Dra. Telma Rubinstein and her husband Dr. Josef Cordero are my dentists in Costa Rica. They are truly excellent dentists who do everything there that is done in the states, but the cost is less than half of what it would cost in the states.

"Click here" for an easy-to-fill-out inquiry form that will go directly to the dental office with the easy push of your send button. Someone will respond to you within a few days of receiving your inquiry form.

In my opinion, the work they do is excellent. They have their own huge lab on the premises and everything gets done quickly as well as beautifully.

For people having extensive work done...they even offer an anesthesiologist to come in and put you in a twilight sleep for an extra (approx.) $600 (and for chickens like me...it's worth every penny!!)

They've got nitrous oxide and everything under the sun that modern dental technology has to offerThey have been my dentists for ten years now and when my husband and daughter go to Costa Rica, they always make an appointment to have something done with Telma and Josef.

I recommend them highly to all Dr. Lev's plastic surgery patients. Many patients make an appointment to go in the day or two before their surgery for all their dental prep work. Then, a couple of days before they leave for home, they go back in to get everything "installed" in their mouth....and they go home with a new face, tummy or boobs plus a brand new gorgeous smile to complete the picture!

Another thing that sets Telma and Josef apart from the dentists in the states (aside from the much lower prices) is that they will keep you in the chair for hours until the work is done. They'll keep you there as long as you can stand it! Their philosophy is to get it over with and get you on your merry way with your new beautiful smile as soon as possible.

Frankly, there are some patients who do not really like that philosophy. They prefer to spread their visits out a little bit, so they don't have to spend the entire day in a dentist's chair. It is a long and difficult day, for sure and this sort of approach is not necessarily for everyone.

If you don't think you can stay for so many hours in a row, you need to tell Doctora Telma up front. Just tell her you don't want to stay longer than two or three hours max, if you think that is all you can withstand. Telma, although I love her dearly, can be very persuasive with patients...urging them to "get it over with". Just remember, it's ultimately YOUR decision to make....and Telma will, of course, respect your decision.

On the same note...you may go in to the office with an idea of what you want to have done and by the time Telma finishes examining you, she will recommend that you do more work to "perfect" your smile. Telma is a complete and utter perfectionist and wants everyone to have the "perfect" smile. Well, that's all well and good, and if anyone can give you a perfect smile, it's Drs. Telma Rubinstein and Josef Cordero.

But, doing that extra work can end up doubling your bill in the end. True, no matter what work you have done, trust that it would cost double or triple that amount in the states. But you may not be as obsessive as Telma is about your mouth. So, again, please bear in mind that you are the ultimate boss. You are the one who ultimately decides how much work is to be done in your mouth and how long you sit in the chair per appointment.

Telma and her hubby Josef Cordero are absolutely fabulous, well-trained, up-to-the-minute dental specialists who work their butts off to make sure every single patient leaves their office with a beautiful, healthy, happy smile.

I have many stories that I could tell you about all the happy people that have gone to Telma and Josef over the last ten years that I've been bringing people to Costa Rica, but I've decided to choose just a couple that talk about patients who were actually UN-happy immediately following their dental work. I find these stories more interesting than people just gushing about their dental experience with Telma and Josef…yada, yada, yada. Boring!

At first, I thought it was really weird for people to feel this way, but then Telma and Josef explained to me that many people go through some sort of "separation anxiety" from their old smiles. That actually reminded me about a couple of patients we’ve had over the years who, after their facelifts, said they missed their old face, double chin and all!! Go figure!!

Anyway...here are a couple of interesting dental stories, followed by a couple of photos. I lovingly refer to these stories as "Be careful what you wish for stories”.

July, 2004

My husband and I were in Costa Rica on vacation, visiting all our friends there, including, of course, Telma and Josef. One evening we stopped at the dental office to pick them up to go to dinner and we went inside just as they were finishing a huge job on a woman from the states.

She had had her entire upper mouth rebuilt with all new porcelain crowns (eight new teeth in all). She was still numb and swollen when she limped out of the cubicle. She looked like she'd been through the wringer, for sure. She had to lift up her lips with her hands to show us her new teeth. We were quite impressed, to say the least. They looked so natural (that's Telma and Josef's "calling card"...they use the best materials available on the planet and their work looks oh, so natural....always.)

We all stood there and ooohed and ahhhed for awhile and then Telma went over to the computer and called up the patient's before photo. We were stunned to see what her teeth had looked like before. We just stood there in amazement at the incredible change. It was like night and day.

The poor woman was still punchy from all the novacaine and all the hours in the chair and probably didn't even realize what she was about to do next.

She looked at her before photo on the computer screen and cried out loud, "OMIGOD, I miss my old teeth! Where am I going to put my fingernail when I'm nervous! I don't have spaces anymore!"

My husband and I just sorta stood there trying to look like we understood what she was saying. We smiled and said something like, "Well, anything new takes some getting used to, you know. Don't worry...you'll find somewhere else to put your fingernail."

Telma and Josef didn't look surprised at all. They hear this all the time from patients who have a major change to their smile. It's traumatic, even though it's an improvement, and it definitely takes getting used to.

Another Quick Story

Actually, I recently had almost the same thing happen with a plastic surgery patient of mine who, in addition to a facelift with Dr. Lev, had Telma and Josef rebuild her upper teeth. The thing is...the upper teeth were unusually long and covered her bottom teeth, which were crooked. So, by rebuilding her upper teeth and making them the perfect length, her lower, crooked teeth were then exposed and even though her new upper teeth were absolutely gorgeous, she was upset because now you could see her crooked bottom teeth and she felt that her upper teeth were now too short. It took her a long time to get used to her new look, which, by the way, was gorgeous (except for the lower teeth, which she eventually went back to Telma and Josef to rebuild to match her new uppers.)

Be Prepared For What You Wish For

So, the bottom line here is....even more than "be careful what you wish for," BE PREPARED FOR WHAT YOU WISH FOR....because if you are making a drastic change in your look, you are going to have to get used to it, even though that new look may be a tremendous improvement.

The following photos are of the woman (who missed her old spaces) taken by my husband about three minutes after she emerged from the dentists' chair. The "before" photo was taken with the same camera off of the computer screen. I'm thrilled to be able to share this story and photos with you. For a picture is worth a thousand words (and with me...you get the pictures AND the thousand words!!)

Below the photos you will find information for many of Dra. Telma Rubinstein and Dr. Josef Cordero's procedures along with some explanations and prices.

Before:	After:

Info and Pricing on Dental Procedures

The cost of Porcelain Veneers in U.S. dollars is $ 300 each.

Porcelain Veneers are a cosmetic procedure made to reshape a chipped or broken tooth, for tooth discoloration, to extend the length of a tooth, to make teeth whiter, to reshape the line of your teeth or to give a beautiful new smile.

Veneers cover the visible portion of the tooth or teeth and are usually performed on the upper and lower front 6 teeth.

Four different crowns are offered at Prisma Dental.

The cost of crowns range from $ 250 to $ 650 depending on the material that you choose for the crowns.

The first type is a basic crown consisting of a metal frame and porcelain.

This crown is....................................................... $ 250 each

The second crown is a pure porcelain crown. Pure porcelain crowns cover the front and the back part of the tooth. They are very strong and their color never changes, even with smoking or drinking red wine or coffee.

The cost of pure porcelain crowns in U.S. Dollars is $ 350 each.

The third crown offered by Prisma Dental is a high noble metal crown consisting of 65% gold frame.

This crown is.........................................................$ 450 each

The fourth crown is a Captek Crown. Captek Crowns are made from an 85% gold frame and pure porcelain.

Captek Crowns are..........................................$ 650.00 each

Mercury-Free Dentistry

Prisma Dental has been working in mercury-free dentistry for over 16 years.

The protocol that they follow for removing mercury fillings provides for the safety and protection of both the patient as well as the dentists and technicians working on the patients.

Details of the procedure for removing mercury fillings:

1. The patient has an oxygen mask covering their nose during the procedure.

2. A special machine is used that removes the mercury gases in the room where the treatment takes place.

3. Rubber dam - this a shield that isolates the area of the mouth where the dentist is working.

4. Two very high speed suctions are used simultaneously to remove all the particles of mercury.

Mercury fillings can be replaced with Resin Fillings, Porcelain Inlays or sometimes a Crown is necessary when the tooth is very destroyed.

Resin fillings (or resin bonding) procedures range from $ 75 to $150 each depending on the surface area of the filling:

1 surface $ 75.00
2 surfaces $ 100.00
3 surfaces $ 125.00
4 surfaces $ 150.00

Porcelain Inlays are..........................$250.00 each

Prior to starting the dental procedures, Telma or Josef will perform a consultation to discuss your dental plan with you.

The cost of the consultation is $ 35.00

Some of the following procedures may be performed in conjunction with the consultation:

Panoramic X-Ray...................$ 45.00 each
Study Molds..........................$ 45.00
Single X-Rays........................$ 15.00 each

If you have any of this dental information from your current dentist, please bring it with you to your first appointment.

Implants

Regarding implants, in addition to the cost of the surgery and titanium implants (approx. $800 per tooth,) the dentists need a panoramic x-ray which costs $25. Sometimes when they do implants they need bone graft and membrane and that could cost up to an additional $500.

After six months of the implants settling, they can build the crowns or the restoration that the patient needs. This is another separate step in the process. The cost of each crown that goes on top of the implant is $650. They are made of precious metal under porcelain. So, adding it all up, you're looking at a minimum of $1800 per tooth from beginning to end (a six month process).

If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to

call the Prisma office at any time between 8:30am and 6pm mountain time, Monday through Friday. The toll free number from the United States is 1-866-741-8194. Or you can fill out this quick form and press the send button and it will instantly be sent to the Prisma Dental offices. Someone will get back to you within a couple of days.

Snoring and Sleep Apnea Relief

Therasnore™   Snoring and Sleep Apnea Relief Prisma Dental is pleased to offer patients Distar Therasnore oral appliances to treat snoring and sleep apnea. Click for more information.