First Time Dental Tourist Saves $30,000… and she’s shouting about it!

Cindi Lindquist smiles for the first time in five months

Cindi Lindquist, a 49 year old hairdresser from Anchorage, Alaska, required an extensive mouth restoration.

She left the U.S. for the first time on April 4^th, and traveled to Costa Rica to find an affordable and yet quality solution – and she’s willing to talk to others who might benefit from her own experience.

Listen to live interview of Cindi Lindquist

The type of work that she had done in Costa Rica by The Esthetic Dental Center (also known as the Smile 90210 Denta Clinic) was explained by the owner Mike Lomax. 

“She had 23 lithium disilicate crowns placed,” said Lomax, “Cindi had a condition called Acid Reflux, and the acid in her stomach ate away her teeth to where we had to do 13 root canals on her.  “Lithium disilicate, Lomax explained “is very translucent and looks very life-like.  They will last her for the rest of her life.”

“My teeth look like pearls”, said Lindquist, “When I saw my new teeth I cried, I was so happy.  I’m a hairdresser.  I work with the public and for the last five months I never smiled, I stood behind my customers, and I never talked to them face to face because I was embarrassed.  It was so hard for me!”

Lindquist returned home to Alaska from Costa Rica to go back to a life where she can smile and be out from under the financial stress of a $50,000 dental expense.

What it did cost her was $11,500, and after all travel expenses, including airfare and accommodations for nine days, her total out of pocket was $13,120.

“My U.S. dentist told me I was going to need everything capped, that I’d need root canals, and that it was going to run me between $40,000 and $50,000,” she said, “or that I could have all of my teeth pulled and dentures put in for a little over $12,000.”

Why get dentures when you can get crowns in Costa Rica for the same price?

“I seriously thought about it, because that was what was affordable,” said Lindquist, “that was my thinking.  But there are a lot of things you can’t eat when you have dentures, and I didn’t want to be 49 and have dentures and start losing jaw bone and everything.”

“My husband did a ton of research on the internet for my teeth,” said Lindquist, “We narrowed it down to three dentists in Costa Rica and I called each one of them.  But when I called Mike, he spent a lot of time with me on the phone and reassured me about everything.”

“I was coming alone down to Costa Rica,” she explained, “and I was very nervous.  I had never been out of the States and I’m coming to a foreign country that I know nothing about and I don’t speak Spanish,” said Lindquist.

“Mike told me, ‘Cindi, do not worry.  We have a concierge.  His name is Jeff and he’ll pick you up at the airport, take you to where you will stay, and pick you up every day for your dental appointments.  We will take care of you.’”

“And he did!  Absolutely everyone was great,” she said, “Mike took care of everything, even the accommodations.”  I love Costa Rica and I would highly recommend the The Esthetic Dental Center to anyone.”

We encourage you to learn how to reduce your healthcare costs with medical tourism.  If you’re wondering if you would be a candidate, take this survey.  It will help you gauge your own willingness to travel for care.

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Read related article for more information on Mike Lomax and The Esthetic Dental Center.