Costa Rica Dental Tourism – Dental health is not given that much thought by the US government. It can be seen when Medicaid was established with the promise that it will give easier access to long neglected dental care to the growing number of Americans who have been ignored because of their geographic location, economic status and multitude other reasons but was not given adequate funding betraying its promise.
In 2010 Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, was signed by President Obama to be made into law; everybody thought that it will finally bring about a change to the rotting healthcare system of the United States and focus more on dental care, but again the unwary public was disappointed because although the said law mandated coverage on dental care, it is only for children.
Now the question is, how about the adults; the people who are more prone to dental diseases, cavities and requires more dental attention? Clearly, adult Americans need to pay for their dental needs out of their own pocket. The problem is dental care, although not as costly as medical care, can put a dent to a patient’s savings. Furthermore, let us be honest and accept the fact that the economy is not what it used to be and that people are already struggling to make ends meet so paying for something out of their pocket is almost out of the question unless utterly necessary.
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For sure the nagging question in your head right now is “Why is going to the dentist so expensive?” Here are the reasons why:
- Dental care is not a mass produced product that is bought and sold. Dentistry is a profession that is art and science at the same time and every bit of dentistry done inside your mouth is custom procedure done in a cramped and bacteria-laden environment to a precision expected to last for a very long time even when used in a daily basis and the training required to provide a full scope of dental care consists of lifetime of continuous education to stay up to date.
- Education or Schooling. Before becoming a licensed professional who is given the responsibility of providing dental care, a dentist must first study and get a college degree that involves astronomical costs. Usually after graduating and putting up their own dental offices, dentists are still paying student loans from dental schools which they need to pay for in a span of short time.
- Overhead cost is above the roof. About 60 to 80 per cent of what patients pay goes to the expense of running a modernistic and state-of-the-art dental practice. Dental professionals pay for mortgages or rents, payroll for people working under them to make your dental experience as smooth as possible, health insurance, top of the line dental machines or equipments, taxes, health and business insurance, supplies and taxes.
- Laboratory fees differ in terms of the quality of the products they fabricate and what materials are used. Since dentists prefer going to the best lab for the crowns, dentures and other dental prosthetics they need to place in a patient’s mouth to avoid a redo, the cost of the produced product is expected to be higher since it is of top quality. As expected, the amount is passed on to the patient.
- Malpractice insurance. Like other profession that deals with health service, dentists are mandated to have costly insurance to protect them from accidental mistakes, careless and preventable error or liability for professional malpractice.
- The complicated dental insurance of the patient. You may not be aware of it but dental insurance reps are difficult to reach plus it takes a really long time before a dentist can get his or her reimbursement from the insurance company and in the end only get about 10 up to 20 per cent of the total cost the patient needs to pay.
You now have an idea why dental care is expensive, but it is understandable that you would still grumble about the costs involved in dental procedures you need to undergo. Remember though that you have other viable options to get the dental care you need at a more affordable cost like going to Costa Rica.
Check the comparison table below to see the costs involved for getting main dental procedures done in the US versus that in Costa Rica.
|
Dental Procedure |
Cost in the US |
Cost in Costa Rica |
|
Implant |
$3000-$6000 (single tooth) |
$1000-$1500 |
|
Crown |
$700-$1500 (single crown) |
$300-$450 |
|
Bridges |
$2500 (3 unit) |
$1300 |
|
Veneers |
$900-$2600 (per tooth) |
$400 |
|
Full Mouth Restoration |
$47000-$60000 |
$12000-$23000 |
Click Here to Get Your FREE Costa Rica Dental E-BOOK.
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.
The Medical Tourism & Travel Guide Offers a Free E-Book to answer all your questions.
