I was planning on going to Clear Choice Dental Implant Center to get my dental implants, but I have some concerns. First, they want to do the all on four procedure and I was hoping for implant overdentures. Then, I read some reviews that said they don’t really have any follow up with their patients. This worries me as well. I was thinking it might be better for me to go to Costa Rica to get these implants done. I hear they do a lot of dental work for people from other countries and there is a whole dental tourism industry there. Do you think I’d be better off with Clear Choice or Costa Rica?

Kevin

Dear Kevin,

Do you have an option C by any chance? Here is the thing. Dental tourism is very popular in some circles. When it goes okay, it goes okay. When it doesn’t, it goes very badly. If you think there is no follow-up with Clear Choice Implant Centers, what type of follow-up do you think there will be from a dentist in another country?

Dental implants are an advanced procedure. It takes significant post-doctoral training. In the United States, we have high standards and strict laws with regard to the materials dentists are allowed to use along with the standard of care dentists have to provide. In some of these popular dental tourism destinations there are not even laws about sanitation. It is up to the dentist what type of standards he adheres to. I’m not sure that is work the risk. If you get an infection in your jaw it can be very serious.

As for Clear Choice, while the all-on-four procedure is useful for those who do not have enough jawbone left or who are not a candidate for bone grafting, if you can have implant overdentures, it is better. If one dental implant of the all-on-4 procedure fails then the whole unit has to be replaced.

My suggestion to you is invest in a good dentist instead of a chain clinic or going out of the country. Your best bet is to find someone who is a fellow with the International Congress of Oral Implantologists. These are the most qualified implant dentists in the country.

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