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Update of September 6th 2014
As certain as I am that the sun will rise... that is how certain I am. I know that he (Mario Bonilla) knew he had fractured my tooth and tried to cover up the fact. This led to the massive infection that currently continues to threaten my life. I have had a total of 14 and then 26 outpatient visits to the medical center for intravenous antibiotic treatments trying to kill the infection in my jawbone and throughout my sinus cavity. Had he owned up to and dealt with the problem before he placed the permanent bridge on we would have avoided the infection altogether. I told his 20 year old endodontist the day she did 2 root canals on me that the #4 tooth should be removed. She looked surprised and said "oh no of course not" and I knew the pain meant the root had been fractured. I believed at the time that they were the experts and let them do their work. I am sorry that you don't have freedom of speech in your country. I was optimistic and full of hope for a good outcome. I only report the events of what my experience and what the path led me to. I have no intention of ever returning to Costa Rica for care. I enjoy the freedoms of the country I was born to. I am 62 years old and on a fixed income. Financial pressures and corporate insurance wrangling that force the prices in this country to be outrageous for people without dental coverage. I went because I could find no financial way here to get the dental work done within my financial means. This is what is going to cost me my life. I've led a long and happy life as a fisherman and boat captain. I am sure that this situation has led me to the end of my road. I am very week from this and I spent this past wednesday September 3rd at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville Florida. I had my first visit with an ENT doctor. He ordered a series of tests but these will not begin until October 8th and 16th respectively... I wonder If i'll last till then as each day I grow weaker. I slept almost 20 hours yesterday into today and it took 3 hours just to be able to make it to my desk. It takes me hours after waking before my thoughts become clear... and write these words down. I have to rest now... good luck to you all. I am sure there are good and bad people in dentistry just as there are in all walks of life. Make the right choices study long before you leap. Above all don't get old! Ralph V Pastore
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Reply
By: Ralph Pastore, This is how I started right...
By: Ralph Pastore,
This is how I started right here on medical tourism. I did a search back in November of 2013 to find a dentist in Costa Rica ....after a car accident cost me my (4) upper front teeth. I wanted to find a way to fix my teeth within my budget as I am retired disabled 62 year old male. They set me up with "New Smile Dental Group" in San Jose Costa Rica"
After being talked into a completely different dental plan than was agreed to in numerous e-mails. I paid over $120.00 to mail a disk of a cat-scan of my upper jaw in advance and was given a firm estimate which involved just replacing the four teeth that were missing. Upon arrival the dentist convinced me the best way to go would to do a full upper restoration. I was not aware that this procedure would involve grinding down my six good remaining painless good teeth to use as posts. My #4 tooth was fractured during the grinding down process and #(6) six tooth was filled short by a 20 year old inexperienced woman that called herself and endodontist. Both teeth became very painful where there was no pain before. Since my return from my dental vacation I've had the #4 tooth extracted through the gum and an apico on #6. I'm still in great pain and the infection that began at the site of the #4 tooth has spread into the sinus and inner ear. I've just completed 14 days of intravenous antibiotics at the medical center here in Florida. If the infection is not cleared up soon my infectious disease doctor is recommending removal of the full roundhouse bridge and all the upper teeth or the infection could kill me.
I know they won't post this because the only posts you see are "happy ending posts" probably written by the dentists themselves. You get what you pay for...
This is how I started right here on medical tourism. I did a search back in November of 2013 to find a dentist in Costa Rica ....after a car accident cost me my (4) upper front teeth. I wanted to find a way to fix my teeth within my budget as I am retired disabled 62 year old male. They set me up with "New Smile Dental Group" in San Jose Costa Rica"
After being talked into a completely different dental plan than was agreed to in numerous e-mails. I paid over $120.00 to mail a disk of a cat-scan of my upper jaw in advance and was given a firm estimate which involved just replacing the four teeth that were missing. Upon arrival the dentist convinced me the best way to go would to do a full upper restoration. I was not aware that this procedure would involve grinding down my six good remaining painless good teeth to use as posts. My #4 tooth was fractured during the grinding down process and #(6) six tooth was filled short by a 20 year old inexperienced woman that called herself and endodontist. Both teeth became very painful where there was no pain before. Since my return from my dental vacation I've had the #4 tooth extracted through the gum and an apico on #6. I'm still in great pain and the infection that began at the site of the #4 tooth has spread into the sinus and inner ear. I've just completed 14 days of intravenous antibiotics at the medical center here in Florida. If the infection is not cleared up soon my infectious disease doctor is recommending removal of the full roundhouse bridge and all the upper teeth or the infection could kill me.
I know they won't post this because the only posts you see are "happy ending posts" probably written by the dentists themselves. You get what you pay for...
Provider Review
Dr. Mario Bonillo