Dental work in Mexico 2015-2016
It's costing over $1000 a crown in the US (replacement crown) and I'm wondering if it's worth it to travel to Mexico for dental work.
How does your dentist and their prices compare?
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IT1 wrote:What dentist(s) do you go to in Mexico?
It's costing over $1000 a crown in the US (replacement crown) and I'm wondering if it's worth it to travel to Mexico for dental work.
How does your dentist and their prices compare?
A year or so ago, I had a crown done for 1500 Pesos.聽 That was at a time when I was get 13.5 to a dollar net or call it $110.聽 The results seem to be no worse than the US.聽 Just as in the US (my experience) the quality of the work can vary greatly,聽 I suspect prices will vary in Mexico depending on the location.聽 In Algodones where a lot of Americans go for dental and medical tourism or Mexico City where prices are generally higher, 1500 pesos may not come close.
I did not go to the dentist the first three years I was in Playas.聽 I am allergic to most anesthetics.聽 I am allergic to the substance that is applied to the gum before the "needle".聽 I get the "needle" straight,very painful.
Dr. Raul Mendiola R.
Plaza Fiesta - Paseo de los Heroes #9415 - 5B
Zona Rio, Tijuana B.C.
011-52 (664) 634-0933
I found this dentist on the Tijuana blog when an anchor tooth holding聽 my partial in place聽 broke off at the gum line..聽 I had paid 4600$ in Newport Beach for this partial just 4 years earlier.
l can only say my initial experience was so great. I couldn't believe it.聽
First of all his office聽 is on the second floor of a rather ordinary looking building "catycornered" across from the Cultural Center and just down from a McDonalds.聽 That gave me a little concern as I was accustomed to more "posh" surroundings in Newport Beach.聽 聽 However his office is very modern, very clean and he has all the latest equipment.聽 It could easily have been my dentist's office in NB.......except it is smaller and as I said, it is up a flight of exterior stairs in a very ordinary looking building.
Then came the good news.............
If he replaced my bridge the cost would be $800 but he thought he might save it.聽 He had me get a root canal from his colleague Claudia Rodriquez DDS聽 whose office is across the Blvd from his office聽 near the Cultural Center.
I have had numerous root canals over the years, all lengthy procedures and all painful.聽 However i had no choice but to go.聽 聽 The procedure took ONLY 35 minutes, helped as she could watch what she was doing on a computer screen (An聽 unfamiliar process to me and I had nio idea聽 how that is done!)聽 聽 聽It was ABSOLUTELY PAINLESS!聽 and cost $180.聽 聽WHOOPEE!.
Dr, Mendiola, himself,聽 did a deep cleaning聽 as I had not been to the dentist in 3 years prior to visiting him,聽 The charge for the cleaning and a full set of xrays was $50. I think cleaning only is $361 I always found teeth cleanings to be "torture" when done by a hygenist in other So California dentists" offices.聽 聽I hated the experience and longed for anesthetic just to get a cleaning.聽 Again this was absolutely PAINLESS!聽 聽When Dr Mendiola worked on my teeth, he gave me the "needle" without any deadening of the gum.聽 Again NO pain.聽 聽He was able to save the tooth that had broken off as a continued anchor for my bridge.
I could not believer after聽 an aduilt life time of PAINFUL dentist visits that this was聽 聽 PAIN FREE.
I would recommend him in a NY minute.聽 Yes there are clinics closer to the border.聽 But he is absolutely the most professional (not to mention
painfree) dentist I have ever encountered.聽 聽 I will go to see him for the rest of my days.聽 My last visit was $50 including filing.聽 I have never had a visit with Dr. Mendiola that聽 cost more than $50 (bridge work excepted and it was less than $100.
You will be happy that you visited him.聽 聽 His office gal has limited English but he is very fluent.聽 When she encounters language problems, he comes promptly to the phone.
In 2008, I needed a root canal, post, buildup, and crown. Nothing wrong with the root, just not much tooth left to crown.
In Seattle, the quote was $2,400. I had it done at Dental Bernal for $1,200...and that included round-trip airfare from Seattle to Las Vegas, a rental car for a week, and hotels for a week (yes, I spent two days at the Orleans before flying home).
Dental work still fine after almost seven years!
PM me for the journal from my first trip in 2006.
Travel. It sounds like Tijuana would be fine coming from California. From the East Coast going to California, Arizona, Cancun or Guatemala there seem to be flights in the $300 - $500 range out of Atlanta where I'm at now (source Google flights explorer).
Fortunately, I can still get cleanings and x-rays done for under $100 so it's not worth the travel. However beyond cleanings, x-ray and a simple filling the prices really take off so most work is put off. Eventually though one gets to the point of wanting or having to do something.
So if I want to get my teeth fixed (and not just a tooth) the plan to develop is a relationship with a dentist elsewhere. The next time I'm about to spend $1000 or more in the US, it would be worth traveling there to find that dentist and begin the relationship.
Please keep the posts coming on this thread as varying locations could be in someone's future reading this thread. Thank you for your advice.
arleneruby wrote:Well, if you have to pay $500 for airfare, it probably isn't!
It was certainly worth it for me!
"In Seattle, the quote was $2,400. I had it done at Dental Bernal for $1,200...and that included round-trip airfare from Seattle to Las Vegas, a rental car for a week, and hotels for a week (yes, I spent two days at the Orleans before flying home)."
cleaning can be $15 to $25.00 USA a crown is
about $375 and often negotiable....cavity fillings with high tech equipment, computer cameras instead of x-rAY MACHINES聽 $45 TO $70 EACH- majority of dentists are women
which is good, they are far more gentle and equally detail minded ..
...my Mexican dentist is better trained
than my dentist in Santa Barbara,聽 who charged $1800 a crown.
Kcoscia wrote:I do not know about crowns but I can tell you that I had to have an emergency root canal in two stages in San Miguel.聽 It was done by Dr. Hector Morales Nieto.聽 His equipment included a high quality Zeiss microscope and was 3000 pesos.聽 They were extremely accommodating.
It's one half or less in Zacatecas.聽 Ask me in a year how good it was.聽 Seriously, I had expensive root canals in the Atlanta Area and in Jacksonville, FL between 1998 and 2002.聽 They were $1500 each and the dental insurance paid only $500 each.
In Mexico, it's best to try and find someone who has a long history with a provider who can give an unqualified recommendation.聽 Then there's the matter of trust.聽 If you have been bitten by incompetent providers, you may not recognize the competent one when you see him.聽 That applies to all forms of healthcare.
Dental Del Lago, Dr. Marta in Ajijic Jalisco on Lake Chapala tel:52-376-766-3897
He is here 2 days a week and rest in Queretaro. He is totally billingual and his assistant is a dentist. Same plaza as OKO and Italian Coffee, across from Mega. His office is upstairs聽 PH: 442-242-0551聽 聽 cell: 442-186-6605聽 聽email:聽 isaias5@hotmail.com
saludos
Sonia
He is here 2 days a week and rest in Queretaro. He is totally billingual and his assistant is a dentist. Same plaza as OKO and Italian Coffee, across from Mega. His office is upstairs聽 PH: 442-242-0551聽 聽 cell: 442-186-6605聽 聽email:聽 isaias5[at]hotmail.com
Sonia
SuzanneFromSeattle wrote:I've been to Dental Bernal in Los Algodones four times since 2006 for a multitude of work.
How did you begin?
I'm a little overwhelmed going for just one crown because with travel and inconvenience (I'm a homebody) it would only save me a couple hundred.
However, if I was to do my wish list of dental work, that I could not afford in the U.S., then I would be saving thousands like others. I'm a little reluctant to do the wish list but once there I might be tempted.
How would you begin if you were me?
It did kind of concern me that I'd be going alone but, after a lifetime of "going it alone," I聽 figured it would be a good story!
Seriously, if you want to read the 60-page journal from my first trip (includes other things like what time zone, who speaks English, US vs. Mexican cash, etc.) PM me with your email address and I'll send it to you.
Like you, I intended to go for one or two items. Due to the quality of work AND the price, I ended up with way more than I could EVER have afforded here in the US! AND, I've flown into Phoenix, San Diego, Ontario/Burbank, and Las Vegas...so VACATIONS!
The last thing you need to feel is fear. After my first walk over the border, I felt like I was going to see friends.
I might just make a comment here.......in general.....metal in the mouth is not an optimal situation, as it's not for any part of the body.聽 It interferes with the electricity that runs in our bodies, and relates directly to healing.聽 I have a ton of metal and want it all out, especially the fillings with mercury.聽 They are very disruptive for optimal healing.
And finally, the reality is that a tooth should never be saved after a root canal.聽 The tooth is dead and can harbor infection under the crown and bother you unknowingly your entire life.聽 Dead stuff should never be left in the body.
Just saying......don't shoot the messenger.聽 This is a pricey investment on my part so you can tell I feel strongly about it.
Thank you so much for any references,
Ally
There are several MD and dentist groups that cater to Americans.聽 Googling "Algodones mexico" should bring links to dentist offices where you can inquire.聽 I have no idea what your travel expenses might be.
If you are anywhere near the Baja Norte area I will be happy to provide his contact information, Please send me a private message.聽 If I give his information here the post will be taken down by the owner of this blog.....who doesn't want聽 anything posted that would interfere with his money making needs.
A year later - was it worth it?
Would you recommend your dentist?
If yes, what is his/her name & location.
That part of Mexico is a bit more expensive to get to because I live in Florida.
I'm especially interested in the Yucatan area.
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Can you send me a private message about your experience and the dentist name you use?
Thank you so much!
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