Self-esteem, proper nutrition, communication, and overall health: these are just four of the holistic factors that make dental treatments an essential part of life.

In Western culture, dental appearance is strongly linked to self-esteem; in fact, taking children to see the orthodontist is both a rite of passage and a parental anxiety in the Americas as well as in Europe. Elderly patients who have lost some of their teeth, or who have resigned themselves to a life of dentures, often resort to eating processed foods that are soft and easier to chew than fresh fruits and vegetables that are more nutritional. Being too self-conscious about not being able to smile can hinder interpersonal communications. Severe gum disease can worsen preexisting medical conditions such as diabetes.

Taking into consideration the above-cited dental health issues, it is not surprising to learn that tens of thousands of patients from around the world choose to travel to destinations such as Costa Rica for dental treatments. In the 21^st century, psychology and dentistry have become more intertwined than ever. Self-esteem is the most influential aspect of mental health, and this fact of modern life is widely recognized by professionals in the dental health industry.

To get a feeling of just how important dental health is to patients who come to Costa Rica as medical tourists, take a moment to read the following testimonials given after treatment at the Flikier Institute near San Jose:

I wanted to let you know how very pleased I am with the work you and Dr. Grunhaus have done. My lower teeth are beautiful, and my implant area continues to remain trouble-free. Incidentally, the color is, in fact,

perfect,after I got out of there, I went to the mall up the street from your office, bought a mirror, and stared at my teeth for the longest time. – W.M.

Here’s another nice testimonial:

I have seen just about everyone I know by this time [after treatment] and the comments have been very positive. Some people have said they do not see a difference, but I do not think I was smiling back then. However, to me this shows how natural my teeth look. Believe me when I say I still look in the mirror every day and think WOW what beautiful teeth…. what a nice smile. Even in the car, I will look in the rear-view mirror just to see my great-looking teeth. I am still amazed. The trips to see you to have my teeth corrected were most likely the best thing that i ever did for myself. – K.L.

It is certainly uplifting to read testimonials such as the two above; they clearly illustrate the dental-mental connection. To dental medicine professionals, reading such testimonials is also very uplifting since they serve to remind them that their work can truly transform the lives of their patients. That is the connection between psychology and dentistry in Costa Rica, a country that is known to produce many smiles.