Insurance

Every year, thousands of travelers, mostly Americans, hop a jet or cruise ship and travel south for Costa Rica dental care.

The reason? American dentists are... well... expensive. Really costly. And, Costa Rica dentists are... well... way cheaper. Sometimes, as much as 60-70% cheaper.

Unfortunately, four of every ten Americans don't have dental insurance and the cost of many dental procedures is simply so prohibitive that they go without needed care. And, even for those fortunate to have dental insurance, the deductible or co-pay often leads to the same result.

Dental implants are illustrative of the problem Americans face. Even basic implants can cost thousands of dollars---each. Can you imagine being charged nearly $9,000 for just three implants?

The American dental establishment has defended (the indefensible, in my view) costs by arguing that American dentists are highly trained in American universities and use American-made, hence high quality, implants. One has to wonder, then, how it can be that Costa Rica dentists, also highly trained, many of whom are graduates of American dental schools, can offer really low cost dental implants using the same American-made implants used in the States?

The short answer, in part, is this. American dentists can charge what they do because, for many years, consumers haven't had anywhere else to go.

That's no longer the case. Just a few hours from the States lies tiny Lain American country, long famous for its tropical vacations. 800 miles of beaches on two great oceans, magnificent volcanoes, and a country committed to developing medical and dental tourism characterized by high quality care coupled with amazingly affordable prices.

Quality dental care is so affordable in this Central American country that more than a third of all its medical tourists now come for dental surgery or dental implants. Implants costing up to $3,000 in the United States are typically between $500-$750 in this tropical paradise. That's 75%+ cheaper than some dental offices charge in America for the same procedure.

Periodontal surgery that is at least $2,500 in America is often only about $400 in Costa Rica. Great care at an amazing price and enough money left over to enjoy a great Costa Rica vacation.

With American dental costs heading into the stratosphere, tens of thousands of U.S. patients, armed with the internet or informed from the experiences of their friends and family, now travel south and combine dental tourism with their Costa Rica vacations.

For years, many Americans traveled to Mexico for their vacations and dental procedures but, with the terrible violence now wracking it, it's considered simply too dangerous for many travelers or medical tourists.

Far away places like Thailand and India offer some fine, affordable dental care but the flights are very long and the airfares very expensive.

For those fortunate enough to have dental insurance but unfortunate enough to have such a high co-pay that it's unaffordable to go to the dentist in their home town, many American dental plans gladly extend insurance coverage to Costa Rica because of their cost savings and their customers' high satisfaction rates. Check with your carrier before traveling, of course.

Many Costa Rica dental professionals are very competitive with one another. Not only are their prices extraordinary, some even include accommodations in the cost of your dental care! When was the last time your dentist offered to put you up in a hotel just to get your business?