forked out £3,000 upfront, with the balance due once her new teeth were installed.
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Following a dentist’s advice for a sinus lift and bone grafts, she underwent eight implants on the top and seven on the bottom. So Leanne, who worked as a DJ before her ordeal, had her teeth extracted and screws and implants put in place.
Two days on, the 40 year old had her temporary teeth fitted. She was scheduled to return to Turkey five months later for her permanent teeth to be installed and was initially pleased with her interim appearance.
Regrettably, however, Leanne began suffering severe headaches and sinusitis weeks after the operation. A scan at a private dentist disclosed that two implants had penetrated her nose – and she now fears she may end up without an upper lip, reports the Mirror.
Leanne shared with us: “I was constantly in and out of the doctors and given antibiotics, but nothing was clearing it. I got hospitalised overnight on an IV feed. A few weeks back, I was in the worst pain of my life, going back and forth to AandE, where they couldn’t do anything.”
(Image: Leanne Abeyance)
And the situation remains much the same now. She expressed: “I’m scared that I’m going to have no lips left. It’s [the hole] already gone under my top lip and onto my gums.
“It doesn’t stop leaking and bleeding. I can’t even eat properly anymore because it’s so sore and painful. And the fact that I have to keep the gauze on, I can’t breathe.”
Leanne described “thick gunk” as constantly oozing from the wound, which we’ve decided not to display due to the graphic nature of the images. She is “angry, frustrated, tired and fed up” that she hasn’t been able to receive help at A&E as her case is seemingly a “grey area”.
Leanne is currently awaiting confirmation from her GP regarding whether she has osteomyelitis, a severe, often bacterial, bone infection that results in inflammation, pain, fever, and swelling.
The issues extend beyond the physical, as Leanne is also grappling with the negative responses she’s been receiving online.
However, there may be a glimmer of hope, as she revealed: “I have contacted my original surgeon in London and he has given me an appointment in a few weeks, so fingers crossed.”
Leanne urged others in a similar predicament to “please go private, do not leave it. Do not accept no for an answer”.
Regarding the keyboard warriors who are posting unkind comments on her social media, Leanne also stated: “Start being kind to one another, we are all human, and there’s only so much one can take”.