According to a recent report from CBS News, part of its “Other America” series, more than one hundred million Americans do not have dental insurance. The lack of coverage is leading to problems such as school absence, unemployment and even death.
Prisma Dental has worked with North American patients for two decades, providing top quality dental prices that people can afford. If you need major dental care, we urge you not to put it off.
(The video is direct from CBS News; There’s a short advertising lead-in.)
The Los Angeles Times reported yesterday on a survey that indicates that men and women over 60 “lack adequate insurance and cannot afford oral healthcare.” Link to full story:
Dr. Roseann Mulligan, an expert in geriatric dentistry at USC, said she was not surprised to learn that so many older Angelenos were lacking in dental coverage and care.“
They’re on a limited income,” she said. “They have to pick and choose. . . . Dental insurance for seniors is virtually nonexistent, and unless you’re able to pay out of pocket, you frequently don’t get dental care.”
Increasing numbers of seniors and Baby Boomers are heading out of the country for dental and other medical care when they cannot afford it in the U.S. — especially when the work required is major.
Preventative care is key to long-term oral health at any age, according to Telma Rubinstein at Prisma Dental in Costa Rica.
Prisma Dental has extended its practice in 2008 to provide comprehensive dental care for children, in response to the desire of many of our patients who travel to Costa Rica from the United States with their families. “I wish I could bring my kids in for appointments when I come in,” is what they told us.
So we have responded. The latest addition to the staff and family of Prisma Dental is Dr. Diana Fishman, who specializes in dental care for children. Diana is a pediatric dentist who has worked at the National Children’s Hospital of Costa Rica and the Dentistry Clinic of Saint Gabriel in Costa Rica. Prior to that, she did her postdoctoral work in Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Costa Rica and interned at the University of Illinois in Chicago.
Dr. Fishman perfected her English while studying in Boston.
“She’s wonderful with children — the kids all love her,” said Dr. Telma Rubinstein. “And it is great that we now have a specialist on staff for pediatric appointments and cases.
“Many people are unaware of how important dental care is for children. Taking proper care of primary teeth is very important and can make a huge difference in the health of a child and in avoiding problems as an adult.” Read the rest of this entry »
The Baltimore Sun, in a story today, quotes experts as saying that dental care for seniors is a major issue — one that will only become more acute as the population ages. Many lack insurance coverage, money and specialists, the headline warns.
Many of Prisma’s patients have been older Americans in exactly the situations described by the newspaper article, coming to Costa Rica for high quality dental work they cannot afford at home.
“… About 12 years ago, Carrie Lemon started losing teeth. One by one, to curb pain, Lemon had most of her teeth extracted.
“Today, at 72, she has only six left. Eating has become a daily chore, and Lemon wants desperately to be fitted for a set of dentures. ‘I’ve just been going from one dentist to another, but all of them tell me that our medical system doesn’t cover it,” Lemon said. “I don’t have the money to get them.’ “
According to Dr. Richard H. Price, a spokesman for the American Dental Association, “Twenty-five million adults forgo dental care because they can’t afford it. A goodly amount are seniors.” 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 »
... to Prisma Dental in San Jose, Costa Rica, where we have been privileged to deliver world-class dental care to literally thousands of patients from around the world for the past 16 years. We specialize in whole-mouth reconstruction, cosmetic and holistic general dentistry and oral surgery.
