dentist

I have had a very positive experience seeking affordable dental care in Mexico.

Dentists scare me. It’s not the drilling or the novocaine injections, it’s the price they want to charge. When I was living in Denver in 1995, I fractured a molar in half. I went to a dentist about this and was told that a root canal and a crown were required. I almost fainted when I found out that the root canal alone would cost me $750 and the crown $450. (Today in 2008 the root canal would cost me about $1000 and the crown about $800). I had a friend who lived in Chihuahua, Mexico and since I had already planned to visit him I decided to see if I could get my tooth fixed in Mexico. During my vacation time this year, I had the dental treatment done on my tooth at great savings. I saved $935. The savings more than paid for my vacation!! That was 13 years ago and my crown is still holding up with no problems.

I’ve had a lot of dental work done in Mexico over the years. I also had some work done in the US. The truth is that I had fewer problems with the Mexican work than with the American one. The American dentists have commented very positively on the many Mexican dental crowns that they have seen in my mouth. I have decided to share some of my experiences with my fellow Americans who may be reading this to help them take advantage of the great savings and quality dental work available across the line.

Personally, when I’m looking for information on the internet, I hate having to keep reading to find the important information I’m looking for, so now let me say that I think I’ve found the perfect place for dental work found work in Mexico. It is located in Tijuana, south of San Diego, CA. Airfares to San Diego are cheap (I just booked a flight from Orlando, FL to San Diego for $120 each way including taxes) and transportation to the border is very easy on the Old Town Trolley (light rail). Please check the link below for more information.

6 BASIC TIPS for dental care in Mexico.

1st Prize.

Be careful what you pay for dental treatment. You can be ripped off by dentists , who charge Americans a lot more than the usual rate. The quality of dental work in Mexico is very comparable to that in the US and the price is much cheaper. The reason is that the price of university education is subsidized by the government and the education cost is not that high compared to USA. A dentist in Mexico will drop out of school and not be head over heels in debt like an American. Also, the cost of doing business and living is a fraction of what it is in the US. The result is that there are many great dentists who just don’t have to charge that much to make a living. Also, Mexican residents are very limited in terms of income and ability to pay for services. Although there are many dentists near the border who only serve Americans, their prices are still influenced by the cheaper dentists a little further afield. But don’t get upset about the lower prices and just contact any dentists.

If they have a big fancy office, it’s because they only cater to Americans and charge a lot more than the competition. If you shop around you can find an equally competent dentist who will charge you less for the same work. I have found that there are often two prizes. What they charge an American can be much more than what a regular Mexican pays. That’s why I fell in love with my dentist. They actually post the prices for the work they do on their website. I recently checked out the cost of a porcelain over metal crown at a few other dentists in Tijuana. They wanted to charge $800 total (still way cheaper than San Diego) but my dentist charged me $525 for everything.

2nd location

Find a dentist near the border crossing. What I recommend is taking the trolley to the border. If you’re flying into San Diego, there’s no need to rent a car. If you ask at the information desk in the lobby at baggage claim, you will be directed to where you can catch the 992 bus, which will take you downtown. Tell the shuttle bus driver you want to get off to take the trolley (light rail). He will drop you off in front of the American Plaza train station. (It takes 15 minutes from the airport to the trolley). There, buy a $2.50 ticket from the machine to ride the blue line to San Ysidro , Mexico border.

You just go to the end of the line. As you disembark, you will see a footbridge that you will walk across until you enter Mexico. Once there, you will find dozens of taxi drivers clamoring for your attention. Just grab one. There is someone in front who speaks English, who asks you where you want to go. Just give them the address. My dentist is only 5 minutes away. The website can give you the exact address which you need to copy down and give to the taxi driver. If you call ahead to make your appointment, they will guide you through the appointment. The first time I went they actually sent someone to pick me up.

3. Transportation and Accommodation

If you’re staying in San Diego and want to rent a car, I still recommend parking in the trolley lot and taking it down to Tijuana. I do not recommend driving to Tijuana. All the traffic can make you nervous. If you are looking to stay in San Diego, there are many reasonably priced hotels in Chula Vista off E Street, where you can also take a trolley ride. If you’re a little more adventurous, you might just want to stay in Tijuana. There are many nice hotels that are much cheaper than in San Diego. In fact, there’s a decent hotel, clean but not too many frills, right across from my dentist. However, I like to stay about 15 minutes away, over in Playas de Tijuana, on the beach. There’s a cool walkway with shops and restaurants right on the beach, and I’ve found a cafe that I like to sit and read a book while sipping a frapechino and listening to the breakers. In any case, my dental practice helped me to find a hotel and took care of the booking. I just had to tell them what I wanted.

4. Required Time Frame

I have made several trips to Mexico and had root canals and crowns done in just 5 days. I had crowns without the need for a root canal in 2 days. It costs a little more to let the lab expedite the work, and it’s tiring to sit in the chair for a long time doing everything at once, but it’s possible and worth it. However, I have to say that the dentist needs to look at what needs to be done to find out how long it will take. If you have an infected tooth, you must clear the infection before a root canal can be performed. Nevertheless, the dentist on the phone can give you a good idea of how much time you need to plan. If you live in the San Diego or LA area, it’s much easier to cross the border for multiple visits. But when you fly in, you should allow enough time to get everything done. There are many US citizens vacationing in Mexico today. The last time I was in Tijuana we had a few days and went to Ensenada. I would love to go down and fish in the ocean from a boat next time.

5. Get your travel documents in order

Mexican point of view , entering Mexico is not a problem. Mexican customs will not ask you anything. It comes back to the US who need the documents. Although US Customs will ask you for a US passport as of June 1, 2009 , in practice they will still let you enter the US, just like before, at the border, as long as you have 1st proof of identity a from Government-issued photo ID, e.g. e.g. , a state-issued driver’s license or ID card, and 2. Proof of citizenship, e.g. B. A US birth certificate. There will come a time when US Customs will start enforcing the new rule, so getting a US passport is good, but don’t worry too much if you have a dental emergency. If you live in San Diego or LA, you can get started with your California driver’s license and birth certificate for now. My dentist in Tijuana had patients every week crossing the border back and forth with no passport and no problems.

6. Medium

That’s an important point that I don’t want to forget. It is not necessary to travel to Mexico with lots of cash. I’m just putting a few hundred dollars in my wallet. Dollars are accepted for buying things just like Mexican pesos. However, sometimes you can get a better exchange rate by exchanging some of your money at a ” cambio ” shop. But what I do is just bring my ATM card and get cash at any ATM. The exchange rate at ATMs is usually pretty good. You can pay with your VISA or MASTERCARD in hotels and most restaurants. I only use cash to pay for small things like taxis or food at a taco stand or hamburger joint. Some dentists even accept your credit card for payment. I know mine does. I have found that the amount charged to my card has a good dollar exchange rate.

The dentist I recommend is Sam Dental in Mexico , just south of San Diego, CA. They are extremely honest, very competent, have very low prices and guarantee their work.

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