Archive for the From the Editor category
When I first considered going to Costa Rica for dental work, I had dozens of questions. I was comparing and contrasting my options; I was nervous about going outside of the United States for major dental work; and after all, I was contemplating spending what was, for me, still a lot of money (though many thousands less than the same work would have cost in the U.S.)
It was the spring of 2004, and Dr. Telma Rubinstein had answers for all of my questions. Thank goodness for e-mail, though we also spoke on the phone several times. I remember noticing that I would sometimes get e-mail from Telma at odd hours — midnight and later. When I got to Costa Rica, I found out that those late night hours were pretty much the only ones she had for corresponding with possible patients. Prisma Dental often stays open into the evening to accommodate patients; and Telma and Josef reasonably liked to have at least a few hours to have dinner with their two terrific kids … so the e-mail box waited, until the very end of the day. It was a crazy life, and I wondered how she did it.
So did Telma.
So I was glad of Prisma’s decision, in 2005, to hire an overseas patient coordinator, Tiffany Kofroth. Now it is Tiffany who handles most of the e-mail and phone calls, in consultation with Telma and Josef — freeing them to spend more time with patients (and to get a little more sleep.)
Tiffany lived in Reading until she was 21 and then moved to Houston, Texas, for three years. She’s a certified and licensed pharmacy technician in the U.S., where she worked for doctors’ offices and in hospitals. (Click on the photo to view larger size.)
“I have been at Prisma almost three years now and I love working here,” she says. She has been married “to the most wonderful husband in the world” for about three years as well. Read the rest of this entry »
Folks from the U.S. and elsewhere who have come to Prisma for dental work and care are always struck by the friendly atmosphere and the flexibility of the dentists and the staff, even on the busiest of days. Drs. Telma and Josef know that their patients are juggling their own schedules and home lives and do everything they can to accommodate that, including fitting in walk-ins.
But patients who need major work — dental implants, oral surgery, crowns, veneers, etc. — generally must schedule their appointments a month in advance. Prisma’s overseas patient coordinator, Tiffany, who does an incredible job of handling patient e-mail and phone calls and also helping with accommodations and travel, advises that April is just about booked up for major dental work.
“I have great May and June dates still, but April is just too tight,” she said today. “Some things can’t be rushed, and great dental work is one of those things.” Read the rest of this entry »
Companion Global Dental of Columbia, South Carolina — a company that has chosen Prisma Dental in launching its option of overseas dental care for Americans — has now affiliated with a tour company to provide “one stop access” to scenic attractions in Costa Rica.
U.S. patients who travel to Costa Rica for care now have a convenient way to see Costa Rica’s volcanoes, national parks, coffee farms, biological reserves and other breathtaking scenery while awaiting their dental appointments, according to Phil Midden, Companion Global Dental’s manager of operations. Companion Global Dental, a division of Columbia, S.C.-based Companion Global Healthcare Inc., has affiliated with Tropical Expeditions of Costa Rica to provide its clients with day or overnight tours of popular attractions. Clients may schedule tours for before or after completion of dental work, or between appointments if multiple visits are required over several days.
“At Prisma Dental, we have had a happy association with Tropical Expeditions and we look forward to continuing to work with them,” said Dr. Telma Rubinstein. “We often have patients from abroad for full mouth reconstruction, crowns and implants who spend a week or two in Costa Rica, and they want to see some of our beautiful country. Providing that there is no medical risk, we are happy to help them do so.”
Tropical Expeditions specializes in tours for medical patients. Tours, including white-water rafting, waterfall excursions, rain forest tours and more, are led by English-speaking guides certified in first aid and CPR. Read the rest of this entry »
The media in the U.K. recently has been full of stories about the inadequacy of dental care under the National Health System there, as we pointed out on Feb. 28 here. Today, there’s a report about waiting lists from The Scotsman.
“WHEN Caroline Dollemore-Hunt urgently needed a dentist to treat a painful problem with her teeth, she thought the NHS would provide one.
But after being told she is 6,836th on the waiting list merely to be registered with an NHS dentist, she has become resigned to her teeth crumbling and falling out before she can get help …”
Read the rest of this entry »
As we start to spread the word that we have a dental blog up for Costa Rica, we’ve been getting e-mail from around the world and patients old and new. I especially liked this one, from today:
“Josef and Telma are a world class professional team. The services they provided along with the Prisma dental staff are unmatched; their office is one of the best examples of modern technology and professional dental care available around the world.
“Costa Rica has become a provider to the United States (in the import of dental equipment) and Prisma Dental has become a successful model to follow. I believe that any dentist new to the field could benefit greatly by following the same path for quality and training that Prisma Dental has achieved.”
Sincerely,
William R. Galloway
Thanks, Mr. Galloway, for the kind words.
-jeff
