November of 2009, my dentist delivered some bad news to me about my teeth, i.e. that I needed quite a bit of work done. Long story short, I spent the next year looking for a solution. Waiting that long was not the smartest thing for me to have done, but it was a lot of money and I wanted to find a solution I could live with.

Some close friends heard me mention that I was needing dental work and how much money I was going to have to spend.

They told me of a friend of theirs who went to Costa Rica for dental work to save money and asked if I would like to speak with him. I said, sure.

I had never thought of going to another dentist, let alone in another country. At first thought, I was apprehensive about going to Costa Rica for dental work. It was not even a thought until I spoke with my friend’s friend who had actually went and was glad he did.

We talked and that started me on a long online search for facts. I looked at websites and enrolled on forums about dental vacations in Costa Rica, and long story short, I ended up selecting my dentist.

Here is a picture of he and I that we took while there. I had narrowed my search to two dentists.

This is the dentist I finally chose. He is a specialist in dental implants and graduated from the University of Miami in Florida, but he had something I didn’t find anyone else had.

This dentist had a “dental coordinator” who handled all the questions, trip arrangments, etc.

His name is Charlie Dennard (in the middle with me and Martha at the B&B) and he was a huge help in easing my mind about my concerns, answering my questions, etc. He is from the USA and now lived in San Jose, Costa Rica and so he knew the information I wanted to know about the area, travel there, the dentist, etc. He was of immense help and is what made my decision a slam dunk.

He had been a patient himself, so he knew the concerns, procedure of the dental work, the local customs, the ins and outs – everything I wanted to know.

Also, he put us in touch with a B&B in Escazu which is just west of San Jose, Costa Rica in a nice part of the city. And Ginette, the owner of the B&B we selected, has been more than anyone could ask for.

Ginette’s travel tips for getting around in Costa Rica were priceless, not to mention the wonderful fruit filled breakfasts each morning. Whatever we wanted to eat, she prepared for us and the breakfasts for both of us were included with the room.

And the setting was gorgeous with all the tropical plants, flowers and birds that surrounded us at the B&B.

Between Ginette and Charlie, it was like having our own personal travel guides at our beck and call anytime we needed it.

While there, between dental appointments, we were able to visit the pacific coast. Ginette booked us into a nice place just outside the Manuel Antonio National Park. We walked from our room to the park and saw sloths, monkeys, colorful birds, red crabs in the jungle and went to the beach inside the park. It was exactly like that deserted beach you picture seeing in your mind. It was great!

The next day, we booked a sailing and snorkling tour through our hotel staff.

After returning to the dentist in San Jose for another appointment and a short stay back at our ‘home-away-from-home’ at the B&B, we travelled up north in Costa Rica to the Arenal Volcano area. The resort we stayed at was like a fairy tale place, only it was real. The view from our room was of the Arenal Volcano.

On the grounds were so many places to visit and things to do that it is hard to name them all, like horseback riding, zip lines, hot pools fed by the hot water from the Arenal Volcano, a 2 kilometer hike to the observatory, butterfly farm, crocidile pools, frog sanctuary, spa, shopping, restaurant, gazebo out in the middle of a lake and other things I may be forgetting to mention.

One picture we took shows the beauty of the place so well because the photo looks like it is fake and done in a studio. It was taken at one of their many pools and is a great example of just how “shangrila” this place really is.

The room was reasonably priced and included a breakfast buffet that was delicious including fresh fruits and locally grown coffee and everything you could want. Most meals were ‘tico’ style which means they included rice and beans. All in all, great food!

I wish I were a better writer so I could maybe do justice to the help that Charlie and Ginett were to us. They made this a trip that not only saved me over $8,100 including airfare and the lodging, but we also had a dream vacation to a beautiful country as well.

I can’t repay them enough with words for all they did for us but hopefully this testimonial will help them and others connect so they too can have the great time and save money like we did.

They certainly made our Costa Rica dental vacation much more enjoyable. The security of knowing there were there for us allowed us to enjoy the trip to the pacific coast and to the Arenal Volcano more than might otherwise have been had we had to go it all on our own as to where to stay, how to get there, etc.

Of course, dental work is never fun, but even that has been excellent and as pleasant as could be expected. The professionalism of the staff at the dental clinic was above my expectations.

All the best to you and yours,

Kurt & Martha Gross

Remember: Our service includes your own personal, in-country guides – Kurt in the USA and Charlie in Costa Rica. They are available to you, 24/7 for your added convenience and security. No one else offers this personal concierge service and there is no additional cost for this. This is a personal service that only our dentists offer.

Dental Care in Costa Rica