Dental

[wandering mike]

Owl, I guess I mentioned booze in my long post. &nbsp;The store with the purple sign, or the one next to it on the main street, did seem to do a land office business in booze as well as prescriptions. &nbsp;Oh, I guess the other thing folks get there is glasses. &nbsp;I may look into that too. &nbsp;<br /><br />A lot of the older folks were quite spry. I remember taking my mother across a couple years ago in Texas when she was 85. &nbsp;Just park at the boarder and walk across. &nbsp;Or some of the less spry elders among us &nbsp;even take those little mobility chair things.

 

[owl]

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Not @ you Mike, I was referring to Dazars post. Just got in from Algodones. The thing I said about taking your bike to get around the lines doesn't work now. They make you walk it through the walking line. Oh well. I went to Sani Dental Group.&nbsp;I couldn't be happier with the experience.&nbsp;sanidentalgroup.com I got there about an hour early and they took me right in. The place was spotless and everyone was polite and spoke good english. I had a full mouth X-ray $60, cleaning $30. Complete exam by the head of the clinic $0. They replaced a broken three tooth bridge $360&nbsp;and a crown with enamel coming off $120. Total $570. I was in the office for about 3 hours, no office charge etc. etc. They will be put on tomorrow. I paid half today, the balance Friday.&nbsp;I'll keep you guys posted.&nbsp;

 

[wandering mike]

<p>Owl: &nbsp;I think Dazar was referring to a bit of language in my post is all. &nbsp;<br /><br /></p><p>Sounds like the experiences I have had. Too bad about the bike "lane". &nbsp;I think the trick is to find a Cantina until the pedestrian traffic slows down. &nbsp;Did you get a quote on implants? Do you recall if they took credit cards? &nbsp;When I was there last, it seemed none of the dentists did. &nbsp;<br /><br />Side note, how long are you going to be in western AZ?</p>

 

[owl]

&nbsp;&nbsp; This dentist takes cards. I neglected to get prices on implants but I will when I go back. I'll be in Q another 3 months at least.

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

Wow, I was referring to the <em>pictures</em> themselves that were posted.&nbsp;&nbsp; There is a picture with a dental clinic that shares a sign with a liquor store, which I found amusing.&nbsp; I also was making a joke about the older people 'fleeing' for the border in one of the pics, in a large group.

 

[owl]

&nbsp;&nbsp; Had the crown and bridge installed and adjusted. They fit perfectly, I am very pleased. The other patients at the dental office I spoke to were all happy with the work and the price. Seems to run about a third of stateside. A lady from San Fran came down last year and got an implant. She went home for the six month waiting period and a week after she got home she still had some numbness. She called the office, they paid for a round trip ticket to Yuma, rental car and hotel. The implant was a touch to long and was shortened at their expense. She has had no problems whatsoever since. Implants are $1200. They put it in, collect half and ask you to come back in six months. Which is the standard lenth of time for the bone to heal and the teeth to adjust. If anyone tells you an implant can be done in a shorter lenth of time I would seriously recommend you look somewhere else.

 

[wandering mike]

Thanks for the insight on implants. &nbsp;Yes, I expect it to be about the $1200. &nbsp;Maybe that was the high end of my expectation.

 

[blueberry]

I need to have oral surgery to remove a tooth and was thinking of going to Tecate, about 30 miles from where I live in San Diego. (Tijuana is out for me because it's very polluted and I get headaches.) But I don't know anyone who has gone to a dentist there and could refer me. Anyone know of a good dentist in Tecate?<br /><br />No hurry, though. I doesn't hurt, thank goodness. I could wait and drive down to Algodones during RTR.<br /><br />

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

Wow, that is cheap for an implant!&nbsp; Awesome.

 

[josephusminimus]

DG:&nbsp; I've never had dental work done in Mexico, but always intended to do it because I knew a lot of people who had all theirs done there and swore by it, both price-wise and quality wise compared to the US.&nbsp; My own last experiences with US dentists convinced me Mexico wouldn't need to be world-class in any regard to be better than what's likely to happen here.<br /><br />There's a place further east called Lincoln Clinic I've never heard a bad word said about and I've known or talked to at least a hundred people had all their dental work done there.<br /><br />As for pharmaceuticals and eyeglasses, nothing north of the US border can compete.<br /><br />I found my passport the other day, though, and discovered it expired in February.&nbsp; Bummer if they've gotten complicated renewing.

 

[owl]

&nbsp;&nbsp; Remember, if you are going to Mexico you will need a passport to get back into the states.

 

[josephusminimus]

I suppose after a while hanging around in Mexico making a nuisance of yourself they'd deport you to the US, passport or no passport.&nbsp; Wonder if Mexico ever refuses to allow Mexican citizen deportees from the US back into the country because they couldn't prove they're Mexicans.

 

[wandering mike]

I understand they will ultimately let you in but it is a hassle. &nbsp;If they don't, worst case, you just end up at the US consulate asking for a re-issue of your passport. &nbsp;There is one in Nogales I think and in Tijuana. &nbsp;<br /><br />Probably, after checking you out and verifying you did a passport (your image is scanned now, not just in the passport) they let you in and give you some kind of warning. &nbsp;If you have never had a passport and somehow were trying to get back in, then it might be tougher. &nbsp;But they are probably interconnected with the images from Driver License pictures and data too, probably with Canada as well.<br /><br />See this <span style="color: #ff0000;"><a href="http://acrosstheborder.wordpress.co...on-about-passport-requirements-at-the-border/" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #ff0000;">link for a discussion.</span></a></span><br /><br />[On Edit: &nbsp;I bet it happens at least two or three times a day at someplace like Algodones where literally a couple thousand people cross back each day in the winter.]

 

[josephusminimus]

&nbsp;Mike: Last time I went to Mexico for meds they hadn't started requiring passports to get back in yet.&nbsp; A friend and I carried our birth certificates down and had Texas DLs, along with other kinds of IDs.&nbsp; Major hassle getting back across.&nbsp; Two guys around 70 carrying prescription medications - blood pressure, Prilosec, and him, diabetes prescriptions.<br /><br />The people ahead of us were probably in their 80s, though, and got the real gestapo treatment.&nbsp; "I didn't say you could step there.&nbsp; Step back!"&nbsp; Old man tells his wife, "Could you understand what he said?"&nbsp; Gestapo agent:&nbsp; "I TOLD you step back!"<br /><br />They step back, old man asking his wife what is the problem.<br /><br />Gestapo agent:&nbsp; "Okay.&nbsp; Now you can step forward."<br /><br />Ad infinitum.<br /><br />Our hassle was longer than theirs, but at least he didn't yell and order us around.<br /><br />I can't imagine what must be going on down there now they have passports required and more excuses to kick some 80 year old US citizen butt.

 

[wandering mike]

Yes, a lot of times the customs guys can get a real power trip about them. &nbsp;They have a pain in the butt job too. &nbsp;It could be worse though, I have seen them be real twits to visitors who can't understand the language. &nbsp;<br /><br />

 

[owl]

I have been across serveral times in the past weeks and have yet to see anything but politeness and courtesy. The border folks are just like everyone else in our society, mostly nice, some howling jackasses. The stuff they put up with is unbelievable. Every smartass comment the self appointed clowns can come up with. I'm sure all of them " original ".

 

[bk2valve]

I am happy to report that the Palomas border is as easy as ever. Just a pass of your passport through the e-reader, a question about if you are bringing anything back and finis. No gestapo there I am aware of. Not that it can't happen.<br /><br />I have to say that I have, in the past a time or two had some pretty stiff-ass treatment coming home though. They definitely have less of a sense of humor than ever these days. <br /><br />I am guessing that at the shift briefing they probably pump them up pretty good, so they are vigilant, etc. catching all the terrorists and&nbsp; and Mexican kids trying to find their parents....<br /><br />When we came back from Guatemala, and told them when they asked, I thought the guy was going to have a sh-t hemorrage. Off to the side and "step away from the vehicle, sir!" 10 minutes later we were on our way...<br /><br />The odd thing to me was that the last time I crossed into Canada (late June this year), was the worst border experience I have ever had. The flack-jacketed gendarme grilled me like I was a criminal....I very nearly told him to forget it, I wasn't interested in coming in to the country after all....<br /><br />My least favorite thing these days is going through the airport TSA drill where $10 an hour pinheads with a taste of power run the show with absolutely zero common sense and&nbsp; bad attitudes....<br /><br />Bri

 

[josephusminimus]

Bri:&nbsp; Good to know Palomas hasn't changed.&nbsp; I figures that's where I'll be doing my crossings.&nbsp; All the years I crossed there I never had a problem of any sort.<br /><br />El Paso, on the other hand, was a different matter entirely.<br /><br />The strange thing about the behavior of cops in general when they get overbearing, and Border cops particularly, is that so much is on camera these days.&nbsp; What those guys are doing, how they behave, is all there for their supervisors to see.<br /><br />As owl points out, yeah, there are jackasses in every profession.&nbsp; However, in most professions they aren't armed to the teeth, aren't provided with the authority to throw people to the ground spreadeagle, can't arrest anyone.<br /><br />A greeter at WalMart wouldn't last an afternoon behaving that way.<br /><br />But WalMart greeters have supervisors, most likely, who care how they behave.&nbsp; And, in fact, they just don't have anyone to apologize for them&nbsp;by saying&nbsp;the customers are such buttholes.

 

[josephusminimus]

Owl:&nbsp; Almost everyone in every profession puts up with a lot of stuff from other people.&nbsp; Most are able to cope with it and remain civil.&nbsp; Partly because 'customers' pay their salaries.&nbsp; Partly because their bosses wouldn't put up with them throwing their weight around.&nbsp; And partly because nobody would make excuses for them if someone complained about how they conducted themselves.<br /><br />Public servants in general manage to get through their days without having temper tantrums, even though it's hard to fire them.&nbsp; That's because someone would, maybe.