Around midway through my research for that first edition of my book, Patients Beyond Borders, a classic root canal became infected and that i needed an extraction and implant. When my specialist in New york quoted $4,100 for the procedures, I knew the time had come to “walk the medical tourism talk” and head overseas.
I selected Costa Rica for my dental care, one of the five countries on the planet most visited by Americans for treatment; in the Western Hemisphere, only Mexico receives more medical tourists.
Medical tourists can decide on a wide range of specialties, including orthopedics, heart surgery, bariatrics and obesity management, and plastic surgery. But Costa Rica attracts more patients for dentistry compared to any other specialty, numbering in the thousands of U.S. patients annually. The majority of the work is done in San José and its affluent and highly Americanized suburb of Escazú, where I went in my dental work.
Each time I returned to Costa Rica for dental care (I’ve been back four times now), the waiting lobbies were increasingly crowded with American and European visitors who had come primarily to consider advantage of the 30% to 60% savings-and, perhaps, to recuperate in a lush, tropical, pampering environment. I saved around $800, including costs for my airfare, hotel, transportation and meals.
My dentist in Costa Rica, a professional implantologist, worked diligently on a quantity of challenges surrounding my procedure. He and the staff were always courteous, informative and empathetic. All of the equipment was state-of-the-art, and I was most appreciative to determine that the lab and panoramic X-ray equipment counseled me on location (true of all of the top dental clinics I visited when buying my book)…
Editor’s note: Get Josef’s full set of dental care in Costa Rica…including recommendations, contacts, tips about how to guarantee smooth treatment, your choices for a pampered recovery, along with a break down of costs and savings…in the May issue of International Living magazine. Included in our 30th Anniversary special, you can get IL magazine now…and immediate access to Josef’s Costa Rica article…for just $15.
I selected Costa Rica for my dental care, one of the five countries on the planet most visited by Americans for treatment; in the Western Hemisphere, only Mexico receives more medical tourists.Medical tourists can decide on a wide range of specialties, including orthopedics, heart surgery, bariatrics and obesity management, and plastic surgery. But Costa Rica attracts more patients for dentistry compared to any other specialty, numbering in the thousands of U.S. patients annually. The majority of the work is done in San José and its affluent and highly Americanized suburb of Escazú, where I went in my dental work.
Each time I returned to Costa Rica for dental care (I’ve been back four times now), the waiting lobbies were increasingly crowded with American and European visitors who had come primarily to consider advantage of the 30% to 60% savings-and, perhaps, to recuperate in a lush, tropical, pampering environment. I saved around $800, including costs for my airfare, hotel, transportation and meals.
My dentist in Costa Rica, a professional implantologist, worked diligently on a quantity of challenges surrounding my procedure. He and the staff were always courteous, informative and empathetic. All of the equipment was state-of-the-art, and I was most appreciative to determine that the lab and panoramic X-ray equipment counseled me on location (true of all of the top dental clinics I visited when buying my book)…
Editor’s note: Get Josef’s full set of dental care in Costa Rica…including recommendations, contacts, tips about how to guarantee smooth treatment, your choices for a pampered recovery, along with a break down of costs and savings…in the May issue of International Living magazine. Included in our 30th Anniversary special, you can get IL magazine now…and immediate access to Josef’s Costa Rica article…for just $15.
