Thursday, April 25, 2013

The Total Cost of Our Trip

I know that ultimately this is the question that everyone has in mind...
 

"How much did the whole trip cost you?"

 

So it is now time for the breakdown of costs.  Remember that this is the cost for 2 people, and 14 days/13 nights in Costa Rica.  As you have read, I didn't have dental work done, I was there for support and a tan, i.e. vacation.  :-)

  • Dentist - $2,200 (Could have been a bit cheaper with the "cash" discount, but we chose to put on our credit card, which is always paid off every month, no sense in  paying those interest fees!) One thing you will find is that "cash" is king!  This price was for the 3 implants, tooth extraction, bone graft, temporary crown, x-rays, drugs and impressions and the $150 warranty.
  • Hotels - $1074 (For 13 nights, breakfast included, 8 nights in San Jose, 6 nights in Jaco, we did pay cash for the discount)
  • Food - $185 (Includes 4 meals at restaurants and sodas, eating lunch at Sabana Park for 2 days, food from grocery stores in San Jose and Jaco, and the farmers market in Jaco)
  • Airfare - $1,264 ($632. pp, Delta, straight flight from Atlanta to San Jose)
  • Costa Rica Tax - $58 ($26 pp) This is the tax you pay at the airport when you leave Costa Rica.
  • Taxis/Transportation - $136 (Taxi trips in San Jose and our RT Interbus transportation from San Jose to Jaco and back)

GRAND TOTAL = $4,917


$5,000 is around the bare minimum U.S. cost for 1 implant, and if you are lucky, with a crown!

One more thing to note: We do have to return because of the type of implant that Bakty had done, it is called a 2-stage implant or dual load implant.  This means he has to return and get the permanent crowns put on the posts.  While we are there he is going to replace a couple of his crowns, and I am going to have several of mine replaced as well.  Can you blame us?  At a cost of $300 per crown, can't beat that!  I figure that this will be our approximate cost for the upcoming trip.

  • Airfare - $1,200 ($600 pp. I have already checked pricing and it is a little cheaper in the fall)
  • Hotel - $657 (9 nights/10 days, if that is how long we stay, and if that is just us going.  We have already spoken with several friends interested in making the trip with us when we go back.  This will significantly reduce our hotel costs if we can split it.  Remember we are staying in an "Apartotel" Apartment/Hotel.)
  • Food - $150
  • Costa Rica Tax - $58
  • Dentist - $3,850  (I anticipate 5 crowns for Bakty and 6 for me @ $300 per crown, plus x-rays and impressions for both of us, and of course my warranty fee for 3 years.)
 These are just our hard costs and doesn't include extra curricular activities or transportation. It all is depending on how long we are actually there, plus while in San Jose, we walk pretty much everywhere.

Total for upcoming trip = $5,915.

 That is less than the cost of 5 crowns for us here in the U.S.!

 

So, now let me ask you-

 

 Have you finally been removed from your brainwashed, hypnotic state that has you believing that you can only have your dental work done here in the U.S.?  Have I given you enough information to help you make a solid decision to take the next step and make your plans for Costa Rica?  I hope so, after all you have better things to do with your hard earned dollars, enjoying life should be one of them!  I hope I have helped you and that this will be the best experience for medical care you have ever had!

 

I will still be continuing on with my blog and talking a bit about our trip to the beach and our experience after returning home, which by the way, is all good.  I will pick back up when we head back to Costa Rica in the fall and let you know how our return visit turns out.  Who knows, maybe we will meet you there!  

 

Pura Vida!  



 

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

The Final Implant

Wednesday February 27

  The morning was less rushed for us as we didn't have to be to the dentist office until 2:00pm.  We took our time at breakfast and spent about 2 hours eating and chatting with our fellow dental patients.  We met more people this morning, and even someone who grew up in the town next to where I am from, and someone else who had been driving a little too fast thru my hometown and received a ticket!  A very small world it is!  We also met a wonderful single woman adopting a 10 year old boy.   Very admirable for her to be doing it as she is single and will be raising him by herself, although I can see from her blog she has plenty of friends and her parents to help.  

  After breakfast we went for a walk thru the Italian restaurant, El Oliva, which is connected to the hotel, it wasn't open for business yet, but we took the shortcut through, it looked very neat and clean and had a special charm about it. I understand from people who have dined there that it is very good Italian food.  Next, on in to the casino to exchange currency,  no gambling though.  The machines were way different than what Bakty was used to seeing in the U.S., so he thought it best not to waste any money on them. Like it really matters what machines are played, they still get your money!  The casino was the best place for us to exchange our currency.  Then on to the Palma Real hotel to check out the workout room.  It is on the top floor of the hotel and has a mountain view from the outside patio and you can see all the way to the end of the road and Sabana Park. So when doing your workout you have an enjoyable view, and afterwards you can step out onto the open roof and relax.  The workout room consists of treadmills, an elliptical, a bike and some free weights. 
Work out room at the Palma Real


On the rooftop at the Palma Real




  We left the Palma Real and continued our walk back down the street toward the Cristina Hotel.  We decided to venture a little further past to see what was at the end of the street.  Nothing there except more gated industrial business complexes and a street vendor peddling his wonderful avocados and sapotas!  We bought 3 avocados and 2 sapotas.  He asked us if we wanted them for "hoy", (today) or "mañana", (tomorrow)? Great service at least we didn't have to guess as to the ripeness. "Uno (1) for hoy and dos (2) for mañana", we told him.  The sapotas were delicious as well as the avocado, very sweet.  We couldn't wait to get back and have some for a  mid-morning snack.  He had given us some samples before we bought any, so we knew it would be good, and it was, and all for under $5! 

  We still had a couple of hours before we needed to head on over to the dentist office, so I went out by the pool to get some sun and Bakty caught up on his emails and work in the room.  At about 1:00 we headed on out to have lunch at the local soda up the street.  It is called Soda Keren, and it was very good and inexpensive. They have a daily food bar or you can order from their menu.  We took from the bar, chicken and rice with black beans and salad and a fruity drink that was included in the price ($5). The serving size was plenty for both of us to share. We had time to eat in and chose a small table toward the back of the restaurant.   


  After finishing our meal we took our time walking to the dentist office.  Upon arriving we did the usual, sign in and sit and wait for someone to call Bakty's name and of course visit with those we had previously met and meet some new people who had just arrived.  Within about 10 minutes they called for Bakty and he was off to the surgery room.  This time it was about 45 minutes before he was done.  This was the most painful day of his visits.  He had the bad tooth removed, a bone graft done and the implant put in all at the same time.  He had taken his pain medicine before hand and was glad that he did!  They sent him away with a frozen blue surgical glove, very ingenious!  We were able to keep it with us frozen & thawed to use during the rest of the time he needed it while we were in Costa Rica. 

  Before leaving the office, we settled up our total bill for the work that had been done; 3 implants, 1 bone graft, 1 tooth extraction and temporary crowns for 2 teeth, and our "insurance policy"-$2,200!  That in and of itself is less than the cost of 1 implant here in the U.S.!  They didn't put any temporary crowns on the 2 upper implants, just on the bottom one and the tooth behind it. Diana told us that Bakty would need to come back in 8 days to have the stitches removed from where the bone graft was placed. That was perfect!  Since we had planned on being there for 14 days anyway, it allowed us to head to the beach for a week, then come back and have the stitches removed and then head home.  We asked if there were any other fees that would be due and she said no, this was all we would pay until we came back for the permanent crowns.  We would need to return to Costa Rica anytime after 4 months to have the permanent crowns put on.  Before we left home we knew that we would have to make 2 trips, so not a problem for us.  We scheduled our return visit with Diana, to have the stitches removed, for the following Thursday afternoon.

  Now, about the "insurance policy", for $150, if you have a problem with your dental work, i.e. a failure of your implant, within 3 years, Dr. Cavallini's office will pay for your return airfare (up to $750) and lodging for up to a week (up to $75/night). Of course this is for the patient only.  When filling out your initial paperwork don't miss this important piece of paper, it has a heading of "Extended Travel and Lodging Warranty for Our Patients".  This is a great deal, considering that prior to this the patient was responsible for their own return expenses, even though the guarantee replacement/repair policy has always been free, you had to get back to Costa Rica at your own expense.  Now, consider the U.S. alternative-If it fails, you pay again.  I'll take Costa Rica any day!

  After saying our goodbyes to fellow patients in the waiting room, we headed back to the hotel as Bakty just wanted to rest.  He said he felt a lot more soreness from the bone graft; there was a lot of poking and packing to the procedure.  It wasn't that it was extremely painful, it was just discomfort. There wasn't very much swelling, just sore and throbbing.  Chicken soup is definitely on the menu for today.  He was told to stay away from smaller foods that would get into the gum of the newly placed bone graft, so no seeds, rice etc. So on we walked back to the hotel, Bakty with his blue hand against his face. 

  We hung out in the room for a while, ate soup and fruit and discussed what we were going to do for the next week while we waited for his mouth to heal.  We decided that we would head to the beach. 
Now I just had to find a cheap hotel at the last minute. 

Next Post:The Total Cost of Our Trip

Thursday, April 4, 2013

The First Implants Are In!

Tuesday February 26

 My confirmation of not returning to the restaurant that we ate at last night- I woke with a splitting headache and swelled fingers!  MSG-ugh, it would take me,1 Advil,  most of the day and a few gallons of water to rid myself of the horrible side effects of dinner the night before.  For those who don't know me, I don't take drugs for my headaches, but this was the exception, I didn't want to be miserable all day since Bakty was having his first dental appointment for his implants to be done.  He was going to need me in top form to help him in whatever way he needed. 

  When we were up and moving we went out to the pool area to have breakfast. Breakfast is served from 6:30 am to 10 am.  It is a nice combination of options to choose from.  Coffee, milk, tea, juice, yogurt drinks, a fruit or 2 of the day, eggs however you want them cooked, meats & cheese, breads, jellies, fried plantains and of course beans & rice.  The menu varies somewhat from day to day, but it is all good! We got our food and sat down at one of the tables near the pool.


  The weather was pleasant, mid 70's.   There were quite a few people at breakfast and a few of them we had seen the day before at Dr. Cavallini's office.  We struck up a conversation with a mother and daughter who were there to get the daughter's teeth completely redone.  They had an appointment that morning around 11:00, as did we, and they asked if we wanted to walk with them to the office.  We accepted and agreed to meet them in the lobby around 10:30. We enjoyed the rest of our breakfast, meeting a few more people before we left to go prepare for the trip to the dentist.

  Not knowing how long we would be there this time, we took the laptop and more snacks with us.  We met our new friends in the lobby and proceeded on our way.  They were very helpful with information about the area; the museum and the park and the consistent warning of "don't go out after dark for safety reasons".  They gave us options for the route we could take, and told us about the different places they had eaten and shopped at.  All a great source of information for us newbies!  We were very appreciative of their company and knowledge.  They also expressed their gratitude and satisfaction with Dr. Cavallini and his staff, another happy client!  It took us about 20 minutes to get to the office walking at a slow steady pace.  Here is our route, which is the safest & most direct route to take.

  Upon arriving we signed the sheet and proceeded to get settled in for what we figured might be a long wait again.  Our friends asked if we had seen the hotel that is directly linked to the office, which we hadn't, so they took us on a tour.  The hotel is very nice and extremely convenient!  If you don't mind not having the pool, you might want to choose to stay there, if rooms are available. We finished our tour and sat back down in the waiting room.  Surprisingly enough, it was only about 10 minutes and they called for Bakty to go to one of the procedure rooms.  I followed him back and waited until Dr. Cavallini came in.  Dr. Cavallini then asked me to leave, but before I went, he had to tell us a blonde joke, about a blonde in a first class seat on a plane headed to New York.  Just in case you haven't heard it, I won't spoil it by retelling, but it was funny!  Maybe he moonlights as a comedian?

  So, I went back to the waiting room while Bakty was getting his first implants done. Thirty Five minutes later Bakty is walking back to the waiting room to tell me he is done.  Done?  He'd been there for just a few minutes!   Yep, done for the day.  He said Dr. Cavallini did the upper 2 implants instead of removing the bad tooth first.  His reasoning was, better to help the wounded first instead of the dead.  He does have a point. I think he knew that the other implant was going to be a bit more painful, so he delayed it another day.  So we stopped by Diana's desk and scheduled another appointment for Wednesday to have the last implant done.  We would need to be back at 2pm the next day.  Well that suited us just fine, and gave us opportunity to go shopping, and exploring.

  We walked back to the hotel, making a stop at the Mas X Menos grocery store.  Bakty was still a bit numb and we knew he would need soft food for the next couple of days.  Chicken soup was the menu of choice for him, so we ventured in for our first shopping experience since arriving.  The grocery store is laid out pretty much like the ones we have at home.  We hit the produce isle first, purchasing bananas, papayas, avocado, a coconut, organic carrots, onion, garlic, spinach and parsley, as well as other spices for the soup. We then moved on to the meat department and picked up a large package of chicken thighs.  Plain yogurt, rice, pasta, saltines and some  sweet rolls and a tasty treat from the deli. Total spent:$30 and I had enough food to last us for several days.  We spent quite a bit of time roaming up and down isles to see what they had.  Lot's of interesting things to be checked out at a later time. 

   Our kitchen was stocked with 4 of each of the essentials; cups, plates bowls, glasses and silverware.  We also had plenty of pots and pans and utensils to complete the task of making chicken soup. I proceeded to get the chicken  cooking for our supper.   We ate a quick lunch of fresh fruit, rolls and some of our snacks, Oh, and the cream filled pastry.  After that we went to the pool for some sun and then on to the lobby to meet more new folks.  We then returned and Skyped home to our family.


  The numbness was wearing off from the anesthesia injection.  Bakty didn't feel much pain, just a bit of throbbing.  He took some Advil and that seemed to ease the throbbing for the rest of the evening.  Bakty noted that unlike getting numb at the dentist office at home and having it last for hours, this seemed to wear off within about 2 hours.  Not a bad thing, very helpful when trying to eat soup.  These carrots were delicious!  Very sweet and very large.  One good thing to come from the restaurant was our to-go containers they served us well in keeping all of our leftovers without having to buy any type of plastic wrap or foil. 

  We ate our dinner and went back out to explore up and down our street,since it was only about 5pm and still daylight.  Just a few hundred feet from our hotel is another hotel, Palma Real, which houses the exercise room.  It seems they don't have a pool so they allow guests from Cristina to go there in exchange their guests use the pool at the Cristina. We would check it out on Wednesday morning before going to the dentist.  Around the corner from there is the casino, great place to exchange your dollars for colones.  We got the best price there.  We walked down the street all the way to the park and then decided we wanted to just relax, so we went back to the pool and struck up conversations with others relaxing for the evening.  It was great!  We met more interesting people and heard their stories; people from Alaska, Florida, Pennsylvania, all in Costa Rica for dental work.  Again, very positive experiences from all. 

Next Post: The Final Implant