Ecuador Will Make You Smile

February 18, 2005

Dear International Living Reader,

One of the big benefits gained from global travel is spotting contrasts, distortions, and trends. Our friend and tour operator in Ecuador, Santiago Guamani, and his wife Betsy just shared this note with my wife Merri and me, showing a huge distortion that may profit you:
"Dear Merri,

"This is a note about our personal experience in saving money for an eye check and consultation for new contact lenses and glasses.

"Betsy's father came from Idaho two weeks ago and on a free day in Quito he had an eye checkup and examination for a new pair of glasses that he needed.

"The consultation with an eye specialist doctor who uses the latest technology cost $6.

"He was able to choose from over 1,000 types of new frames in different colors and styles. The new glasses were ready in less than a week and cost $61. His old glasses had cost him $300 in the U.S.

"After he knew the price he got a second pair.

"Santiago."

Merri and I always have our eye exams when we are in Ecuador, and this is just one way to pay for the trip.

We also see a dentist there. Ecuador has excellent laser dentists who, by Western standards, are incredibly inexpensive.

This dentistry is not inferior to U.S. services in any way. For six years, we have been going to the same dentist…who is a laser dentist with the most modern and clean offices we have ever seen. He is a member of the American Dental Association and has more credentials that many of the dentists we would use in the U.S. He is an expert in the laser and has a ton of other modern equipment. He offers a superior service compared with some very expensive U.S. dentists I have used.

One other important aspect for Merri and me is that dentists in Ecuador still maintain a doctor/patient relationship. The U.S. legal system (regrettably) has thrown most professionals into a professional/legal relationship. The labyrinth of U.S. rules, regulations, and legal concerns force most U.S. professionals to follow procedures that cannot always take patient's desires into account. The regulations can come between the professional and the patient.

For example, Merri and I are sensitive to x-rays (since we were near Chernobyl when the Russians nuked us). We do not want x-rays nor can we tolerate x-rays, yet most U.S. dentists will not even look at teeth without them. We do not feel we need x-rays to get our teeth cleaned, yet many U.S. dentists feel they cannot touch our mouths without the darned photos. If they miss something, they fear liability. Who can blame them?

This is not the case with our dentist in Ecuador. We are informed adults, and if we want to risk missing something an x-ray might show, he doesn't push it.

Our last dental charges were a low $50 to remove fillings and fill with natural works! He works with a drill for a few minutes and then uses the laser to fill the tooth.

Most procedures, such as filling cavities, have a standard low price of $45 to $50. Our last cleaning was only $25.

Take laser teeth whitening as an example. This is a questionable technique from a dental health point of view, but those who choose to use it (depending on the dentist) can expect to pay $1,000 or more in the U.S.

In Ecuador the price on our last visit was just $20 a tooth, and many visitors to Ecuador have had this procedure. To do every tooth is just $365.

If you need substantial dental work and want to enjoy huge savings having this work done in Eucador, here is what you can do:

#1: Get a quote from your dentist on what the work will cost.
#2: Pass this to an Ecuadorian dentist.
#3: If your U.S. dental quote is $3,000, chances are you will save $2,000 or more, enough to pay the costs of flying to Ecuador. You gain the holiday and put money in your pocket. Plus you may receive less painful, faster dental work.

How well does this work? One delegate at our most recent International Business Made EZ course in Quito had a quote for $5,820 for dental work done in Atlanta. His cost in Ecuador was $1,820. This delegate and his wife were able to attend both our courses and enjoy a three-week holiday in Ecuador and still come out ahead, compared with what it would have cost them to have the work done in the States.

Gary Scott
For International Living

P.S. Our dentist is Dr Marco Jimenez Pena, tel. (593)22-430729. The total cost for my last seven visits (four for the crown and three for fillings and a cleaning), came to $345. What's more: his lasers made it all pain-free.