Dentistry in Mexico

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user 30781

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I think I remember seeing in the book Nomadland about a group from the RTR going to a town just over the border for cheap dentistry.

Has anyone here ever got teeth extracted and dentures there?  I wonder if instant dentures are available too.

Dentistry is so outrageously expensive here I can hardly believe it.
 
Algodones is the name of the border town in Mexico near Yuma, AZ. There are a lot of youtuber's that go there for dental, prescription glasses and medications (also eat cheap).
 
Mexicali on the border south of El Centro, CA does dental work as well. One practice that I looked up in Algodones had moved from Algodones to Mexicali. I hadn't used them, I had seen a reference in a review from when they were in Algodones.

One can use a search engine to look up "dental clinics Algodones" to get an idea of what they do and their prices.

They also have US phone numbers through a Yuma exchange to speak to someone.
 
Palomas, Mexico which is at the Columbas, New Mexico crossing also offers good dental work. If you are planning on going later in the spring that will be cooler for camping than the area around, Yuma at the crossing for Los Algodones. Also the border crosding at Columbas, NM is a 24 hour crossing versus the crossing over to Los Algodones.

Both are good border towns, both have good dentist, both have parking. Many of the dentist will send a car to meet you at the gate. You really do not have to go across in a group for personal safety. It is very possible to do this on your own. But of course it is more fun to visit with friends and explore the shops, have lunch, etc. These towns do require masking.
 
maki2 said:
These towns do require masking.


I am glad to hear that because I am all about the masks.  Thanks!

I need to start a notebook.
 
There are some pretty valid reasons for dentistry on the Mexican side to be cheaper -- differences in how dental training is structured and paid for, lower wages, etc. -- so I think you can get a good healthy deal there. But for heaven's sake do your research -- ask lots of questions, including about the credentials of the person who will be working on you (not just the person who owns/runs the clinic), read lots of reviews, take advantage of the free-consultation offers so you can check a couple places out, and if at all possible get a personal recommendation from someone you know and trust. (Or if you don't know and trust them, ask if you can examine their teeth. LOL kidding!)

Not really all that different from what you'd do if you were shopping for a dentist on the US side, as RylieSutton said -- you just have to do a little more of it, and it's a bit harder to do because the whole scene (professional associations, Better-Business-Bureau-type resources) is less familiar -- but it's do-able.

If you google terms like "medical broker" or "dental broker" you'll find all sorts of organizations that exist to help you find health care in Mexico and other countries. How reliable they are, I don't know. But at least they might be a starting point. I assume (hope!) that they at least verify training and licensing. You could look on a website like that to get a few names and then research them further. One caveat: the reviews on those broker websites seem like BS -- 99% five stars, better than a North Korean election!

It's not all that unusual to find dentists with US training and/or membership in US professional organizations -- sometimes they even live on the US side and commute to Mexico to work. It's common for at least some staff members to speak English (or at least it was where I went) -- and many clinics seem to have a US phone number as one of their contact options. So if you find the whole due-diligence thing daunting, you could limit yourself to that group for starters.

Good luck!
 
My luck was bad there. Root canal was not done correctly and led to a very bad antibiotic resistant abscess all along my jaw bone. The doctor in Flagstaff showed me on an X-ray that the canal in the root canal had not been properly filled and that is what allowed bacteria to enter and cause the abcess. That tooth ended up having to be pulled by a dentist in Arizona as very likely should have been the correct diagnosis by the dentist in Mexico. But instead the Mexico dentist had a very lucrative day and I suffered greatly for it with pain in wallet and mouth.

I had my teeth cleaned by another dentist in Los Alvodones who I asked to check my teeth for cavities. They did not even take X-rays or check my teeth with a probe but said that I had no cavities without doing much of anything. But then told me my bridge was misaligned and I needed a new bridge which it does not need according to my dentists in the USA. It is also not misaligned. That too would have made for a very lucrative day had I listened to that dentist in Los Algodones

Do not go to anyone there without getting recommendations from people you know who have been to the same dentist a number of times and had work done that is more than just a basic cleaning. There are reputable dentist there, but not all of them are.

Remember this. The people on the street passing out directions to a dentist get a commission if they walk you in the door to see that dentist, or eye doctor, pharmacy etc. They are not actually hired by the clinics, they walk you inside and get paid a bit of cash for leading you there. They are just freelance hucksters looking to earn some ready cash.
 
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Wanderingsoul, another thing to keep in mind is follow-up care. Are you living in the borderlands and/or able to hang out there long enough see the treatment through, and if not, do you have a plan/budget for taking care of that?
 
My dad got some extensive dental work in Nuevo Progresso across the Texas border. He was very pleased. Not only were his costs 1/4 of what they would have been the states, it was all done in TWO days because they have a giant lab right there in town. Full mouth of individual crowns on every tooth. He had previously had throat cancer and his teeth looked horrible after radiation and were very fragile. The Dr recommended individual crowns vs veneers (that his Dr here wanted to do) because if one of his teeth failed due radiation/gum loss, he would only have to disrupt that one tooth and the teeth would be more protected than with Cabrera. His teeth looked gorgeous and natural.
Also, the Mexico office (husband and wife team.. wife is an endodontist) had someone drive my dad and his wife to the border, and then an escort to their hotel on the Texas side, after his procedure since he was a bit out of it.
I’m proof that you can pay good money right here in the states and get shoddy work. Root canal improperly done (infections, pain), mismatched colors on crowns, poorly set crowns. You can go anywhere and get bad work, same with good. Do the research.
 
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IMHO - you are taking your chances when selecting a dentist in towns around MX border areas. There's the good, the bad, the ugly, so talking to other Americans for word-of-mouth (no pun intended) recommendations would probably be wise.
I think elsewhere in MX, especially MX City, the professionalism is higher, but the percentage of potential incompetence also rises - just like in any US city. I think talking to middle class local Mexicans would be a good place to start in urban areas of MX.
Either way, getting recommendations would be wise.
 
My luck was bad there. Root canal was not done correctly and led to a very bad antibiotic resistant abscess all along my jaw bone. The doctor in Flagstaff showed me on an X-ray that the canal in the root canal had not been properly filled and that is what allowed bacteria to enter and cause the abcess. That tooth ended up having to be pulled by a dentist in Arizona as very likely should have been the correct diagnosis by the dentist in Mexico. But instead the Mexico dentist had a very lucrative day and I suffered greatly for it with pain in wallet and mouth.

I

Have you considered arbitration?

Conamed is an agency of the Mexican govenment that handles some similar cases. I have never used them so I only know OF them, but not ABOUT them.

https://www.gob.mx/conamed
(click on English tab)
 
My dad got some extensive dental work in Nuevo Progresso across the Texas border. He was very pleased.
Seriously Chica if you have a good recommendation in Nuevo Progreso I'd love to hear about it. I'm not going back to who I saw before. I was hoping to put off any new dental care until I got out of this area but that might not work out.

My experiences weren't as bad as Maki's but they were not great. There seem to be a lot fewer referral/recommendation options for this end of the border than there are farther west. So word from even one human being with actual experience would be super helpful! I could probably manage anywhere from Matamoros to Reynosa (though Reynosa seems a bit scary right now, not sure if "dental tourists" are still going there).
 
Have you considered arbitration?

Conamed is an agency of the Mexican govenment that handles some similar cases. I have never used them so I only know OF them, but not ABOUT them.

https://www.gob.mrthax/conamed
(click on English tab)
Arbitration.... thanks for the link but that kind of fight was not in me at that time of the incident. Still is not in me to take it up. This week I am going through another frustrating paperwork battle getting an auto insurance claim on the right track. What can I say other than I have always hated paper chases.
 
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