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.
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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.) $1200 (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 offer. They 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 many 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”.