Algodones Dental Care

Last night a front upper tooth snapped off at the gumline. I now have a big gap at the front and it is a miracle that I am not in any pain.
When I say at the front I mean right in the front!! Very noticeable and difficult to adjust to.
A little background. 
I ground my teeth to the point where the top front teeth were worn right out. I used to spend my winters in Thailand and I got 5 front upper teeth crowned there. That was a constant battle. They kept falling out or cracking. With one of them, the worst one that just continually kept falling out, I finally gave up on and told my usual guy to pull it and put in an implant. 
He pulled the tooth, immediately inserted the implant and I think it was 2 days later I had the crown installed. Painless quick and very cheap. I have had zero problems with it. 
He wasn't keen to pull that tooth but over there you have to be in charge. You really need to have a clue as to what you want to do and take charge or it can go badly haywire.
One of the 5 teeth has never given the slightest problem. Not so the other 4. One ended with the implant, one was redone very successfully by an American dentist and now there is this snapped one. 
Must admit it was fine until last night. 
I propose going to Algodones to have what remains of this one pulled and then going with an implant and crown. 
I am a bit concerned. The Thailand thing overall didn't go that well. There is more to that story with other work. In the end because of their mistakes and general incompetence I had to have multiple things done over and it cost as much as if I had gone to an American dentist in the first place.  
This makes me a bit worried about getting stuff done in Mexico.
Am I being over cautious?? Should I be concerned??  
I'll check back to see what the forum thinks.
Last point is how do they accept payment?? Can I use credit cards??

One more thing.
I see via the web that there is a large choice of dentists. Anybody have a favorite or a recommend?

Most do take credit cards. Stay away from Sani dental which I think is the name. Rubio dental clinic and Dr Eva Urbana ( spelling from memory) are the ones I've used. I think Rubio makes most of the implants for dentists in town so you could start there. I know 2 folks who had major issues with Dani and several who are happy with implants from Rubio. For general dentistry I prefer Dr Eva, but I'll go directly to Rubio for my implant when I decide it's time to just do it.

Sani, not Deni above

shadowmoss said:

Most do take credit cards.  Stay away from Sani dental which I think is the name.  Rubio dental clinic and Dr Eva Urbana ( spelling from memory) are the ones I've used.  I think Rubio makes most of the implants for dentists in town so you could start there.  I know 2 folks who had major issues with Dani and several who are happy with implants from Rubio.  For general dentistry I prefer Dr Eva, but I'll go directly to Rubio for my implant when I decide it's time to just do it.

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Thank you very much for the post. Yeah I figured out you meant Sani not Dani 
They are pushing that Sani place hard through the click farms. I saw Dr Urbana come up but not Rubio yet. I will keep looking. 
I think I am going to have to make a decision and do this very, very soon. I am in Tucson right now and quite happy where I am. I was going to wait until I had run my 14 out - I am watching the temperature - but this can easily turn into a nightmare if I am not careful. It will cost thousands if I let an American dentist near me. ESPECIALLY if I am in pain. They are nothing if not opportunistic.
Best to act first.
I think I am going to have to jump. I will research Rubio and Dr Urbana.
Many, many thanks.

As we both saw that spell check likes to change things, it is Dr. Eva Urena. I found her to be very professional, and she is US trained and certified. She did my cleaning herself. It seemed that other (US) patients had been referred to someone else for some part of their procedures and returned to her afterwards, but I didn't hear what they had done.

Yep, she is close to the border crossing and has a lot of positive reviews. I am going to go with your suggestions and tomorrow I am heading for the VFW blm spot on the east side of Yuma. I will have to play it by ear from there. The Quechen Indians have shut down all camping.

izifaddag said:

One more thing.
I see via the web that there is a large choice of dentists. Anybody have a favorite or a recommend?

Click to expand...

Dr Nancy is your go to dentist in Los Algodones.
-crofter


Looks like Dr Nancy is in Mexicali now.
Description: destist information
https://mexicoborderdentist.com/clinic/dr-nancy-nergi-iniguez/amp/

Thanks Crofter

I just thought I would give an update on what happened with my dental visit.
I went yesterday and thought I would share my experience a little as it might help someone else.
About 3 nights ago I camped in the BLM land adjoining the VFW Post on 95 out of Yuma (keep going north and you end up in Quartszite). That was an awful camping experience and I scarpered the next morning. However as an offset to the bad experience I met a lovely group of people who welcomed me into their company.
One of their number had just returned from Algodones and had 23 crowns placed for $4,000 even. She looked great and was extremely happy with her experience.
So although I thank Crofter and Shadowmoss for their input I decided to go with what I was able to see and question face to face.
This was Lopez Dental. If anybody is curious all details are available just ask.   
Parking was very easy and so was crossing into Mexico. There was no check. Just walk in through a clearly marked passageway with Mexican music blaring in the background.
A guide from the Lopez Clinic was on the other side to walk me to the office. As you emerge from the passage way there are tons of touts there trying to entice you away from the clinic you have chosen. All pretty friendly though.
First of all if anybody is worried about language. Almost everybody I encountered spoke English. I speak Spanish and although I used it I barely needed to.
The dental clinics are sort of front men for experts in the fields of implants etc. Yes they are dental people but they are also deal makers. They want to talk you up into have a lot of work done and haggle prices with you. Constantly offering a 'special offer' writing it down on a piece of paper then crossing it out and writing a new number down.
You have to enter into the spirit of it and it is quite amusing.
I had a lovely young dentist acting like a knowledgeable used car salesman. BTW I don't dispute anything she said. She was talking good sense. They are shooting to get that $4,000 or 5,000 out of you that very day. However it is good natured and they are not stupid they know if they do good work you will be back and also recommend them. That is how I got there right? They also remembered the lady that sent me there.
We settled on the extraction, implant and crown that I had gone there for and I paid $1100 using my VISA card. I was charged about 3% extra for using the card so total was $1131.52. There is a plan in place to deal with some more work in the future.
I was then escorted through the streets to another guy, a specialist, with a plusher office.
Funny thing, although he was the big cheese he could barely speak a word of English and his assistant even less. No matter his receptionist was fluent and my escort stayed with me right there beside me.
I like the injections applied in a certain way and this guy was completely cooperative, totally understanding my logic. The injections, extraction, implant and the temporary crown was 100% painless and super professional. This is what this guy does all day every day. Implant after implant and it showed.
SUPER happy with my treatment.
Escort then took me back to the office where we double checked the appointment for the permanent crown in March. BTW my crown is zirconia - the best - however if you want the cheaper porcelain crowns they are available at a cheaper price. That is what the lady with 23 crowns had all in one go. Apparently if you let them totally redo your bite by replacing everything porcelain is good. Not so for one offs and I am the poster child for how that goes. Chips cracks etc.   
Then the escort - in scrubs - took me around the town so as to buy a small bag and my medicine (metformin). He then took me back to the border crossing line. I slipped him a $10 tip and got into line for the return crossing.
I have been getting taken to 2nd level questioning for 20 years by border control so I am used to it but I think what triggered it this time was the metformin. Bossy, military like and acting like a prison guard the official questioned me and of course I was let go.
I do NOT advise anyone to try and buy innocent medicines and not declare them. Just say what you have and go along with it. He took a good look at my metformin and stuck his fingers in among the pills but I don't care. Just glad to have the meds.
So that is what happened. I hope it helps anybody that is unsure and contemplating this little adventure. Best wishes to anyone else who does it. Not scary just a process.

I was under the impression that the implant has to heal for a few months before placing a crown on it. I hadn’t heard of a temporary crown. How long do you have to wait for the permanent crown? That is the best price I’ve ever heard of. I’ve been putting it off but I might just get it done for that good of deal. I take metformin also along with a couple more. Do I need to bring a prescription? Does security ask for prescription or just to declare what you have? Trying to avoid my $600 doctor visit just to get my prescriptions renewed. Thanks for your help.


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No prescriptions needed to get pharmaceutical drugs in Algodones, MX. There are some restrictions about what can be brought back, and I think it is 3 mo supply per trip. The pharmacies know what the restrictions are so they won't sell you anything you can't bring back through customs.

I am confused about the work you had done. Was it just the tooth part of an implant, or was it a crown that was replaced, both? A new implant usually needs a base put into the gym which takes a month or so to heal. If you just needed the part of the implant above the gum line replaced, that would explain why it was so fast.

izifaddag said:

...The Quechen Indians have shut down all camping.

Click to expand...

Good to hear you got your tooth fixed. I noticed you recomend Dr Lopez, can you say which Dr Lopez there are quite a few.

Also, where is the camping shut down? Thanks.
-crofter

rhinelanderdoug said:

I was under the impression that the implant has to heal for a few months before placing a crown on it. I hadn’t heard of a temporary crown. How long do you have to wait for the permanent crown? That is the best price I’ve ever heard of. I’ve been putting it off but I might just get it done for that good of deal. I take metformin also along with a couple more. Do I need to bring a prescription? Does security ask for prescription or just to declare what you have? Trying to avoid my $600 doctor visit just to get my prescriptions renewed. Thanks for your help.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

Hi Doug,
The first implants I had done in 2006 were allowed to heal with no abutment Several months went by and then I returned to have the gum that had grown over cut and the set screws removed. At that point the dentist discovered that one implant was defective. The set screw would not come out. She had not tested them by separating them before installing. We ended up with a snapped screwdriver and eventually the implant was ripped out of the bone in an attempt to get that darn set screw out. A new implant was installed and I had to wait again. PAINFUL and very, very scary. 
They really made a meal out of it all. That was an American dentist. 
The next was in the front and done in Thailand. I was astonished. No waiting, no defective implant, an immediate fitting of the abutment and a temp. I can't remember exactly when the new tooth went in but it was in before I left for home which was within a 2 month stay. I was in zero pain. None during extraction, installation of new implant or even afterwards. To this day it has been 100% pain and trouble free. 
The recent one in Mexico was also done in one go. There really is no point to letting the gum grow over the implant and then having to cut the gum to expose it. Extract, install, abutment, temp tooth, the end. Go back a couple of months later for the permanent tooth. 
After a couple of days I started to get an infection that eventually spread to the entire side of my face. My eye closed and my lips and cheek swelled up like a balloon. I used some old antibiotics to kill the infection. Now there is just some soreness and the thing doesn't like pressure. In March when I return I anticipate that all will be healed and ready for the permanent.    
My 'guide' offered to get me any drug I wanted including oxycotton. Any amount too !! I admit I was shocked. He marched me off to a drug store that he was getting a backhander from and I got 2 x 100 tablet (500mg) bottles for $6 total cost. About half the price of Walmart. However this wasn't about price, it was about convenience for the same reason you stated. I didn't want to go through the hullabaloo of a doctors visit just to get a simple , perfectly safe, common or garden drug. Not to mention the cost of the doctors visit which is ludicrous.         
At the pharmacy no prescription is required. Same as at the optician. They will just sell you whatever you want. At the border declare it. Most medicines we take are just like my metformin. The US guards are used to dealing with this. They are rude and aggressive but they do know what they are doing. 
Next visit I am thinking of getting my eyes looked at. 
Hope that helped.

shadowmoss said:

No prescriptions needed to get pharmaceutical drugs in Algodones, MX.  There are some restrictions about what can be brought back, and I think it is 3 mo supply per trip.  The pharmacies know what the restrictions are so they won't sell you anything you can't bring back through customs.

I am confused about the work you had done.  Was it just the tooth part of an implant, or was it a crown that was replaced, both?  A new implant usually needs a base put into the gym which takes a month or so to heal.  If you just needed the part of the implant above the gum line replaced, that would explain why it was so fast.

Click to expand...

Didn't know about the 3 month supply part. My metformin is going to last more than that. Maybe 6 months.
As for the tooth it was the whole enchilada. Out with the old in with the new, abutment and temporary crown. All in one go which is how it is done in countries where the medical profession are not trying to milk it for every nickel and dime they can get. Here in the states everything vaguely medical is turned into a giant production for money extraction purposes. Multiple visits, everything individually charged for etc etc. You know what I mean we all suffer it. 
What I went through is normal. Same procedure done in 3 countries. Only in the USA was it a version of War and Peace and a botched one at that. 
As for it snapping off at the gumline I can't believe how lucky I was. That normally exposes the inner nerve. Agony should follow. A nerve can 'calcify' in an old tooth especially one that has been played with. This is what happened to me and was confirmed at the Mexican dentist. The nerve was partially dead. That sure was lucky for me or this could have been much worse.

crofter said:

Good to hear you got your tooth fixed. I noticed you recomend Dr Lopez, can you say which Dr Lopez there are quite a few.

Also, where is the camping shut down? Thanks.
-crofter

Click to expand...

Hi Crofter,

Hector Lopez 928-7502912
[email protected]

As for the camping I am referring to the Quechan Casino camping. Bob Wells did a very good video on this spot. On your map go to where California / Arizona meet on I10 at Yuma. On the south side is the Quechan casino placed on 186 which goes straight to the Mexican border. Just south of the casino is plenty of camping land. Looks just like BLM. You can camp here all season for a very small sum of money and it is perfect to cross the border for dental work. 
Unfortunately it is in California and the panic button has been well and truly hit. The Quechan have evacuated the camping land until ....................
Normally it is run by the Fish and Game dept. of the Quechan admin. I called them this is how I know. Very nice people to talk to and helpful. I very much regret not being able to camp there. There is water and garbage dump at the casino too. A real pity.

Saw your post, and wanted to say that dental work is such an investment—not just money-wise but also in terms of comfort and peace of mind.