Two easy trips to Costa Rica saved me from years of pain.

About four years ago, my dentist told me what I already knew — my mouth was in terrible shape. I had an old bridge. Teeth were missing. My gums had receded. I was in so much pain that half my face felt like it was on fire. Implants weren’t even something I could consider given their cost in the USA.

My only alternative was to tough it out and make the best of it. I knew ignoring the problem was affecting my overall health and well-being, but I wasn’t one of those people who had an extra $30,000 lying around.

Then fate got involved. One day about a year ago, I came across an article talking about dental tourism in Costa Rica. After further searching, I found a really helpful website called WeLoveCostaRica.com and made an online inquiry. A few days later, I received a call from a guy named Charlie Dennard. That single phone call changed my life dramatically.

Charlie Dennard is an American expat living in Costa Rica and he is the US Patient Coordinator for a dental implant specialist named Dr. Mario. After a long conversation, Charlie explained how I could achieve a new, healthy smile for a fraction of the cost of what I couldn’t afford to pay in the US.

At Charlie’s urging, I emailed my most recent X-rays from my dentist in the states and a few simple photos of my mouth. He said Dr. Mario would read the x-rays and be able to suggest a treatment plan along with the associated costs. Sure enough, within days I had a comprehensive treatment plan and new hope for a healthy, pain-free smile.

The cost was far less than I could have imagined. $30,000 was one thing, but $10,000 was something that was doable. My wife urged me to go to Costa Rica and finally get my mouth back into shape.

Fast forward a year. I made two trips to see Dr. Mario. The first trip was for a week in January as mentioned in my first article How A Special Dentist in Costa Rica Saved My Mouth and My Sanity!.

During this visit, I received two root canals, had two teeth extracted, got five dental implants, and had gum grafts and bone implants inserted to reverse the bone and gum loss I had experienced over the years.

He also suggested we redo several old metal fillings I had, and we decided to add a veneer on the right side of my mouth to make my teeth as good as they could be.

Dr. Mario excels at everything he does right down to the smallest detail. On the final day when my new teeth were put into place, Dr. Mario sent several teeth back to the lab three times for adjustments. This is the essence of Dr. Mario — everything has to be perfect.

For all the work that had to be done, I thought I’d be spending every day during those two weeks in the dentist chair. Boy was I wrong. I would estimate that everything was completed start-to-finish in around 12 hours total. So there was plenty of time to explore Costa Rica and have a vacation at the same time.

I should also mention that Dr. Mario gave me $500 towards my airfare, and I was able to save an additional 5% by using a personal check to pay in cash out of my bank account. The other nice thing is you only pay for the work that is done as you go — that enabled me to pay for half the first visit and the other half six months later when I returned. That made it much easier on the wallet.

The funny thing is, in the US most dentists find ways to get as much money as they can from you — Dr. Mario and his highly professional staff do their level best to help you get the most out of every dollar.

To think of all the worry and pain I’ve gone through to come to the end result — I wish I’d found Costa Rica, Charlie Dennard and Dr. Mario years earlier. I would grade my overall experience an emphatic A+.

I would be remiss if I didn’t single out Charlie for being a guardian angel who works extremely hard to make sure every question is answered and every trip detail is covered.

Looking back, I would have never made the trip to Costa Rica had I not found Charlie. I wholeheartedly recommend the entire Costa Rican experience to anyone who thinks quality and affordable dental work is out of reach.

Written by VIP Member Dave Carlton. Dave is a 20 year veteran in advertising and marketing and currently resides in Scottsdale, AZ with his wife and 12 year old son.

For more information about our Blue Cross recommended Holistic Dentist in Costa Rica Dr. Mario, please contact Charlie 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.