Back in 2013, I was doing hours upon hours of research regarding dental tourism. I wasn't just researching what type of dental procedure I wanted but where to get said procedure done. I talked to many people who had work done in Costa Rica and I also emailed and called quite a few dentists to ask questions. I talked to one particular dentist, via email, in which I was surprised when he answered my questions. The reason I was surprised was due to him being one of the most highly regarded, respected and experienced dentists in the country and also due to the fact that he doesn't really do "dental tourism" work. He's more of a "high-end" doctor that caters to the affluent and wealthy community in and around the San Jose area. He is also known for correcting bad dental work done by inferior dentists. I never have published this email before due to it having the potential to ruffle a few feathers. But, over 6 years now have passed since this conversation took place and I believe it to be valuable information in which any of you who are considering a dental trip to CR would be glad to have. I will NOT disclose who this email came from so please don't ask. With that being said here is the quoted email I received when I asked this doctor about some particular dentists/clinics that I was considering going to for my work.
Dear Rod
I will just give you my sincere opinion, dental tourism in an industry. The most successful clinic for dental tourism in CR is the Cavallinis. Why, because they know how to make business (cost management etc, very low-cost materials, volume work...just imagine Walmart), but that type of business does not give you long-lasting teeth. 80% of the patients will receive any kind of dentistry and that work will last a couple of years but 20% of the cases really need trained dentists to manage not just esthetics but function.
The dentists that work at Cavallinis are not trained in implant dentistry, they just work A LOT and they received like 20 new patients daily. They have people working in all the different parts of the business like taking out bad comments on the net. So it is very simple to get 5-10 positive testimonials if you get 20 patients daily. They placed a lot of implants but like Michael Jordan said, "You can practice shooting eight hours a day, but if your technique is wrong, then all you become is very good at shooting the wrong way"
40% of my work is redoing treatments of the first 3 dentists you mentioned, The only serious dentist you mentioned is Dr. Prada because he is the only one well trained and not money focused. Anglada is just like Cavallini but a little better trained, performing 90s dentistry and having all the implants restored by a non-specialist dentist. Garita is a very nice guy but similar old fashion implant dentistry. Obando is just like Anglada but really really really money focused. So my sincere opinion is Dr. Prada is your best choice. Remember you are too young, your dentistry should last 40 more years not 2 years. Redoing treatments is VERY VERY expensive, so if money is your issue just try to do fewer procedures but the right way instead of wasting all your money and then having no money to redo your work. All of them may give you a nice experience here in CR and you give them a nice review, you go home with no idea what you really have in your mouth because you are not a dentist and then you may need to redo things. There are, besides Prada, a couple of dentists doing things the right way but they are not focused on tourism, that is why you don't hear about them. Obviously, you may have complications with any dentist, even the best dentist in the USA, but you need to avoid as much as possible the chances to have complications and then more importantly if you do have complications, be with a dentist with the training and disposition to help you fix it. Hope this email helps you, good luck with your trip.
Thank you so much for sharing this. After reading your early blog and doing my own research, my husband and I had work done by Dr. Prada. We've been back two times, and we've been extremely happy with the quality and service. His equipment is cutting-edge, his staff is sharp and friendly, and I love his down-to-earth manner. In my personal opinion, his work has been superior to any of our dentists in the US. In fact, I was so frustrated with the work done by my "good" dentists that it led me to go there in the first place (to get repairs). Local dentists have commented on the high quality of my implants and asked where I got them done. I can now safely recommend Dr. Prada with facts to back up what I've believed all along. Again, thank you!
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome and than you for visiting!
DeleteI want to second the recommendation for Dr Prada and team. I went to DDS Dental 3 weeks ago (Oct 2020) for 7 extractions and implants, by Dr Gonzalez. Also 1 root canal done superbly by Dr Carranza. Dr Prada made the final treatment recommendation and plan that works for me. The implant surgery took a couple hours but I had hardly any post op pain. Frankly I could have left 2 days after surgery when I got a temporary but stayed to get a final exam by Dr Prada. Again all is well and I will be back in a few months for 10 crowns. I am estimating the similar specialist treatment in my area (Boston MA) would cost at least 3 times as much as here. The savings for me is in the tens of thousands. Even in the pandemic I am very glad I went to Costa Rica. Thank you for this blog.
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