Costa Rica has been a dental tourism hotspot for decades, attracting patients from both the United States and Europe for varying treatments. Dr Alberto Meza, from Meza Dental, joins The New Economy to discuss how his surgery is capitalising on the country’s popularity, his client make-up, and how he expects dental tourism to develop.

The New Economy: Alberto, cosmetic and dental tourism is a burgeoning industry in Costa Rica, in fact I think it’s 15 percent of tourists touching down in San José is for this very reason. So why is such a hotspot?

Alberto Meza: Costa Rica is a well known touristic spot and it has been for years and years. Nowadays there’s a growing medical and tourism industry. The reason is because we offer high quality services, very affordable prices. Costa Rica offers really high quality dental and medical services and we hold one of the highest literacy rates, which is about 96.3 percent. Also, the life expectancy is around 79 years of age, so this proves we have really high quality medical care, and we’re now exporting it this way. Besides people, they love the scenery in Costa Rica, they can combine the medical and dental along with tourism, and it’s a socially stable country, so it makes a perfect environment for having any dental or medical elective services.

The reason is because we offer high quality services, very affordable prices

The New Economy: Obviously it can be daunting travelling to a foreign country, especially one that has a different language, so how can patients be sure they’re travelling to a reputable practice?

Alberto Meza: We always ask our patients to check for credentials, testimonials, and reviews from previous patients. Also, it’s important to know how much attention does media pay on the practice, based on awards and recognitions. In our practice we have been striving to deliver the best care possible, so we hire only bilingual personnel. All of us speak English, and also we try to hire the best professionals in the industry. Besides that, our training and credentials comes from the most recognised institutions and associations around the world. If we cater the entire world, we must provide world class services.

The New Economy: Well who are the majority of your clients and what services do you offer?

Alberto Meza: High end cosmetic, restorative, and implant dentistry. Our clients are those who seek for high end products at affordable prices, reasonable prices. The majority of them come from the United States and Canada, due to the geographical proximity. But we always get people from all around the world. We get people form Australia, from Japan, and from Europe a lot. So this is why we are thinking about expanding our operation and moving probably some branches to Dubai or even Europe, in order to be closer to the markets. Also, our clientele, it’s people from the movies, from the fashion industry. We get a lot of CEOs, outstanding people. But, besides that, people who really look for affordable high end services, this is the majority of our clients.

The New Economy: Well what happens if something goes wrong, once a patient has flown home, because obviously the main attraction here is savings, but additional costs can accrue if people need to fly back for additional treatment?

Alberto Meza: At Meza Dental, we have developed different protocols and systems that ensure consistent results. Besides that, we have been accredited by the American Association of Military Healthcare, which proves it’s a safe operation. And not only that, we offer written guarantees on all of our work. We have a huge network of colleagues throughout the world, through the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, that we can refer patients to in case something needs to be fine tuned.

The New Economy: Well what sort of savings can people expect if they travel to Costa Rica for dental treatment, and in terms of patient care and facilities, how does this compare to other places?

Alberto Meza: Ever since we have focused to deliver world class services, we always get compliments about how modern and upscale our facility is. Regarding the savings, it always depends on who you compare it to, because if you compare our practice to the services you get in Manhattan, or you get in Los Angeles, or even in London, your savings are going to be great, 50-60 percent. We’ve selected to be a high-end provider, and that means we’re not the cheapest in the industry, but our quality stands for the price you pay, even though you still get a lot of savings. This is why it’s still attractive going to Costa Rica to get the smile of your dreams.

We get people form Australia, from Japan, and from Europe a lot. So this is why we are thinking about expanding

The New Economy: Well finally, how do you see dental tourism developing, and what’s the industry worth to Costa Rica?

Alberto Meza: Well the industry is growing at a very fast pace. This is why people choose to go elsewhere to get their elective dental or medical care, and the reason mostly is the rise in cost in this field. And Costa Rica has been growing extremely fast in this regard. We’re hoping to expand our operation due to that fact. We need to be closer to different markets so we’re thinking about expanding and going to some other countries as well. So it’s a high source of income to my country nowadays.

The New Economy: Alberto, thank you.

Alberto Meza: Thank you Jenny.