Posted by writeradmin
I am trying to decide between Clear Choice Dental Implants or going to Costa Rica for my tooth replacements. Clear Choice can give me dental implants without bone grafting using an all-on-4 procedure. The one thing that makes me nervous about that is I heard that they don’t follow up with their patients and as I understand it all-on-4 is riskier. If I go to Costa Rica, I can get bone grafting and implant overdentures for less than what I’d pay at Clear Choice. But, it is another country so that worries me too. It’s like I have to choose between the lesser of two evils.
Laurie
Dear Laurie,
I am sorry you feel like you don’t have good choices. Let me help with a slightly different perspective. Believe it or not, Clear Choice Dental Implants Centers often have very high fees charging you what it would cost WITH bone grafting, but without providing the procedure which increases their profits. They are a corporate dental clinic, not a private practice, so they rarely get to know their patients. They are about getting as many in and out as possible, a little like a conveyor belt. I will say, in almost all cases, the dentists themselves who work for them are good and do a great job, but have not been able to start their own practice yet. It’s their corporate policies I disagree with.
You are correct to be concerned about the lack of follow-up care. And, yes, all-on-4, while useful for some is riskier. If one implant fails, then the entire unit will have to be replaced.
Now, about Costa Rica. If you want to talk about lack of follow-up care, exactly how often do you think you are going to return to Costa Rica for follow-up. Plus, you need to understand that the standards of care are completely different once you leave the United States. If you went there for say a dental crown or bridge, if something went wrong, you could replace it. With dental implants, the risk is so much greater. You could end up a dental cripple, even losing part of your jaw. There is so much that can go wrong. It is a very advanced procedure.
My advice is to get a second opinion by a skilled implant dentist in the United States who has a private practice. They are invested in their patients, not just the number of procedures they do. Quite a few of them, especially those who consider themselves affordable dentists, would be willing to work with you financially. Generally, you would not pay for your implant overdentures in one lump sum. You would pay for the implant placement, then you have time to save up during the time allotted for healing and osseointegration before you would have to pay for the dentures that are attached to them. There are even ways to break the payments up even further.
This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentist Dr. John Theriot.