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Best Decision I've Ever Made

UPDATED FROM Lillypb
4 months post

Real self won't let me fix typos.

WORTH IT$32,000
Sorry I wrote that late at night thinking I could fix mistakes today but can't figure out how to edit my previous review. One thing important that is written wrong is that the doctor is head of plastic surgery at the local TRAUMA hospital. He's a highly accomplished doctor and leaving the mistake as it is written in my review does not give this man and his team at his West Palm Office, the respect they deserve. I also wish I had the full names of the ladies, Holly and Pam , who took care of me as they deserve to get proper recognition for being so professional and treating me so well. I will definitely be going back for more services in the future!

Lillypb's provider

Mike Golpa, DDS

Mike Golpa, DDS

Dentist

4.8 | 83 Reviews
PROFILE
Overall rating
Doctor's bedside manner
Answered my questions
After care follow-up
Time spent with me
Phone or email responsiveness
Staff professionalism & courtesy
Payment process
Wait times

Replies (3)

That last post was for a different doctor I reviewed - Aqua plastic surgery in west palm Bach, for juvederm lips - and I made mistake posting it to this doctor sorry for confusion
Are you a paid reviewer? Your pics look like real surgery and great results I wish I knew this could be my results for this amount
No! I am not paid for my review! I paid for my surgery this is completly honest review by paying customer! I am sharing my experience for one simple reason - I am disgusted by the insane fees other doctors are asking for the same procedure and think it's rediculous that people in out position have to spend months researching our options to find affordable dental care. More doctors need to look at what this doctor is doing and hopefully with time more doctors will open facilities like this in more locations. I think this doctor deserves national recognition for offering quality service at affordable prices.
As for hoping for similar results, I think if you check out this facilities website you'll see that my results are very much like hundreds of other patients who have had the same procedure. I was scared to but not doing anything wasn't an option any longer and traveling out of the U.S. scared the heck out of me. I very honestly have nothing to say about the experience now that it is over but I'm not going to lie, it was a very difficult decision to make at the time.
That was suppose to read : I have noting negative to say say now that it is over.
Lots of pain? Did you have to return many times?
Virtually no pain. I flew in Wednesday arrived around 11:30 PM , they had driver pick me up and take me to my hotel. 9 am next day driver picked me up to go to doctor. They did scans exam told me I was candidate explained the procedure to me and started measuring everything. The anesthesiologist came in then talked with me and put in Iv next thing I woke up from surgery having metal implants where bridge work is attached and removing bad teeth. I think it was around 3?4? Honestly that afternoon and night I don't remember much, driver took me to drug store to get pain meds and scripts filled. Then too my hotel. Went up to my room put ice on my face expecting swelling and fell asleep. The phone woke me next day around 11:00 am, I was out of it wanted to say call back later then realized , damn, I am here to see the doctor, got dressed quickly and went down to lobby driver was waiting for me took me straight over to see the doctor. They had me wait about ten minutes then straight into the chair where they finished by placing the bridge work. This actually was a fairly lengthy process , zero pain. But making sure it's secure and the bite is right was their concern. I think I was there another 2-3 hours but that was it. They suggested I stay until the next day to be sure I had no complications but I never went back. I had dinner that night , I actually ate a small filet, I missed steak! I'm not going to say that there isn't an adjustment you will go through. Your brain is so connected to your old bite pattern so eating is done slowly and thoughtfully , but you adjust fairly quickly, I'd say within a week your brain catches up with your mouth. My only issue is that the bridge is a little thick in the rear of your mouth,again this is a mental adjustment , but it did effect my speech patterns and I had to learn to adjust. Now I stayed an extra day and felt and liked pretty good but flying home I think the air pressure causes increased seeking because I did feel like the swelling increased by the time I landed and this is also when the bruising started. The next few days the bruising was crazy but again not really any pain. Maybe a dull headache but after suffering tooth pain everything I felt from the surgery was a walk in the park comparitevely! Honestly the pain I went through with having a bad tooth was unbearable , I remember that pain very clearly and thinking back in this procedure the most I could say is maybe a dull headache from swelling and small discomfort but so worth it!!!!
I am to go back in January to get upgraded to Zirconian as it looks even better and I believe more natural feeling as it's not as thick in the rear of the bridge. You will want to go back at least six months after the procedure to get an adjustment as your swelling will have gone down and the bridge can be placed better. From what I understand the longer you wait the better but six months they said is a good time to do this so that's my goal.
Cost? So was the first set temps, you're going back for the permanents? Please forgive me for asking but you reviewed for a procedure in Fla too so some might think you're a paid reviewer ? I don't see how pays reviews help but I've heard it happens. Thanks for answering
The bridge you get when you leave could last you and be permanent without issue to best of my knowledge and the cost was. 32,000.00 , 16,000
Hit post too soon-

Anyways , I paid 16,000 down and financed the other 16,000 through the doctors office and it is to be paid over 3 years , I think it's $420.00 a month. But you're having surgery and there is swelling so by the time you go in the second day to get your bridge alliance placed on the implant anchors , you already have swelling. You have to go back months later to have this readjusted , I was told the linger you wait the better and six months is suggested. But at that time I also want to upgrade to Zirconium bridge as his is a thinner material , that has almost an identical look and feel of reel teeth. This is going to cost I believe $6000. More. I will post more about this next step when I start booking it and going through the process. As for asking if I was paid, I have no problem that you asked as I would be skeptical too, and I prefer you ask do I can out it out there for everyone to know. I am doing this because I feel it's disgusting how much other doctors want to charge to do this procedure and thsy 65-75,000 is fairly normal. I had one doctor tell me he personally was creating my bridge and that a large part of the cost I was paying was for his experiance in creating the most natural looking teeth and Bridge work..... Sounded good at the time , only to find out he was total list and full of [RS bleep],,,, he was using the PRETTAU zirconium bridges that are produced in Woodstock New York, And he sends the molds and X-rays to them like every other doctor , AND DOESNT SIT IN THE BACK IN HIS DENTAL LAB CARVING A CUSTOM SET OF TEETH JUST FOR ME , LIKE AN ARTIST , SPENDING COUNTLESS HOURS AT NIGHT GETTING MY BRIDGE JUST PERFECT ,,,,,,,LIKE HE WANTED ME TO BELIEVE AND BASICLY SAID TO ME, this pissed me off even more than being told he was going to give me a discount and do my procedure for only 65,000. I WANT EVERYONE WHO NEEDS THIS PROCEDURE TO KNOW ABOUT GOLPA AND HIS RATES AND HOPEFULLY IN TIME OTHER DOCTORS WILL STOP OVER CHARGING FOR THIS PROCEDURE, maybe if more doctors around America loose business because thier potential patients are flying out of state to get this work done , maybe - just maybe - they will adjust thier prices to something more reasonable and fair! Good luck!!!!!'
The review I posted for Florida was posted for a totally different type of doctor and procedure and I made a mistake postings it to Dr. Golpa... The Florida procedure was Botox and juvedtem at a local plastic surgeons office but I couldn't find anyway to remove that post and put it in the right place - sorry for any confusion!
I don't think Dr Golpa needs to pay anyone for posting reviews. I actually go out of my way to promote his work. I truly enjoy sharing my experience with anyone who is interested. Most people only write reviews after a bad experience. Now 4 years after my procedure I'm still leaving positive feedback and am happy to do so.
"I'm not saying you're stupid to go to anyone else, I'm just saying you're probably not very bright if you choose someone else" jk.
Great to hear you're happy. I hope my reviews and comments save others from making a horrible mistake and use anyone else. Dr Golpa is by far the most experienced (1,000's done) and when you meet him, you can still see the passion he has for his work.
I completely agree with everything you have written! He is the best and deserves the recognition!
Real self has combined comments I have made regarding two different reviews, one for Dr. Golpa dental implants in Vegas, and one for Aqua Pastic Surgery in West Palm Beach, FL for JUVEDERM LIPS and Botox. I'm sorry for any confusion there might be by having comments intended for the West Palm Doctor showing up under the review for the Dental Implants.
ORIGINAL POST

I live in Florida and started my search for good...

I live in Florida and started my search for good dental care that was affordable close to home. After seeing three dentists and each one giving me their opinion in course of treatment it became clear what the one common thread was, open your check book and be prepared to empty your savings account and know that the next 911 Turbo that dentist bought ,you probably paid for over half of. I felt like all the local doctors had gotten together and agreed to join forces and over charge , all equally as high so that all their prices seemed comparable making the consumer believe it was customary and fair. I refused to accept this and so my search for affordable dental services began.

I spent a year online researching all options. I thought maybe if I looked at dentists located in major cities, there would be competition and this would result in lower prices. It was partially true but general dentistry offices didn't give me the level of comfort I wanted when it came to knowledge of implant work as this was what I wanted as it has the best long term results versus the options that have you returning on an ongoing basis as other work seems to have high failure rate.

Next I researched travel dentistry where you go to one of the many non regulated countries where doctors offer all the services you find in America at about 1/3 the price. Mind you I said UNREGULATED.Now while I'm sure there are some excellent doctors in many foreign countries the thought of traveling to a place where I needed my passport,at least a one week stay at a hotel, and all done in a place where I don't speak the language. This wasn't very appealing and when I added in ALL THE EXTRAS you pay for (everything is an extra with these doctors).Plus travel expenses and food while so the costs move closer to being 50% less. But then when I added in the "anything that can go wrong, will go wrong" factor. And the reality of what do I do if I have any complications while I am there and I am now in a foreign country far away from home and family, the fifty percent possible savings didn't seem like a good enough incentive for taking chances.But the fact that officially killed this option was the , "who fixes it when it breaks" reality. Look even the very best doctors in the world can do work that will need follow up fine tuning. So what do you do a month after your home and it's a month after your procedure and suddenly your bridge breaks. Your veneer chips, your implant feels loose. Tell me, do you jump on an international flight with your pass port and travel through time zones to the country of your dentist? Not exactly the best plan one can have for follow up care. Bottom line, travel dentistry to a Costa Rica, Mexico, Columbia , looks good on paper at first glance but when explored as a serious options , you quickly realize the savings doesn't outweigh the risk.

But while reading every blog and researching for months one name came up over and over. GOLPA.

What is Golpa, who is Golpa. Where is Golpa. Well it didn't take long to get my answers, I googled Golpa dental and it all popped up. Golpa Dental in Las Vegas. Yes travel dentistry but Vegas here in America. Basically a few hours flight from anywhere in the U.S. And every major airline flies there with plenty of flight options. All flights were cheap. The destination is designed perfect for being a place to go and get any medical needs addressed. More hotel rooms than any other city in America. And every form of entertainment you'd ever want making it very easy to convince a friend to come with you. Weathers great so is shopping, dining, and night life.

I called Golpa and immediately knew I had found the solution. His prices were in line with traveling out of the country 50% less than Florida dentists. He employees a full time staff at his own dental lab ,no third party middle man. You see the doctor on one day , the very next day the he has everything you need to complete your custom dental work.

Seems too good to be true, right? Well for once I am happy to say, it's not. And this isn't by mistake, the good doctor is smart , he knows what people are looking for: affordable, quality, dental care performed by experienced, licensed, caring professionals.

The staff handles every detail from the moment you call. They book AND PAY FOR YOUR HOTEL. They send a car service to pick you up from the airport and deliver you to you hotel. EVERYTHING WAS INCLUDED, no extras. Hotel was paid, car transfer , paid. And dental work was PERFECTION AND PAINLESS. They offer sleep dentistry so you are in twilight and it's over before you know. They even have in-house financing , 50% down balance paid over 3 years.EVERY PERSON AT GOLPA WAS OUTSTANDING! SO ANYONE LOOKING FOR ANY DENTAL WORK BEYOND A CLEANING SHOULD FLY TO GOLPA IN LAS VEGAS! Spend a few days and leave with a beautiful smile!

Replies (5)

Is this for real? I thought Golpa was in Mexico
This is completly real. I am not paid, I have nothing to gain except good karma to help others who find themselves in the same place I was - searching for quality, affordable dental restoration. As for Golpa being in Mexico, perhaps there is another doctor there with the same name , so to be clear , I am speaking of my experience with Dr. Mike Golpa, Las Vegas , NV. And owner of GOLPA DENTAL IMPLANTS. I'm happy to respond to any questions anyone has regarding my opinions of having this procedure and my travel surgery experiance. The best way I can sum it all up , if your willing to buy a plane ticket to Vegas and can spend 3 to 4 days out of town , there is no reason to over pay less experienced implant dentists who drag this procedure out for months on end with multiple visits just to line their pockets with your hard earned money! There is an affordable alternative with a medical team who care!
What type of prosthesis did you buy for 32000 Zirconia or Titanium reinforced PMMA?
Lovely!! That's right up there with a facelift!!
I believe I originally posted that the Procedure was 36,000 - THAT WAS A MISTAKE AND AFTER LOOKING AT WHAT I PAID I CHANGED THIS TO THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF 32,000. I paid 16,0000 the day of the procedure and the doctors office financed the balance over three years where I make monthly payments of 420.00. I apologize for any confusion!!!
Good for you. Now you'll have a great smile.
Sorry just seeing your last question , the 32,000. Is for titanium bar and PMMA. I'm going to go back to get Zirconia upper , they recommend only doing the upper in the Zirconia. The cost I believe is $6,000. I'm actually just this month starting the process of setting this up so I will post what the process is and my experiance as it happens. They recommended waiting several months before doing this , six months was the suggested time. So My goal was to start this after the new year started.
Can I ask you why you didn't get zirconia the first time? I am contemplating on having mine done and I'd like to get as much first hand information as possible.