[mooksmom]

Originally Posted by TheLogLady

^Care Credit has been a lifesaver for me.

For the extractions/possible implant, my husband went to Affordable Dentures on Decatur for his extractions and dentures. We were a little leary of going there, as a lot of the Affordable Dentures places across the country have really bad reputations. But so far, they've been really good. The dentists there have taken time with him, and it hasn't felt like a rush-you-in-rush-you-out type of place, which seems to be the complaint with many of them. He's still in his temporaries now, but going back for his permanents soon.

If you don't mind, may I ask how your hubby is doing with his dentures from Affordable Dentures in Decature, GA? I may be going down this same road soon and the comment that you made that he was being taken good care of and that they were not rushing things has me wondering if I should go to GA for mine, too (I'm in Charlotte, NC). I am just trying to keep every tooth I can as a Senior and I have read that some get their new dentures and wish they had done it 20 yrs sooner. I always have taken good care of my teeth, but I am one of those from the 50s when the DDS used to hollow out the whole tooth and put the amalgam into it. It's been one 40+yr micro-fissure after the next for the past 10 yrs and the pain alone had been a nightmare. I am SO afraid of dentures that I might just be with that thought from one family member that had them in the past. Thanks much, in advance for any help/anxiety relief you might give me.

[TheLogLady]

Originally Posted by mooksmom

If you don't mind, may I ask how your hubby is doing with his dentures from Affordable Dentures in Decature, GA? I may be going down this same road soon and the comment that you made that he was being taken good care of and that they were not rushing things has me wondering if I should go to GA for mine, too (I'm in Charlotte, NC). I am just trying to keep every tooth I can as a Senior and I have read that some get their new dentures and wish they had done it 20 yrs sooner. I always have taken good care of my teeth, but I am one of those from the 50s when the DDS used to hollow out the whole tooth and put the amalgam into it. It's been one 40+yr micro-fissure after the next for the past 10 yrs and the pain alone had been a nightmare. I am SO afraid of dentures that I might just be with that thought from one family member that had them in the past. Thanks much, in advance for any help/anxiety relief you might give me.

Oh, sorry, but I don't know about the one in GA. My husband went to Affordable Dentures on Decatur Blvd. in Las Vegas, not in Decatur, GA.

[WestieJeff]

I always wondered how those "dental discount" plans work. I assume the dental office gets zero and it's treated as a marketing tool to get you into the dentist's office.

I looked at the Alpha Dental site, the rates they show are pretty much the same rates my insurance is paying. If they are willing to accept it from my insurance, I don't see why they wouldn't accept it from a dental discount network.

Originally Posted by modhatter

Have you used them? $6.95 a month is a very low premium. Can't help wonder what the quality of work is or how they make up the actual cost. Can you share your experience with them?

[Caltovegas]

I offer dental discount plans. Pay one annual fee and get discounts on procedures. Plans are not insurance.

[delgadobb]

Originally Posted by thewriteway

So that's my insider look on what to look out for in dentistry in Los Algodones. Do not trust anyone, do your own homework.

This.

I was fortunate enough to get referrals from a number of people. I heard similar things; just like in the US, there are good & bad dentists. Do your homework; even though you're saving money, this is your teeth & your mouth. Some of the larger, heavily-advertised & promoted places seem to be 'volume' operations. The guy I found runs a small operation with his brother, specializes in implants (other dentists send implant work to him) & runs a sanitary operation. I did a lot of checking around (time well spent) before selecting the guy I chose & I'm glad I did so.

The work I had done (reworked smile with zirconium crowns up front, extraction, implant, another crown & misc stuff) would have cost me over $12K in the US. There, it cost me less than $3K. (I have a friend who works in a dental office in Salt Lake City that spec'd out exactly what I did - she gave the work 2 thumbs up.) A buddy was traveling with me on a trip to Phoenix so we detoured to Los Algodones (next door to Yuma, AZ) & he also had a ton of work done (several root canals & crowns, some touch-up) for under $3K. A quick example: PFM crowns (most common) were $160 at the place we went to in Los Algodones - here, you'll typically spend $700-1,000 or more for a crown. I believe crowns are still around $400-500 in the US with decent dental insurance.

Needless to say, our savings covered travel expenses & then some ... we also did some shopping for some pharmacy & over the counter stuff you can get there but not here. (Tequila & other alcohol is easy to find as well, tho I didn't buy any on this trip.) Los Algodones is a pretty simple town; it seems to have been built up specifically for US & Canadian tourists. Dentists, pharmacies & optical shops everywhere (street vendors too, selling just about everything ... some phenomenal cheap food)

Even though OP seems to have ruled out Mexico, it can be a great option for a lot of people. When I have time, I plan on starting a new thread with my experience - adding some guidance from a Las Vegas perspective. Previously, I was referred to a guy in Las Vegas with otherwise positive reviews who botched my root canal & crown so I went to Mexico to get the extraction done to fix it. Outside of emergency work, you couldn't talk me into going to a dentist around here.