Dental Tourism in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a top destination for medical tourism. Dental tourism is booming in Costa Rica with thousands of Americans and Canadians flocking to Costa Rica each year for world class dental care at a fraction of the price. You can save from 50% - 75% on your dental work while enjoying a relaxing vacation in the beautiful country of Costa Rica.

Costa Rica has a medical system that is now ranked higher then the United States by The World Health Organization. It is said that 14% of Costa Rica's visitors have had some sort of dental work done while visiting the country.

Costa Rica dental clinics offer a range of dental procedures performed by specialists who offer quality, personalized care at a fraction of the cost. Is a dental vacation in your future?

During the current recession, everyone is looking for ways to cut back and save money. I know a lot of people who may not be able to take their yearly vacation if something like unexpected dental bills pop up.

But what if you could get your dental work done for half the price and relax in a hammock in a tropical destination?

With a dental vacation you can!

A root canal in the States or in Canada can run $750 and upwards depending on the area you live in.

The same procedure in Costa Rica - $250.

A crown that costs $1,200 dollars at home will run you around $400 in Costa Rica.

Even a simple filling in the US can cost around $150 but here, it's only $50.

I recently read a story about a couple from New Hampshire. The husband was in Costa Rica getting a complete mouth restoration, including bone grafts. What would have cost him $55,000 and taken two years in the U.S. was being done in Costa Rica for about $24,000, including all travel costs for him and his wife for two month-long trips.

If you are requiring dental work upwards in the thousands of dollars range, I suppose you could drive down the street to your local dentist, get the work done and then head back home, depressed about how much money you just spent.

Or you could book a dental tourism vacation in Costa Rica for the same price, get your dental work done and spend the rest of the time relaxing on a beach, soaking in a volcanic hot spring or horseback riding.

The choice is yours.

You can find quality dental services in bigger cities throughout Costa Rica. There are many dental tourism companies online that can get you all the information for the dentists, their services and prices as well as help you make hotel and lodging reservations for your trip.

San Jose is the medical tourism capital (and the official capital) of Costa Rica. There you can find plenty of dental clinics offering a full range of services. The surrounding mountain areas of San Jose are a top location for tourists, offering cool mountain temperatures and breath taking vistas. Juan Santamaría airport in San Jose has daily flights from destinations all over the United States and Canada.

Liberia is home to the other international airport in Costa Rica and has direct flights from cities such as Houston, Miami, Atlanta and Toronto. Liberia is only an hour and a half away from many of the beach towns on the Pacific coast where you will find a multitude of resorts, restaurants and activities.

One of the best doctors in Liberia is Dr. Enrique Parra. He was born in Spain and later became a qualified dentist in Germany. Dr. Parra moved to Costa Rica and now has an office that offers both aesthetic and essential dental services such as veneers, root canals, crowns and implants. You can find more information on Dr. Parra here.

There are also great dental offices located in the popular tourist town of Tamarindo. Living in Costa Rica, I use these dentists for my routine dental care and I can honestly say that I've never enjoyed dental visits as much as I do in Costa Rica.

Many people in the United States are still confused as to what exactly will be covered under the Affordable Care Act. I'm not going to go in to all of that here but I can tell you that dental is not covered.

In fact, part of the Affordable Care Act includes a 2.3% tax on medical devices such as dental fillings, instruments and and dental equipment. It's estimated that the tax will raise the already high cost of dental care in the United States by $160 million per year.

Even if you have dental insurance in the States you are most likely paying at least 50% of the cost of your procedures. These rising costs are more then enough reason to look in to and get as much information as you can about dental tourism in Costa Rica.

If you've visited a doctors office in the US lately, you may have found that something was missing. It's true that doctors and dentists in the States are being required to see as many patients per day as possible which results in "profit focused care" instead of "personal care".

This is not the case in Costa Rica. The waiting room will not be packed with gobs of other patients and most likely you will be one of the few patients your dentist will see that day. They will slow down and give you the quality attention and service that you deserve.

If you are concerned with a language barrier, don't be. Most of the doctors and dentists in Costa Rica speak English fluently and you will have no problems communicating with them.

Finding a dentist abroad can seem like a scary process but it doesn't have to be!

Do some research. Contact one of the many dental tourism companies that offer their services. Ask for the dentists credentials to verify that they offer the services that you need. Double check to make sure that they speak English. Lastly, check for genuine recommendations or reviews about their services.

Get a checkup and dental plan from your local dentist. Bring copies of your dental records with you for your dentist in Costa Rica.

As for the rest of your travel arrangements, contact a travel agent specializing in Costa Rica travel. Once you've found your dentist they will be able to help you with all your accommodations and travel plans.