Costa Rica Endodontics

Some of the first dental tourists did not plan to visit the dentists during their stay in Costa Rica; instead, they ended up being treated by endodontists who were able to alleviate their conditions and save their teeth.

Even though dental tourism in Costa Rica has become known for dental implants, smile makeovers and cosmetic dentistry, endodontists were among the first dental specialists to take care of them.

North American tourists were likely introduced to the endodontics tradition of Costa Rica by happenstance. The longer a tourist prolongs his or her visit to a foreign country, the chances of suffering a condition such as a broken or impacted tooth increase accordingly.

It is generally accepted that North American surfers and backpackers in the late 1970s started the tradition of dental tourism after being treated by Costa Rica endodontists, perhaps on an urgent care basis.

Endodontics is a dental specialty that goes deep inside the tooth. This discipline is dedicated to the study and rehabilitation of the dental pulp, which comprises tissue, venules, arterioles, nerve, and everything that keeps teeth healthy from within and connected to the maxillary bone structure.

Dentists who specialize in endodontics provide therapeutic solutions for oral care. Unlike implantologists who specialize in replacing teeth that have been unequivocally lost, endodontists are interested in saving teeth at all costs.

There was a time when dental tourism in Costa Rica was geared towards saving natural teeth and avoiding dentures. To this effect, reviews Costa Rica endodontists were in high demand by dental tourists in search of root canal therapy. This was a time when the alternative to endodontic treatment would have been extraction and being fitted for artificial dentures.

Early dental tourists whose natural teeth were saved by endodontists in Costa Rica returned to their countries with enthusiastic stories about the high level of care and the affordability of treatments in this country. Due to the long history of diplomacy and bilateral cooperation between the United States and Costa Rica, many endodontists have been trained at American universities and are members in good standing of the American Dental Association. Needless to say, these dental specialists are fully bilingual and often return to the United States for research purposes or to continue their professional education.

Advances in research and dental technology have shifted the focus of dental tourism from endodontics to implantology and cosmetic dentistry; however, all patients who are treated at the Flikier Institute of Dental Rehabilitation are evaluated with endodontic care in mind. Even if a dental tourist simply wants to squeeze a quick cleaning and whitening before returning to the United States, his or her endodontic health will be assessed.

The resident endodontist at the Flikier Institute is Dr Monica Izrael, an oral surgeon who is a graduate from the Universidad Latina in Costa Rica.

Dr. Izrael performs more than root canals at the Flikier Institute; her opinion and expertise are necessary in every full mouth reconstruction procedure. When it comes to partial restorations, Dr. Izrael may be called in to evaluate a patient’s chances of full rehabilitation or to begin an endodontic treatment to help save existing teeth.

Since endodontics is a specialty that will always attempt to save the natural teeth of patients, the dental professionals at the Flikier Institute will always err on the side of the endodontist’s opinion. Extraction and replacement will always be the last options to pursue when it comes to a healthy dentition; if there is a chance of introducing endodontic treatment, it will be considered for the benefit of the dental tourist.