In the case of Danielle from Wayne, New Jersey, just six Empress crowns made all the difference in the world for her smile and her dental health.
Before … and After:
Though Prisma Dental specializes in full-mouth restorations, many patients can have their smile back with far less work. Because costs are significantly less for dental work in Costa Rica than in the United States or Europe, patients often find that they can save money coming to Costa Rica even for relatively minor dental work.
Prisma is increasingly seeing patients from the Caribbean islands for dental implants, crowns and resorations — so welcome if you are visiting the blog from there, and feel free to make comments and ask questions!
Prisma Dental is closed today and tomorrow for the Costa Rican Independence Day holiday, which is Sept. 15. Costa Rica has been an independent nation for 188 years.
Dr. Josef Cordero, the lead implantologist at Prisma Dental, compares the advances in dental technology over the last 20 years to the advances in computer technology over the same period of time.
“Remember what computers were like then, compared to now? With implants, with techniques, with technology — dentistry has come just as far,” he says.
He specializes in full mouth reconstruction and complete dental restorations, and has been doing them for 20 years. In many cases, Cordero is rebuilding an entire set of teeth, with very little to work with. But each patient is different; and in some cases, not nearly so much work is necessary for a great and affordable result.
Here are the before and after photos of Hal, a patient from Florida. Hal had just one implant, five Captek crowns and ancillary work to get his great smile.
Before:
And After:
The Apartotel Cristina in San Jose is offering, for a limited time, a substantial discount on suites for Prisma Dental patients. The Cristina is a lovely, modern and secure hotel near la Sabana, the “Central Park” of San Jose. It is a short cab ride from the Prisma Dental; but many patients stay there and choose to enjoy the walk to the clinic instead of being driven.
The discount prices are available only for those paying in cash, and include 13 percent sales tax, subject to availability. Some restrictions may apply. Please call or email the Apartotel Cristina for more information.
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Standard Suite, 1 person: $ 69.36 daily or $ 67.26 daily if staying for a week.
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Standard Suite 2 people: $ 76.72 daily or $ 73.56 daily if staying for a week.
To obtain the discounted rates, you must indicate that you are a Prisma patient when you reserve your suite. The discount is at least 7 percent off current rates. (Rates on the web site currently are out of date.)
The Cristina offers: A/C, high speed free wireless Internet, security card keys and an electronic safety box in every suite; also medical emergency service and a Costa Rican-style breakfast buffet.
More information and contact information at:
http://www.apartotelcristina.com
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Editor’s Note: I’ve stayed at the Cristina, as have my parents and a number of other people I know. It’s very comfortable, the management is friendly, the food is great and lots of Americans stay there. Also, the Internet access was good, and, as advertised, free. Without hesitation, I’d stay there again.
I’ve only met Mark once, at his partner Melanie’s birthday party in New Jersey a few years back. (Note I’m not saying how old Melanie was, or is.) But I feel like I’ve known him a lot longer, maybe because I’ve known Melanie since high school and danced with her long before she ever met Mark. More than a year ago, Mark wrote me because he was interested in having major dental work done. You can see, in the photo at right, that he had evolved a “no teeth” smile over the years. People who need dental work do that. I fully empathized and didn’t hesitate to recommend my dentists in Costa Rica. That’s where Mark ended up going, in April 2008.
He had extensive work done, including six zirconium crowns. I got an email from him yesterday:
Now, more than a year later I’m as happy as ever with the work done at Prisma. I can only consider what a profound difference working with Telma has been in my life!
Here are before and after photos of Mark’s teeth and dental work. He had the aforementioned zirconium crowns but also had six root canals, gum surgery — the works.
Mark’s overall impression of Prisma was terrific, I’m happy to say. I would have had to answer to Melanie if I’d steered him wrong.
Prisma, especially Telma (Dr. Telma Rubinstein) is great. The equipment is state-of-the-art, the practice is very close, the on-site laboratory allowed for last-minute adjustments plus pre-fabrication evaluation. I loved the people and facility.
The work came out fantastic. I was very worried that I would look obvious…I was worried they would be too big, too white, too “perfect”. The end result was that people have told me they wouldn’t know they weren’t mine if I didn’t tell them and they look great.
My guess is I paid 25-35% of what the same work would have cost in the U.S.
Here’s Mark with Telma in the Prisma offices:
Mark’s pleased. Melanie’s pleased. And so am I …
And here he is last winter, with the new smile.
– Jeff Schult
