Dental procedures in Central America generally cost 60% less than in the US. Why the drastic difference in price? Unfortunately, US costs are not based on quality of care but operating expenses. The patient is paying for high rent and utilities, expensive insurance, and the common practice of overstaffing. The overhead in Central America is much lower, thus allowing for lower prices.

Despite decades of clinical and scientific research, dental implants do not have a 100% success rate. However, the success rates have improved dramatically since the introduction of dental implant surgery and the dental profession can proudly report success rates well above 90% for most implant patients. Similarly, long-term success rates are in the high 90% range and are likewise improving. When a dental implant has not successfully integrated, it may need to be removed, as it cannot easily be "converted" to osseointegrate. Dr. Garita will give you best advice about this. A replacement implant can be placed but it may require some months of healing time and possibly bone augmentation (repair by means of grafting). Likewise, if a previously placed implant has lost significant amounts of supporting bone, there are currently no treatments that can predictably restore the lost bone after it has been in function in the mouth.

No! Health is our primary concern. Many people 70 and 80 years of age are a better candidate than someone years younger in poor health. Older people are more likely to need implants because they have lost more teeth and ridge. As long as you live, you owe it to yourself, family and friends to take the best care of yourself as you possibly can. Incidentally, no reports in dental literature indicate dental implants have ever been the cause of cancer.

Every implant is placed with the expectation it will endure for the patient's life. With today's implant technology a lifetime result is achievable.