When choosing a clinic for dental implants in Costa Rica, many patients focus only on price. Most clinics offer similar pricing for implants, with a range of only $100-$200 in difference per implant. If patients are only focused on price, you will miss out on providers that promise better processes, reduced pain and higher quality results.
Quality isn’t simply about paying more for materials. Partnering with a reputable dental lab is also critical. Dental clinics with onsite dental labs ensure an improved patient experience. They can offer faster results, improved communication and quality control.
Dental Technology Differences
There are significant differences in dental technology that separate leading clinics from the rest of the followers. For example, not all dentists use “surgical guides” to aid in making highly precise placement of dental implants.
A surgical guide is a device that is produced from digital images of a patient’s teeth and bone structure. The device fits over the implant area and controls the precise location. It also controls angle and depth of drilling for insertion of dental implants. This is the recommended approach. It both minimizes the amount of surgery required and speeds healing.
Using a surgical guide avoids many of the complications that can happen when dentists are just guesstimating where the implants should go and eyeballing the angle of the drill.
From a Patient’s Perspective
A recent patient commented on his dental implant experience in Costa Rica with surgical guides. The first dental implant surgery was conducted without the use of a surgical guide. The second dental implant surgery utilized a dental guide.
“When I received my first dental implants several months back, it seems to me that it did not go as planned. I came home bruised and felt like I had been beaten up. But the following visit, they used a guide and it was almost painless.”
While pricing is important, patients are encouraged to think ahead and consider the importance of their dental experience. Also keep in mind the results of your dental care. It won’t matter that you saved $500 or even $1000 if you received less than quality care or endured unnecessary pain.
While there are many excellent dental providers in Costa Rica, it pays to choose the most respected and recommended providers…even if the pricing is a bit higher. Like your father probably said: “Good work ain’t cheap and cheap work ain’t good. The same is true for dental care.