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I asked if someone would RECOMMEND A DENTIST OR CLINIC.
Last month, tired of the long 5-6 hour one-way drive to Algodones (west of Yuma), for dental work, I switched over to Tijuana, and had some great dental work done at Washington Dental, in a better area of Revolucion Ave., near the Jail Ali Stadium. If you have to stay over, there's some recommendable Hotels nearby, like the Zaragosa or the new 4-star Ticuan.
All the cars in the parking lot of the dental clinic had California license plates, with 10 dentists available, and a host who does all the translating from English to Spanish to English. I had a wisdom tooth pulled, a cleaning and 2 x-rays for $80.
I was in Tijuana about a month, beforehand, and when waiting for the Mexicoach bus on Revolucion, there sat a whole crowd of seniors who had come over for dental work, and from them I got all sorts of referrals, but I picked Washington Dental of all the referrals. If you wish, Google this clinic and you'll get more info on this clinic.
I've been getting dental work for the past 20 years in Mexico. I've developed a great trust in their dentists down there and I wouldn't hesitate to go to get dental work in any Mexican border city, even Juarez.
Algodones, with their 40-50 dental clinics, is chosen by many, including a flood of Canadians, because it's a small town of 30,000 and people seem to think it's safer than the bigger border cities.
Well, I went to Juarez for dental work (I got back Thursday evening), and I got a deep cleaning and one tooth pulled (all on Wednesday morning), and it cost $270. (It would have cost $230 but the dentist-owner 'padded' the bill with an unannounced $40 'consultation fee'. Yeah, right.) And I probably would go to Juarez again, but, unfortunately, not to the clinic I went to. First of all, the dentist I saw was wonderful. He was very gentle, I had virtually no pain, and now that I'm home and recovering from the pulled tooth - I don't have much pain either. (On the other hand, I've had a good number of teeth in my lifetime, and I've never had a problem in any way with any extraction -- not even with wisdom teeth -- so I'm not surprised that I haven't had problems with this one.)
So that's the good news. The bad news is this:
The clinic was MUCH different than its web advertising. In The US, this clinic would be charged (big time) with false advertising. The 'clinic' was in a normal-looking house, down a side street, with no business sign at all. The clinic was very clean, but it was very sparse. There was little dental equipment, and the equipment was very old.** The dental chair I sat in had torn upholstery. All the dentists, the periodontist, and the anesthesiologist that were shown on the web site -- they weren't anywhere around. And when I made my appt (previously, by phone) I told the clinic that I had periodontal disease and wanted to see the periodontist, I was told there would be no problem. Well, like I said, he wasn't there. There were two dentists and two exam/treatment rooms. One dental asst. One dentist (the owner) was acting as the receptionist.
**I was the only patient there all morning long. Then a very well-dressed, well-to-do elderly American couple came in. Her husband was getting a couple of root canals. She said they had been coming to this clinic for years and wouldn't go any place else. (She HAD to be joking?) And I had to laugh when I heard the drill being used on her husband -- I haven't heard a drill that sounded like that in decades.
So whereas I would probably go back to Juarez and try a more popular and larger clinic, I would never go back to this clinic only because of the false advertising and the fact that their equipment was old.
Oh, also, I know that the pharmacist, who I was taken to to get my antibiotics and pain killers (a slightly more potent version of ibuprofen, and I've had only two since Wednesday evening) -- he soaked me for more money than I should have paid, but I wasn't going to argue. I just wanted to get back across the border to good ol' USA.
So that's it in a nutshell. And if anyone wants to know the name of the clinic I went to, PM me, and I'll be glad to give it to you.
Am I going back? Probably not. Only because I need only 3 more teeth pulled and then partials. It isn't cost effective for me to go back to get just 3 teeth pulled. And as for the partials -- I'd rather spend the money on a good prosthodontist here stateside, because I think that I'll get better partials and better-fitting partials here, with a prosthodontist.
But, yes, if I just needed fillings and some teeth pulled and a cleaning (regular or deep) -- I'd go back in a second. Just not to that clinic. However, if I needed root canals and/or implants -- no, I wouldn't let a dentist in Juarez do those. There can be too many problems with root canals and/or implants even here in The US. I'd rather have a dentist close by me rather than 4 hours away, in case something went wrong.
Oh, and one more thing, this is just re Juarez. If I lived in San Diego, I'd go across the border to TJ in a heartbeat for just about anything. It's my understanding the TJ dentistry is much more modern.
Is going to other countries that much cheaper to get dental work done? I'm guessing people must need major dental work and no insurance to consider going out of country. I know there are limits on dental insurance, but there are also dental plans that offer discounts on many dental procedures. I would try price that out first and maybe find a local dentist and compare the prices. People may be surprised on the cost.
Fran: Next time you may want to consider going a little further south to Chihuahua, it can get cheaper the further you go into Mexico. Last time I was in Juarez, curiously, I took the bus south to Chihuahua, a very modern larger city.
Is going to other countries that much cheaper to get dental work done? I'm guessing people must need major dental work and no insurance to consider going out of country. I know there are limits on dental insurance, but there are also dental plans that offer discounts on many dental procedures. I would try price that out first and maybe find a local dentist and compare the prices. People may be surprised on the cost.
Without insurance: a deep cleaning in my city costs $1000. Minimum. The deep cleaning I got in Juarez -- the same exact thing -- I know because I've had them before, here in NM -- was $220.
Since almost all insurance plans have an annual cap of $1000-$1500 -- that doesn't exactly cover much dental treatment each year.
As for the dental plans that offer discounts: my last extraction cost $300 (it was surgical). With my discount plan, it cost $260.
Ya think going out of the country is worth it? 'Duh'.
Fran: Next time you may want to consider going a little further south to Chihuahua, it can get cheaper the further you go into Mexico. Last time I was in Juarez, curiously, I took the bus south to Chihuahua, a very modern larger city.
You know, Chihuahua is closer (not by much) to me than Juarez. But I know very little about the dental treatment there, and I can't find much info on the web either.
If I were to seek dental work outside the USA in a third world country I'd want to know where the doctor was trained and if they did spore testing on their sterilizing equipment nand even is they did sterilize. Also, if they mess up you have zero recouorse in any way.
If I were to seek dental work outside the USA in a third world country I'd want to know where the doctor was trained and if they did spore testing on their sterilizing equipment nand even is they did sterilize. Also, if they mess up you have zero recouorse in any way.
Ok, Blazer, you've made your points. But people have been repeatedly going into TJ and Juarez for decades without any problems. And, yes, of course, there must have been and are some problems -- but there in The US too.
This morning I just got an estimate, from a prosthodontist in ABQ, of $5000 for the work and partials I need. For that price, I can go to TJ, have all my work done, and have a vacation too -- and come home with money.
So I'm thinking about it big time.
I don't know why people think that medical care and dental care are so inferior in other countries. US dentistry and medical care is not exactly at the top of the list for good care.
Ok, Blazer, you've made your points. But people have been repeatedly going into TJ and Juarez for decades without any problems. And, yes, of course, there must have been and are some problems -- but there in The US too.
This morning I just got an estimate, from a prosthodontist in ABQ, of $5000 for the work and partials I need. For that price, I can go to TJ, have all my work done, and have a vacation too -- and come home with money.
So I'm thinking about it big time.
I don't know why people think that medical care and dental care are so inferior in other countries. US dentistry and medical care is not exactly at the top of the list for good care.
Fran
And I hope it works out well for you. I really do.
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