If I could give Dr Obando, Maria, Keren, my anesthesiologist Dr Ruiz, and the entire staff at Nova a Six-star rating I would do so. I had many missing and broken teeth and poor periodontal health, so I needed full upper and lower reconstruction including extractions of all my remaining teeth. The process and cost (at least 60% lower than I had been quoted by US dentists) were explained to me in a series of emails over a couple of weeks before my arrival. I had an initial set of X-rays and a detailed consultation with Dr. Obando on Wednesday. He was patient and clear, showed me all of the diagnostic imaging, and didn't recommend anything that was not the best clinical choice while being mindful of my budget. After that, the office arranged for me to get a pre-op and pre-anesthesia clearance from a nearby physician at the CIMA Hospital, and also arranged for an anesthesiologist for my procedure (this is optional, but given the amount of work being done I felt it was worth the extra charge of about $600. I'm very glad I did it.) They brought me in promptly at 10:30 Thursday morning, conducted an internal full mouth 3-D CT scan, and then got to work. Six implants on top and four on the bottom. They sent me home with my daughter 3 hours later, fully equipped with all medications, the med schedule, and recovery instructions.
I only used the pain meds for one day as the implant sites were not painful, just irritated after the local wore off, iced my face pretty much around the clock, which was fine, and cycled between Tylenol and ibuprofen for inflammation.
Being toothless from Friday to Monday was not as bad as I thought it would be. Smoothies and refried beans got old fast, although the ice cream did not.
So Monday I show up for the installation of my immediate load provisional arches and Keren (a wonderful office manager) says "Bruce, your appointment is tomorrow, not today!" That was my mistake -- I was loopy after the sedation and my kid wasn't paying close attention. Dr. Obando happened to come out to reception, learned of the problem, and checked with the dental lab -- my arches were ready and could be delivered in an hour, so he made room on his schedule to set me up. The installation went great -- not painful, pretty quick, and I almost got teary when they showed me the results. Kind of a miracle.
In April 2024 I returned to Costa Rica for the permanent Zirconium arches that will outlive me. My permanent all-on-6 and all-on-4 are locked down and loaded. I am amazed that this procedure, which I had been avoiding for years, has been one of the most positive experiences of my life. Dr Obando's work is so incredibly skilful -- the fabrication and fitting of my permanent Zirconium arches was a breeze. I should add that a few weeks after getting my temporaries I broke the bottom arch. This happens and I bear some responsibility for being a little too aggressive chewing with the acrylics. Dr. Obando ordered a new bottom from the lab, had it shipped to Rhode Island, and consulted on the telephone with my local dentist while it was being installed in my mouth. And Nova Dental did not charge me for the replacement -- wow. I feel so lucky to have met Dr. Obando and his staff.
