Costa Rica Dental Tourism – About five to eight years ago if you had lost a tooth your dentist would have recommended that you have a three-tooth bridge as a replacement to your missing tooth. This process would require that 2 undamaged teeth be sacrificed since the dentist would need to re-contour two adjoining healthy and natural teeth by grinding them down to the nubs for them to secure the three-tooth bridge in place.
The good news is because of advancement of technology and continuous research of our dedicated dental professionals we can now replace a missing tooth with a dental procedure called single-tooth implant. Because of this vast improvement in the field of dentistry, more people are enticed to visit their dentist to get an implant; this claim is supported by data released by the American Academy of Implant Dentistry where in the stated number of Americans who received dental implants since 2010 is around 3 million and is steadily growing.
For those who are not familiar with the procedure, dental implant is very much like having a crown wherein the root of the damaged tooth is capped. However, unlike a traditional crown which is used for damaged tooth with healthy 
natural root, dental implant procedure is used for tooth that is damaged to the core whose root can no longer be saved. With dental implant, a titanium or titanium alloy post that would act as an artificial root is inserted along the jaw to anchor the crown.
Dental implant procedure comprises three stages and requires that a team of dental specialties work together to ensure that the insertion of the implant and its result becomes successful. It is the oral surgeon’s responsibility to screw in the titanium post to the jaw. Once the post has been inserted the patient needs to wait until the tissue melds with the titanium post to create a reliable, strong and secure anchor for the crown. After the initial post insertion and healing period, the second stage is dedicated to placing abutment on top of the implant done by either a dentist or oral surgeon. The final stage is for a prosthodontist to create a permanent crown which the dentist would attach to the abutment.
Just like other procedures, be it medical or dental, there is a risk involved when getting dental implants. There is a possibility of a patient getting an infection at the site of the implant, run into some kind of complication like suffering nerve damage or damage to the adjacent teeth and surrounding blood vessels. There is also a chance of the tissues not melding properly with the titanium post which requires removal of the post, cleanup, and replacement of a new titanium post and extended months of healing. According to the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons or AAOMS though, the overall success rate of dental implant is around 95 per cent and about 50 solid years of clinical research and experimentation to back the number up.
When it comes to time needed to complete the dental implant procedure, it often takes two to three times longer compared to getting a bridge if the tooth extraction, healing and bone grafting are factored in. Cost and insurance are also major drawbacks because an estimate of a single implant done in the US is about $4000 and the patient has to pay this fee out of his or her pocket since insurance do not usually cover this procedure and if it does, it would only cover a very small percentage.
On the other hand, if you are willing to get out your comfort zone and travel abroad, you can get dental implants at 30 up to 70 per cent less of its original cost. Countries that are well known for providing quality dental care and services at economic rates are Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica to name a few. You can always check online for more information regarding dental tourism.
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There is a lot of information to digest when it comes to preparing for your dental vacation to Costa Rica. Entry requirements to Costa Rica, how to find a dentist or dental clinic, what to expect for your specific procedure ( dental implants, porcelain veneers, crowns and bridges, full mouth restorations and much more) and so much more.
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