Dental Care in Costa Rica: Save up to 60%
Around midway through my research for the first edition of my book, Patients Beyond Borders, an old root canal became infected and I needed an extraction and implant. When my specialist in North Carolina quoted $4,100 for the procedures, I knew it was time to “walk the medical tourism talk” and head overseas.
I chose Costa Rica for my dental care, one of the five countries in the world most visited by Americans for medical treatment; in the Western Hemisphere, only Mexico receives more medical tourists.
Medical tourists can choose from a wide range of specialties, including orthopedics, heart surgery, bariatrics and obesity management, and cosmetic surgery. But Costa Rica attracts more patients for dentistry than for any other specialty, numbering in the tens of thousands of U.S. patients annually. Most of the work is done in San José and its affluent and highly Americanized suburb of Escazú, where I went for my dental work.
Each time I returned to Costa Rica for dental treatment (I’ve been back four times now), the waiting lobbies were increasingly crowded with American and European visitors who had come primarily to take advantage of the 30% to 60% savings—and, perhaps, to recover in a lush, tropical, pampering environment. I saved around $800, which included costs for my airfare, hotel, transportation and meals.
My dentist in Costa Rica, a certified implantologist, worked diligently on a number of challenges surrounding my procedure. He and his staff were always courteous, informative and empathetic. All the equipment was state-of-the-art, and I was most appreciative to see that the lab and panoramic X-ray equipment were all on location (true of all the top dental clinics I visited when researching my book)…
Editor’s note: Get Josef’s full report on dental care in Costa Rica…including recommendations, contacts, tips on how to guarantee smooth treatment, your options for a pampered recovery, and a break down of costs and savings…in the May issue of International Living magazine. As part of our 30th Anniversary special offer, you can get IL magazine now…and instant access to Josef’s Costa Rica article…for just $15.
