Please follow this useful link for exchange rates vesus the U.S.
http://www.visitcostarica.com/ict/paginas/indicadores.asp
The Costa Rican money is the colón.
Our DentaRica staff have discovered what most Costa Ricans seem to know without talking about. It is easiest to think of the currency for everyday use the Mil, which is a bill for 1,000 colones. One MIL is about $2 at current rates, making 10 MIL about $20. Be careful you do not accidently reverse this doubling rule-of-thumb the way I have once or twice!
Also, while I am here please check out the Happy Planet Index, which is an independent survey and listing of the Happiest Places on Earth factoring in quality of life, environmental health, and prospects for a healthy future. Costa Rica is first on the list! And the U.S. wasn't even high enough on the list for a mention....
Here is a list of holidays for Costa Rica. Their festivals are a sight to behold! Maybe your trip could be planned so you are in Costa Rica at these times, or maybe you want to avoid all the hubub and confusion!
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Mi Cafe Arena
This is one of my favorite places to visit when I am in Escazu. It's a lovely little restaurant located very near our partner DentaVac and many of our partner hotels. It's also a lovely little restaurant with amazing homestyle food served with authentic Costa Rican spirit. And they now have a website besides their Facebook account!
http://www.micafearena.com/
It's not a very big cafe, and their internet presence isn't the fanciest, but you go there for the quality, not the advertising. They are more of a "mom and pop" type of business, like a huge number you'll find in Costa Rica, and you'll be very happy when you go there,
To share a story of mine, before I went to Costa Rica for the first time I read extensively in various travel books, and once I even read one published just a few months before my trip. They recommended this one restaurant for amazing food and authentic fun atmosphere. It was awful. I don't know why the book recommended them. Perhaps the restaurant owners found out the reviewer was coming, and staged impressive festivities. Maybe he was paid somehow, I don't know.
In any case, I've learned to trust those travel books only but so far. This wasn't the only time they led me astray. In this day and age, you can e-mail and speak to someone with personal experience and then compare to what others have also told you. At DentaRica, we pride ourselves on personal experience and our advice is part of our service. But my advice is also free.
It's not a very big cafe, and their internet presence isn't the fanciest, but you go there for the quality, not the advertising. They are more of a "mom and pop" type of business, like a huge number you'll find in Costa Rica, and you'll be very happy when you go there,
To share a story of mine, before I went to Costa Rica for the first time I read extensively in various travel books, and once I even read one published just a few months before my trip. They recommended this one restaurant for amazing food and authentic fun atmosphere. It was awful. I don't know why the book recommended them. Perhaps the restaurant owners found out the reviewer was coming, and staged impressive festivities. Maybe he was paid somehow, I don't know.
In any case, I've learned to trust those travel books only but so far. This wasn't the only time they led me astray. In this day and age, you can e-mail and speak to someone with personal experience and then compare to what others have also told you. At DentaRica, we pride ourselves on personal experience and our advice is part of our service. But my advice is also free.
you've heard nightmare stories about medical travel?
So have I. I found this link to YouTube today, and I wanted to address it (and related issues) upfront.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgweBSQlR54
This poor lady had such a bad experience, but that's because she went to a bad dentist. Even in the U.S., that is a recipe for disaster.
I have not spoken to the woman above, nor do I know any more about her trip than is in the video. We do not know of this dentist mentioned, although we have encountered "dentists" like him.
It very much sounds like she just picked a dentist of the internet with a flashy website. A dentist who was not PROMED. Her "dentist" may not have even been an actual dentist in our sense of the word. Those "references" could well have been paid salespeople.
Look here to see the certified PROMED partners:
http://www.promedcostarica.com/certification
We have many people who call us wanting to travel, but their family members think they're crazy to consider medical travel. These family members have usually heard such nightmare stories as the link above, and just don't realize that DentaRica is different. Our partners in Costa Rica are chosen for their high quality. Costa Rica itself is shockingly modern and high-tech. PROMED is different and they are on your side in Costa Rica. Did you know that if there is dissatisfaction by a foreign patient PROMED requires it's member dentist and doctors to provide (at no cost) corrective measures? You can feel secure with a PROMED doctor or dentist, just as you can feel secure with DentaRica, a PROMED facilitator.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgweBSQlR54
This poor lady had such a bad experience, but that's because she went to a bad dentist. Even in the U.S., that is a recipe for disaster.
I have not spoken to the woman above, nor do I know any more about her trip than is in the video. We do not know of this dentist mentioned, although we have encountered "dentists" like him.
It very much sounds like she just picked a dentist of the internet with a flashy website. A dentist who was not PROMED. Her "dentist" may not have even been an actual dentist in our sense of the word. Those "references" could well have been paid salespeople.
Look here to see the certified PROMED partners:
http://www.promedcostarica.com/certification
We have many people who call us wanting to travel, but their family members think they're crazy to consider medical travel. These family members have usually heard such nightmare stories as the link above, and just don't realize that DentaRica is different. Our partners in Costa Rica are chosen for their high quality. Costa Rica itself is shockingly modern and high-tech. PROMED is different and they are on your side in Costa Rica. Did you know that if there is dissatisfaction by a foreign patient PROMED requires it's member dentist and doctors to provide (at no cost) corrective measures? You can feel secure with a PROMED doctor or dentist, just as you can feel secure with DentaRica, a PROMED facilitator.
Bone loss after teeth removal (including dentures)
Please look at this link: (our companies are not affiliated)
http://phperio.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/tooth_bone_loss.jpg
http://www.burbankdentalimplants.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Screen-Shot-2011-10-19-at-3.26.35-PM.png
This is very real and worrisome. Have you ever seen an elderly person like the lady pictured above?
I hate to have such a negative thing on my blog, but this is important.
When a person looses their teeth (even for dentures), they are almost certainly going to suffer bone loss in the jawbone. This is especially bad when all teeth are gone. That results in a sunken face like in the graphic I linked to. Also, it will make dentures fit worse and worse over time.
Even though dental implants are expensive and troublesome, the consequences of not getting them are fearful.
With DentaRica, expensive dental is made possible to even a fixed income. Instead of $10,000 for a handful of implants, what about $4000? and that price is after airline tickets, nice hotels, and extravagant tourist destinations such as volcanoes or a coffee plantation or a rainforest.
http://phperio.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/tooth_bone_loss.jpg
http://www.burbankdentalimplants.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Screen-Shot-2011-10-19-at-3.26.35-PM.png
This is very real and worrisome. Have you ever seen an elderly person like the lady pictured above?
I hate to have such a negative thing on my blog, but this is important.
When a person looses their teeth (even for dentures), they are almost certainly going to suffer bone loss in the jawbone. This is especially bad when all teeth are gone. That results in a sunken face like in the graphic I linked to. Also, it will make dentures fit worse and worse over time.
Even though dental implants are expensive and troublesome, the consequences of not getting them are fearful.
With DentaRica, expensive dental is made possible to even a fixed income. Instead of $10,000 for a handful of implants, what about $4000? and that price is after airline tickets, nice hotels, and extravagant tourist destinations such as volcanoes or a coffee plantation or a rainforest.
get the benefits of many consultations
One of the biggest factors in bad health care is errors in diagnosis. People can quite literally die because the doctor they visit has not seen your particular illness before. Your doctor may be a great doctor with the best of intentions and a commitment to quality care, but something new and rarely seen often requires an experienced doctor. This is nothing new. This advice has been given for years and years, and is common sense.
What is unfortunate is that in America the costs for 2nd and 3rd opinions is often too high to be practical. For a major surgery, those opinions are of life-and-death importance!
For a DentaRica traveler, its easy to get these extra consultation, resulting in better outcomes. Prices in Costa Rica are so much more reasonable that just about anyone can afford multiple doctor visits.
Speaking of better outcomes, did you know that you can afford a better doctor of dentist for much less money? Did you know how marvelously high-tech Costa Rican medicine can be? It's shocking.
Our newest partner, Dr. Retana, has been to France and the U.S. to lecture and teach other dentists! He has personally designed his dental office to be among the safest in Costa Rica. His sanitation methods are above and beyond what we have come to expect. He is one of very few Costa Rican densists (outside of hospitals) to have an anesthesiologist on staff, specializing in sedation dentistry. He has a long list of international and professional accreditations and certifications, including the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, NYU College of Dentistry, and AAAASF International.
For example, most U.S. dentists will do their best to know where the nerves are in your jawbone before your dental surgery. They do the best they can without expensive medical scans which would make their prices unpopular. In Costa Rica, they do not have to sacrifice quality to keep costs low, because even the higher prices in Costa Rica are cheap compared to the U.S. prices.
They are not trying to be cheap. This is not cut-rate quality!
Look at his website for yourselves! He describes all this in detail.
Ask your U.S. dentist why he doesn't do a scan on the nerves in your jaw. Ask him or her if they have an AAAASF International certification. Ask if there is an an anesthesiologist on staff.
And simply consider the health benefits of extra personal attention! In the U.S., there is often one nurse to every twelve patients, or sometimes worse. The nurses in the U.S. (bless them) just can't provide the personal attention that they want to. In Costa Rica, it's one nurse for every four patients. How civilized! In my opinion, that is the way healthcare should be for everyone. That's simply humane.
So, in short, my travelers receive BETTER healthcare for LESS money (even after expenses).
What is unfortunate is that in America the costs for 2nd and 3rd opinions is often too high to be practical. For a major surgery, those opinions are of life-and-death importance!
For a DentaRica traveler, its easy to get these extra consultation, resulting in better outcomes. Prices in Costa Rica are so much more reasonable that just about anyone can afford multiple doctor visits.
Speaking of better outcomes, did you know that you can afford a better doctor of dentist for much less money? Did you know how marvelously high-tech Costa Rican medicine can be? It's shocking.
Our newest partner, Dr. Retana, has been to France and the U.S. to lecture and teach other dentists! He has personally designed his dental office to be among the safest in Costa Rica. His sanitation methods are above and beyond what we have come to expect. He is one of very few Costa Rican densists (outside of hospitals) to have an anesthesiologist on staff, specializing in sedation dentistry. He has a long list of international and professional accreditations and certifications, including the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, NYU College of Dentistry, and AAAASF International.
For example, most U.S. dentists will do their best to know where the nerves are in your jawbone before your dental surgery. They do the best they can without expensive medical scans which would make their prices unpopular. In Costa Rica, they do not have to sacrifice quality to keep costs low, because even the higher prices in Costa Rica are cheap compared to the U.S. prices.
They are not trying to be cheap. This is not cut-rate quality!
Look at his website for yourselves! He describes all this in detail.
Ask your U.S. dentist why he doesn't do a scan on the nerves in your jaw. Ask him or her if they have an AAAASF International certification. Ask if there is an an anesthesiologist on staff.
And simply consider the health benefits of extra personal attention! In the U.S., there is often one nurse to every twelve patients, or sometimes worse. The nurses in the U.S. (bless them) just can't provide the personal attention that they want to. In Costa Rica, it's one nurse for every four patients. How civilized! In my opinion, that is the way healthcare should be for everyone. That's simply humane.
So, in short, my travelers receive BETTER healthcare for LESS money (even after expenses).
We can help "last-minute travelers"
Sometimes people feel too busy for even just 4 days of being out-of-town, but dental needs can will force a person to make the time. Do you know anyone whose dental pain has just gotten to be too much, that they rush to make dentist appointments?
It's just a sad fact that things like this happen, but I am very proud that I can help. Sometimes, for people with fixed incomes, DentaRica is the only way out!
Delays is decisions to book (and booking a plane ticket is usually the dragging part) are very often related to finances, but not always. Last-minute travelers will often take their time to look at his or her options and consider, which as I have often said on my blog I respect and moreover encourage. We also make that easier on you with our personal knowledge.
Speaking of personal knowledge, we try to book our travelers in a hotel near the dentist or doctor's office. Sometimes, we can make it right across the street. A person from the U.S. inquiring in Costa Rica would have the language barrier on top of talking to slick sales people, and wind up with costly 45-minute taxi rides. We have had a customer who really wanted a downtown location near the casinos, despite the taxi ride times. We found that for him. If someone needs a handicapped-friendly hotel, we know where to go. If a person wants an adventurous hostel experience, we can find that too.
It's also very important a last-minute traveller has a passport already, because that is one thing we can do nothing about! Government-issued passports at regular price can require around 2 months sometimes! Wait too long, and expedited service fees are charged by the U.S. government.
Our "in and out" appointments are available for someone with responsibilities, whether those be children to care for a job to be back to. These can be done in as few as 2 days.
We also have our longer stays in Costa Rica available, for relaxed recovery, additional dental or medical options, tourism, and simply enjoying a vacation. Someone may want to take advantage of the low prices in Costa Rica to get, say, a whitening treatment ($25) or a skin cancer screening ($20) or an eye exam ($6). And then -and THEN- everyone knows how beautiful Costa Rica is! Look here
You choose what is best for you!
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Mr. G. from Lexington, NC is having a successful trip
I am using a pseudonym for his privacy, but Mr. G has told us he is very happy to share things about his trip! He is scheduled to return today and he has only been gone a few days. "In and out" travel we call this, and this kind of travel is perfect for busy people who want affordable dental or medical, and then to get back to their responsibilities. Whether a person has children to look after or a job to look after, we can make it happen!
Mr. G. has said he will probably go back at some later date. He went alone on this trip, although he was met by DentaRica staff in Costa Rica itself. For a fee, he can have a DentaRica staff travel along to make sure all his concerns are addressed while travelling. In fact, we are having client like that getting ready right now! Mr. L is from Greensboro, NC, and has requested one of our staff to offer personal assistance during his stay, travelling with him from NC to Florida to Costa Rica, and back. Our services will include translation services, personal experience, and access to our FREE international phoneline. Mr. L will be leaving on his trip soon as well!
I will have to keep everyone updated on exactly how much money they saved, even AFTER expenses.
Mr. G. has said he will probably go back at some later date. He went alone on this trip, although he was met by DentaRica staff in Costa Rica itself. For a fee, he can have a DentaRica staff travel along to make sure all his concerns are addressed while travelling. In fact, we are having client like that getting ready right now! Mr. L is from Greensboro, NC, and has requested one of our staff to offer personal assistance during his stay, travelling with him from NC to Florida to Costa Rica, and back. Our services will include translation services, personal experience, and access to our FREE international phoneline. Mr. L will be leaving on his trip soon as well!
I will have to keep everyone updated on exactly how much money they saved, even AFTER expenses.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Exciting DentaRica news! This online video link is great!
Please watch the Facebook video link about our newest partner!
https://www.facebook.com/DentaRicaTravelLlc#!/photo.php?v=513954715337562&set=vb.470446122977338&type=2&theater
DentaRica just returned from the ProMed Medical Tourism Summit at the Los Suenos Resort on the Pacific ocean of Costa Rica. DentaRica is partnering with Dr. Retana, DDS in Costa Rica to bring the best procedures and dental treatments at very affordable prices to Americans and Canadians. Watch our video as see for yourself why Dr. Retana is your first choice in dental care in Costa Rica. Go to our website for information about booking an appointment with him, prices, and travel information.
https://www.facebook.com/DentaRicaTravelLlc#!/photo.php?v=513954715337562&set=vb.470446122977338&type=2&theater
DentaRica just returned from the ProMed Medical Tourism Summit at the Los Suenos Resort on the Pacific ocean of Costa Rica. DentaRica is partnering with Dr. Retana, DDS in Costa Rica to bring the best procedures and dental treatments at very affordable prices to Americans and Canadians. Watch our video as see for yourself why Dr. Retana is your first choice in dental care in Costa Rica. Go to our website for information about booking an appointment with him, prices, and travel information.
Friday, May 3, 2013
We're back! (with photos)
I had a very successful trip, as did our whole tour group. After our travelling patients departed homebound for the United States, I went on to attend the 2013 ProMed Medical Summit, held in April at the Los Suenos Marriot on the gorgeous Pacific coastline.
I took many photos, including one with a esteemed former President of Costa Rica, Jose Maria Figueres, one of the many guest speakers. Please follow this link to see them!
I felt very strongly about attending this conference. It is pricey to attend, and certainly a time commitment, but I think it says a lot about the truth behind our avowed commitment to personal experience shared with our travellers. We don't just do this as a hobby, or a side-business, or as one of many possible destinations. We are committed both to Costa Rican medicine and our customers.
I took many photos, including one with a esteemed former President of Costa Rica, Jose Maria Figueres, one of the many guest speakers. Please follow this link to see them!
I felt very strongly about attending this conference. It is pricey to attend, and certainly a time commitment, but I think it says a lot about the truth behind our avowed commitment to personal experience shared with our travellers. We don't just do this as a hobby, or a side-business, or as one of many possible destinations. We are committed both to Costa Rican medicine and our customers.
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