Last month, my family and I went to Costa Rica to visit the INVISALIGN “Treat Facility.” While there I also did some advanced Invisalign Continuing Education for two days and I presented several of my cases to dentists and orthodontists from all around the world. The Treat Facility is where INVISALIGN technicians use their advanced software to put together an Invisalign treatment plan, based on my instructions. They can manipulate the teeth on the screen to my exact specifications and positions and then the aligners are made from those specifications. It’s an incredible process that makes INVISALIGN one of the most incredible technologies that we can offer patients today.
Align (Invisalign’s parent company) put the INVISALIGN Treat Facility in San Jose, Costa Rica because the city has such a high number of 
highly educated young people. The facility employs over 800 people. While at the facility, I met David, my personal technician who handles all my cases.
I’m fortunate to have one person assigned to me as my technician because for most dentists and orthodontists, their cases are handled by any one of the various 700 technicians at the facility, based on who is available when the case comes in. Since David handles all my cases, he knows my treatment philosophy and how I like to approach my cases. This means the cases are ready faster and the attention to detail is extraordinary. It’s a win/win for me and for my patients.
Many people think that the INVISALIGN process and results are the same, no matter what dentist provides the service. This is far from the truth. Invisalign is a clinical procedure and the results that patients get from the INVISALIGN procedure is based solely on the talents, knowledge and experience of the dentist providing the treatment. I’m proud to offer INVISALIGN to my patients and feel that my comprehensive knowledge of the procedure allows me to get exceptional results! Thanks to all those in Costa Rica that made the trip so enjoyable!
And speaking of enjoyment…the trip coincided with my kid’s winter break, so we spent another six days in Costa Rica. If you’ve never been, it is a wonderful place to visit. Beautiful and diverse and scenic country. One of the highlights of the trip was our visit to the Arenal Volcano region. Costa Rica has many active volcanoes and our visit to Arenal was spectacular. Set right in the middle of a lush rain forest, the region is home to many exotic animals and lush vegetation. The highlight of the region (and of the entire trip) was our 
Ziplining adventure at Skytrek. This facility is made up of 8 ziplines that cascade down a mountain. The highest zipline is 656 feet above the ground (close to the height of a 50 story building). You are fastened to the cable using a harness and pulley array. And that’s all. I’m deathly scared of heights as is my daughter, but we did it and in fact, Birdie loved it! If you ever have the opportunity, I highly recommend it.
Thanks for reading… and to quote the Tico’s (native Costa Ricans),
“Pura Vida” (full life).
Paul Gilreath
