Care Tourism

I saved a lot of money by getting dental work done in Mexico

I was having a tooth ache in one tooth, had two teeth that had a big piece broken off, and several cavities. Like a lot of people, I knew I had  a lot of dental problems, but had hesitated to get my teeth fixed because I was afraid of what it might cost.  Finally, with the throbbing pain in my right jaw, I had to do something, So, I went to a local dentist, with a very nicely decorated office. He was very nice, and very professional, and certainly seemed to know his business.  However, after the evaluation, and he told me what it would cost to fix me up, I just about gagged! I was going to need 2 root canals with crowns, a third crown by itself, and 11 cavities filled. The total? ,350.  That was more money than I had paid for my car!

I have worked for years in telecommunications as a cable guy.  In other words, I bust my buns as a blue collar worker.  I make pretty good money, but I appreciate the value of it. My dental insurance was a joke.  There was a maximum yearly benefit of only ,500, and that wasn’t enough to pay to fix even one tooth. I thought, there has to be a better way.  Out of curiosity, I decided to check out what a dentist in Mexico might charge.  I didn’t even know if I could find any websites for one, but I did find several.  Some didn’t bother to list any prices, so I skipped over those.  Some of them didn’t have a US phone number, and I was afraid of what a long distance call to Mexico might cost. Some had some young girl of a receptionist who spoke broken English.  But I finally found someone who answered me in perfect English, and who was able to answer all of my questions. 

The guy from Mexico listened to what I had to say, and then told me some good news. To do all the work that my dentist in Denver wanted to charge me nearly ,500 for, in Mexico the dentist would only charge me 00.  I was elated! To be sure of the quality of their work, I asked for some referrals, which they were glad to give.  I called them all and everyone had only good things to say about their experience.  Evidently, these dentists do so much work, they have gotten really good at it.  It seems there are thousands and thousands of Americans each year who go to Mexico.  The place I found is in Tijuana, and that seems to be some kind of dental capitol because of the easy access from San Diego and Los Angeles, CA. 

When I planned my trip, the guy from the dentist office in Tijuana helped me figure out where to stay, and how to get to the border from the Airport.  Hotels were only per night, with tax, and getting around with a taxi only cost 4 or 5 bucks. My expenses were not amounting to too much, and since the dental work itself was so cheap, I decided to do something extra, that I would have never had the money to do back in Denver.  My front teeth have always been so ugly, I decided to have crowns placed on the 4 front teeth on the top and on the bottom.  The truth is, I could have gotten by without it, but I was feeling pretty good about the price.  I don’t mind spending money if I get good value. I The 8 extra crowns cost me only 00.  In the Denver, I would have paid 0 each. So, I paid a total of 00, ½ of what my dentist in Denver was originally going to charge me, but instead of only 3 crowns, I got 11.  I am still excited about this! Just think about it, I got almost ,000 worth of dental work done in Mexico for only 00. 

Many people have asked me about the dangers of going into Mexico. I admit, I was a little nervous about going to Tijuana because you here a lot of things on the news, but the idea of saving so much money gave me the motivation. However, once I got there, it was a piece of cake.  I loved it there! I found this to be quite calm, and didn’t feel at all intimidated.  As a cable dude, I have had to work in East Denver in the “bad part of town”, doing disconnects and repossessing people’s cable boxes when they didn’t pay their bill.   There have been a few times I had to call the police in order to do my job because people were threatening me.  I have been inside crack houses, and filthy apartment complexes, and seen prostitutes openly soliciting people, and drug dealers and punks carrying guns.  Believe me when I say Tijuana, at least in the business area where the dental clinics are, is harmless by comparison. And I know that Denver is nothing compared to parts of L.A. or Chicago, or NYC.  I honestly have not seen any of the so called violence in Tijuana.  I am sure stuff happens, but stuff happens everywhere else too. I think if you go out looking for trouble you will find it, but if you behave yourself and go where respectable people go you’ll be fine. 

To sum this up, I wanted to get this out there to help others to know that there is a real and viable alternative available for dental work. It may not make sense for minor things, but if all you need is one root canal and crown, you will save 00, and that is a whole lot more than my entire trip cost me. No wonder dental tourism has become such a growing craze! 

The dentist that I recommend is Sam Dental in Tijuana, Mexico, located just South of San Diego, CA. For more information go to: http://www.GoodSamDental.org They are extremely honest, very capable, have very low prices, and they guarantee their work. The will also help facilitate your trip by helping with transportation needs, and hotel reservations.

About the author: Jim C. has lived in South America for many years, and traveled extensively in Mexico. He speaks Spanish fluently, and is and expert in cross-cultural communications. In other words, he knows his way around!