by Lori Lundin

When I told people we were going to El Salvador their response was almost always “Why in the world would you go there?” People have the impression it’s unsafe and the last place in Central America you’d want to visit. Then, tell them you’re going for dental work and they are really baffled. Being a journalist, I’m not someone who would randomly hop on a plane and let someone pull my husband’s teeth out. I did my homework. Planet Hospital facilitated everything and thankfully got us in contact with Dr. Lorenzana. Knowing he was trained in the U.S., speaks perfect English and is an American Board Certified Prosthodontist helped us feel confident about the quality care. The Americans we’d spoken to ahead of our own decision raved about the experience and they were right.

In all my husband had three teeth pulled, seven implants, a bone graft and a sinus lift. He also has a mouth full of beautiful temporaries. The procedure took about 4 hours. He didn’t feel a thing and never had any pain. The entire process far exceeded our expectations. Dr. Lorenzana loves what he does and he loves his country. He has a real desire to let the world know what a great place it is to visit and that the quality of care really is first class.

Hard not to fall in love with the people here. They are so kind and eager to accommodate. It makes them sad and frustrated that the country still has a reputation for being unsafe, despite the war being over for more than a decade. Ricky (Our Planet Hospital Country Host) picked us up at the hotel and took us to Dr. Lorenzana’s office for our final visit before heading home. The doctor took all the stitches out of Doug’s mouth and gave him the final instructions for keeping his new teeth clean. He’ll need to floss and rinse with Listerine, keep his mouth healthy while the implants integrate to his bones. We’ll then come back in about five months for Doug’s permanent crowns.

It’s bittersweet to leave. In the short time we were there we made friends for life, some now are like family. I’m sold on medical tourism as a way to save a whole lot of money and get a vacation in the process. Our original estimate here in the states: 60 thousand dollars. The cost in El Salvador 19 thousand. Add a few thousand for travel expenses and we’re still saving over 30 thousand dollars. Doug’s temporary teeth look like a million bucks. We can’t wait to go back in July.

For more information: www.planethospital.com

Lori Lundin is a News Anchor/Reporter with Fox News Radio

by Lori Lundin

Doug had his temporary teeth adhered to his mouth.  The appointment took about an hour, again with no pain.  Already, he has a million dollar smile and these are just the temporaries.  He came back to the hotel, had a nice dinner and went for a massage.  The hour long massage cost thirty five dollars. 

The next day, our Planet Hospital guide/concierge/country manager Ricardo took us to do a little sight seeing.  First stop, about 45 minutes from San Salvador…Lake Coatepeque, a crater from an erupted volcano….now one of El Salvador’s most beautiful places.   As we arrive, a glorious panoramic view from the top. Houses are sprinkled along the hillsides as we drive down to the lake, the road turns to dirt and we see a mixture of beautiful homes and small primitive village huts.

We arrive for lunch on the lake at a little open air restaurant with palm thatched roofs…serving fish fresh from the lake.  The portions are huge and they are very accommodating to Doug who is still required to eat soft food. One thing I can say about El Salvador…the people here are incredibly kind.  After lunch, we head to Joya de Ceren, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the only place in the Mayan World where you can see the ruins of Mayan homes. This is also called the Pompeii of America because it was covered by ash from the Volcano Loma Caldera approximately 1400 years ago.  This was fascinating to see and we are glad to have Ricky with us to interpret as the tour guide explains. Next time, we hope to go to more historic ruins, the pyramids of San Andres.

The next day…we are taken into the mountains of Western El Salvador.  We visit small towns in Western El Salvador where we see Salvadorians walking along the road with baskets on their heads…apparently carrying just picked coffee. We are in the region where coffee plantations are everywhere.  We also see many volcanoes along the way.  Coffee is one of the few exports coming out of this country.

Driving along the famous flower route, we have lunch in one of several interesting colonial towns..and drive back through colorful towns known for their artisan products.  There are many crafts made here including woven products, paintings and furniture from coffee wood.

The next day, we decide to head to the beach for one night.  Ricardo picks us up and we head to Costa Del Sol, which is supposed to be one of the nicer beaches here.  Most have black sand, and apparently El Salvador is known for it’s world class surfing.   On the way we stop for lunch at a Papusaria.  The papusa is the trademark food here.  It’s like a puffy tortilla made to order and filled with beans, cheese or meat.  They’re delicious.

The beach is hot and humid, but the pacific breeze allows us to enjoy our pina coladas with a good book and a hammock.  Tomorrow, we’ll head back to San Salvador for one last visit to Dr. Lorenzana.  He’ll remove Doug’s stitches ( he has a mouthful) and we’ll head to the airport.

Lori Lundin is a News Anchor/Reporter with Fox News Radio

by Lori Lundin 

We came her for dental work, and it’s been more like a vacation.  So far, the dental care my husband has received has exceeded our expectations.  I would even say it’s been superior to what we’ve had in the states.  The level of hospitality, concern for his well being, and the short time it’s taken to get the work done has been nothing short of amazing. In the states, Doug was told it would take 2 years to complete his treatment plan, here he’ll have had a total of five visits and a whole lot of fun in the process.  This has been an eye opening experience.  Doug had major work done. Bone grafts, extractions and titanium implants (like a screw that goes into the bone…and slowly adheres to it so you can attach a crown). Doug has had absolutely no pain.

The day after the big surgery, Doctor Lorenzana called to see if Doug was feeling okay, and up for a day at his beach house.  Doug has been taking his antibiotics and anti-inflammatory and feeling just fine.  We couldn’t pass up the offer.  The doctor picked us up and off we went.  It was spectacular.  Driving through small villages, you see very few tourists in this country, so it’s easy to get a flavor for the culture.  There are many more modern amenities than you’d imagine.  You can find just about anything you would in the states.

Driving down a dirt road with women selling fruit and barefooted children playing…we arrive at a beautiful home right on the beach.  An open air patio with incredible ocean breezes.  We’re given a room to use for changing or resting.  A lovely young Salvadorian couple live and work on the property.  They make us lunch as we listen to the Pacific waves crashing and relax in hammocks. What a way to heal from dental work. I can’t imagine doing this with my dentist in the states.  We’re being treated like family and getting great care.  Doesn’t get much better than this.  Tomorrow, Doug will get his temporary crowns and then end the day with a massage at the hotel. 

Lori Lundin is a News Anchor/Reporter with Fox News Radio

by Lori Lundin  

The major portion of treatment will be done today with Doug under twilight anesthesia.  He’ll have seven titanium dental implants, three extractions and two bone grafts.  This much work in one day is quite invasive, which is why he will need to be sedated.

It is sunny and 85 degrees, the birds are chirping outside our hotel window and Doug says he is ready.  Our host, Ricky, picks us up and drives us to the dental office nearby. Another day of big welcomes from the staff. 

The dentist has two assistants, both Salvadorian female dentists and an anesthesiologist.  They all look like they are ready for a major surgery, dressed in sterile clothing.

Doug sits down in the chair and the anesthesiologist begins the intravenous sedation process.  He explains every step to Doug: that he will sedate him and inject antibiotics through the IV. Doug quickly goes under and I’m asked to leave the room.

Waiting

Ricky and I go to the local grocery store to buy soft foods for Doug to eat.  We buy chocolate pudding, yogurt, applesauce and best of all… baby food!  He won’t be able to eat anything solid for a while.  Ricky drops me off at the hotel and tells me he will pick me up when the procedure is finished. 

I go back at the Sheraton, sit by the pool and read a book while I wait for the surgery to finish.

About three hours later, Ricky calls to say Doug’s surgery is finished. 

We arrive back at the dentist where they are slowly bringing Doug out of anesthesia.  Every 10 minutes a nurse comes in and raises his chair up a little more until he is ready to stand.  When he does, he’s groggy, but alert.  They help Doug out to the car and Ricky takes us to the local pharmacy to pick up prescriptions the doctor has ordered.  He will have to take an antibiotic and a painkiller. 

Special Treatment

We bring him back to the hotel with instructions for Doug to take it easy the rest of the day.  He is immediately hungry (he didn’t eat breakfast).

His first treat - ice cream. 

This was a tough day, but Doug seems to be doing incredibly well.  He says he feels no pain.  Dr. Lorenzana says tomorrow will be a rest day, but if Doug is up for it; he would like to take us to spend the day at his beach house.  That’s certainly not the usual prescription we get from a dentist in the United States, but it is enticing nonetheless.

The doctor says he will call us in the morning to check in.

Doug spends the evening in our hotel room. For dinner, room service sends up a beautiful plate of mashed potatoes, refried beans and applesauce.

Lori Lundin is a News Anchor/Reporter with Fox News Radio

by Lori Lundin 

Once we decided to go to El Salvador to have Doug’s teeth fixed, the people at Planet Hospital made all the arrangements.  They gave us hotel options, made airline reservations and set everything up with the doctor.  We would be provided with a “country host,” which is like a personal concierge or tour guide.

We flew out of JFK in New York City at 8 a.m. and arrived via a direct flight just after noon in San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador.

We were greeted by our host Ricardo, who took us for a typical Salvadorian lunch and then for a brief meet-and-greet with the dentist. 

The office was modern, clean and cheerful.  The office staff was warm and welcoming.  While we sat in a comfortable lounge, we were offered beverages and had a lovely conversation with the doctor. 

He did a brief exam of Doug’s mouth and made a few slight changes to the treatment plan.

He went over everything in detail with Doug:  Doug would come in the next day for prep work and cleaning; he would have the major work done the following day.

Ricardo, also known as “Ricky,” then took us to check into our hotel.

An enormous bouquet of flowers greeted us when we walked into our room.

Dr. Lorenzana sent them with a note welcoming us to El Salvador.

The room overlooked a pool with a waterfall; the air smelled of tropical plants and the temperature was in the 80s.  We heard it was snowing in New York.

Lori Lundin is a News Anchor/Reporter with Fox News Radio

by Lori Lundin 

My husband Doug grew up in a very low income family in Washington State and didn’t get much dental care.  His teeth were also becoming very worn down as a result from grinding. 

He finally decided he had to do something, so he went for a consultation with a dentist in New York.

The diagnoses:  financially painful.

Doug would need a full mouth reconstruction, which would take about two years to complete and cost approximately $60,000.

However, if he didn’t have his teeth fixed, they would continue to deteriorate and he would continue to have problems.  

But we didn’t have $60,000 to make it happen.  I’d heard about medical tourism and started doing some online research.  From there I found a book called “Patients Beyond Borders.”  It was an eye-opening experience.  More and more people are traveling to places such as India, Thailand, Costa Rica and El Salvador to get health care. 

There are companies that specialize in facilitating all sorts of medical treatments overseas.  Not only are they getting great quality care and saving thousands of dollars, but they are making a vacation out of it.

And it’s not just small stuff.  Folks are going for heart surgery, plastic surgery, laparoscopic surgery, dental work, laser eye surgery…you name it.  The book showed price comparisons and recommended the top medical tourism companies.  After calling a few, I chose a company called Planet Hospital. 

The founder, Rudy Rupak began the journey toward medical tourism after his wife became sick in Thailand.  He was amazed at the quality of care, the compassionate treatment and how little it cost. After the initial phone call, we sent Doug’s treatment plan and x-rays from the American dentist.

Rudy put us in touch with one dentist in Costa Rica and one in El Salvador.   We immediately felt comfortable with Dr. Rafael Lorenzana, who was located in El Salvador. 

We were given an estimate for $18,000. Even with airfare and hotel, we would be saving about $40,000. But knowing so little about the country, we also felt cautious.  We called several people in the states who had gone to Dr. Lorenzana for similar procedures and they were thrilled.  Not only did they rave about the care and the quality of work, but they loved the country.

We decided to go for it.  Not only would Doug finally get his teeth fixed, but we would get a tropical vacation in the process.

Lori Lundin is a News Anchor/Reporter with Fox News Radio