Yesterday, I went to a dentist in Limon to get a crown put on an implant I had done in the United States. The original crown had come off after only six months and I lost it. This all happened in late December around the time that mom fell and broke her hip so it took me some time to get it fixed. I originally had planned to go to San Jose as most everyone here does, but after asking around I heard of a young female dentist who spoke excellent English and who is in Limon. Since Limon is an hour away as opposed to four hours, I decided to give her a try. I went to her on June 6th after I returned from Wyoming and got the crown fitted and returned on Tuesday to get it put on. She did a wonderful job – it actually fits much better than the original one – and it was much less expensive. 
The office was very small compared to the ones I have been in in the U.S. but definitely outfitted with the newest technology. There were only two rooms –the reception area and the work area.
While I would have paid $250 if I had gone to San Jose, the $400 I paid was not bad considering I did not have travel and have hotel expenses in San Jose. All in all, it was a good experience. I do have to have a bridge put in also but will go to San Jose for that. The price I can get in San Jose is $400 while the Limon dentist quoted me $1000 so it is worth it to make the longer trip.
We also have had so excitement here on Playa Negra the last few days – we have our very own crocodile!!! It showed up about a week ago and has been hanging out in the ocean catching fish and has been seen on the beach. While not dangerous to humans, it will eat small animals so we are making sure Sofi is at our side whenever we go to the beach. Wiley and Kaya are on a leash so we can control them, but we Sofi has been so good she is off leash while on the beach. There is discussion about the agency responsible coming to move the croc to another area but so far we have not heard if that is a go or not. In the meantime, we will keeo on the lookout.
We also have 
baby white collared manakins in a bush in our yard. The nest is very near the ground so we have been able to document their life to date – from eggs to hatching to hopefully fledging in a couple of weeks. It is absolutely amazing how quickly they grow!!! In the first picture they were just hatched – about a week ago. The second picture was taken today and they have their eyes open and you can see they have wings.
It is SUCH fun to live here 
Pictures on the road to Limon:
Painted palms
Rio Viscaya
Church
Municipal building in Limon
Tico house on the road to Limon
Costa Rica Dog Lover 
We’ve found that private dental and medical expenses here are about 20-25% of the cost in the U.S. and of excellent quality. I guess there is a lot more competition in San José and Pérez Zeledón (where we live) because the prices you quoted in Limón definitely sound higher. Housing, medical costs, taxes, and cheap labor make C.R. a real bargain. They more than make up for the higher costs of goods, especially cars and fuel.