Rock Star Dentist in Costa Rica.

If dentists were musicians, Dr. Mario would be a rock star.

After years of agonizing over much needed dental work at home in the states, I finally decided to take the plunge and come down to this Central American Republic and end the embarrassment which my own mouth had become.

Like most, I was concerned with the quality of care in a foreign country. That fear was put to rest less than 36 hours after arriving in this beautiful country.

I arrived on a Thursday at 11:30 AM and by 2:00 PM that day I was consulting with the doctor. Within three hours I had gone out for a panoramic X-Ray and had formulated a treatment plan. By 4:30 PM the next day. The plan was put into action.

By 7:30 PM that day, he had erased 40 years of deteriorating dental work and put me on the road to a healthy mouth. I fully expected to spend the next few days recuperating from the five extractions and four root canals with cotton and gauze in my mouth. To my surprise, I left with my incisor and premolar intact and no bleeding from the extracted molars.

The pain was almost non-existent and swelling at a minimum. I felt so good, that I took a day trip on Sunday and went fishing on Monday. After catching a large Mahi, Mackerel and a black Tuna, I spent the night in Jaco, a wild town by anyone’s definition. On Tuesday, I came back through the national forest and saw Scarlet Macaws flying around and crocodiles floating in the river.

If you need extensive dental work, this is the place to come. The level of service and professionalism is unparalleled and it’s a fraction of the costs in the U.S.

While I was staying at Casa Laurin I was joined at breakfast by several ladies who were having their dental work done by another dentist in San Jose.I was curious to see what their dentist would charge me for Dr. Mario’s treatment plan. I was pleasantly surprised that her costs were just a few hundred dollars more than Dr. Mario’s. Am I glad I didn’t change for a few bucks!

I had some fairly complex oral surgery with Dr. Mario but he performed it all in one afternoon with a callback the next day to check for any complications which there were none. I could not believe as I returned that day to the B&B I was painfree. I had been thinking I was going to be spending my days suffering in pain between never-ending appointments….not so!

Speaking of the B&B Casa Laurin which is located in a beautiful upscale neighborhood in Escazu and run by its wonderful owner and hostess Ginette who hails from Canada. I can not say enough of her hospitality (especially the banana pancakes with real maple syrup) and the overall ambiance in her home cannot be beat.

Beautiful and large bedrooms in a 5,000 square foot home with WiFi, a US phone to use for free, a pool to lounge by and a great place to share a custom breakfast with some people from all over. You have to experience it to believe it.

I understand I am one of several dozen alumni of Dr. Mario (it is within walking distance of his office) who have stayed there and made it their home away when they are in Costa Rica.

I cannot end this article without mentioning the person who made this trip possible – Charlie Dennard. It was by reading an article on the website WeLoveCostaRica.com that inspired me to do something I thought I would never do… go to another country to have major dental work done.

Charlie is an American who lives in Costa Rica and works closely with Dr. Mario and his office. Charlie stayed in contact with me over 8 months as my work schedule never let up as I was constantly changing my travel plans. Charlie never gave up on me always staying in touch, many times just to say hello never mentioning Dr. Mario. He kept me focused on what I knew I had to do after waiting 40 years.

From his articles on WeLoveCostaRica.com, doing the initial consultation for my dental treatment plan and setting my appointments, to introducing me to Casa Laurin and Ginette he was literally always there. After we met he took me as his guest to a wonderful dinner, showed me how to get around Escazu and gave me the peace of mind, not only to enjoy my stay but to explore the country on my days between visits to Dr. Mario.

Charlie Dennard was the difference between being alone and a prisoner in a hotel waiting for the next appointment to making my trip an adventure!

I saved a ton of money and got a $500 airfare rebate as a VIP Member of WeLoveCostaRica.com, received dental care that was, for me, something too good to be true and came home ready to start my life over.

Thanks to Charlie, Ginette and of course the ‘rock star’ Dr. Mario….

Pura Vida!

Written by VIP Member Mark Curry.

For more information about our Blue Cross recommended Dentist and how you could qualify for a free round trip airfare to Costa Rica, please contact us using the simple form below:

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.