[cacio]

Hopefully they will be! As much info as I can gather would be great. I don't want to head to the wrong person down there.
When I go I'll report back as well with my experience. It's hard to sift through all the info on Google.

[Raiderman]

Originally Posted by cacio

Hopefully they will be! As much info as I can gather would be great. I don't want to head to the wrong person down there.
When I go I'll report back as well with my experience. It's hard to sift through all the info on Google.

Out of curiosity, is there a reason why you don't use one of the hundreds of dentists here?

[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by Raiderman

Out of curiosity, is there a reason why you don't use one of the hundreds of dentists here?

I'm guessing that it's because Mexican healthcare is considerably less expensive than Las Vegas. Otherwise, we wouldn't get the regular posts asking for how to get free dentistry at dental schools.

[cacio]

Originally Posted by Raiderman

Out of curiosity, is there a reason why you don't use one of the hundreds of dentists here?

Money, plain and simple. Why spend $700+ on a crown when I can get it done for $160.

[tijlover]

I stopped going to Algodones due to the long 2-lane (no freeway south) road drive down there, which, for me, is difficult to achieve in less than 5-6 hours, one way! Lots of RV's on those 2-lane roads, and dangerous to pass. Yes, you can fly to Yuma, rent a car and drive the 6-7 miles over there, and I've heard there are motels in Yuma which cater do Algodones dental tourists, who will shuttle you over there, don't know which motels they are. Algodones attracts any number of Canadian dental tourists as well.

I had an awesome dentist there, Dr. Eduardo Ruiz, and he only charged me $160 for my last crown, and he was honest enough to give me the pro's and con's of dental implants, and deterred me from getting one, opting for the crown instead. No problem with it, and it's been 3-4 years now! His address is Callejon Alamo #137. Most dentists in Algodones have Yuma telephone #'s, no need to make an international call to them.

I found that the dental clinics closest to the Border are more expensive, and you save money by seeking out dentists a block or 2 south of the Border.

I'm now back to utilizing dentists in Tijuana. Why? It's a quick one hour flight to San Diego, and a 45 minute light rail trip to the Border, and from there you can either take a cab to the dental clinic, or merely walk it. And, quite possible, fly down in the morning, fly back in the afternoon or early evening!

The dental clinic I now use is Washington Dental on Revolution Avenue, near the Jai Alai stadium, and they'll even arrange to pick you up at the Border and take you back to the Border. They have a number of dentists working there, parking lot with most cars with California license plates. My last trip there, a tooth extracted, 2 x-rays, and a cleaning for $80!

And to lessen the cost of your trip, take your prescrips along (not needed if your meds are not controlled substances) and it'll help pay for the trip!

Any number of dental tourists opt for Algodones (30-40 dental clinics in that town) because the town in smaller (30,000 people?) and they feel it's safer than Tijuana or Mexicali. If you're scared off by Tijuana, then do Algodones!

As for needing a passport, ask a custom agent before you enter and say: I left my passport at home, will I be allowed to re-enter the U.S., or merely say you don't have one, and see what they have to say! Last time I posed that question, the agent laughed in my face, and slapped his wrist! Get it?

[jadedlady]

I did do some research already on dentists in TJ and then looked at airfare to San Diego. It was $81 each way a couple days ago. Plus I started researching hotels there on TripAdvisor. They're cheap too. A good one is about $80/night. Some more, some less. I didn't know about the light rail to the border. I had heard about the dentist's office coming to pick you up. I need probably 3 crowns and 1 implant or I don't know what because there's not enough tooth left to re-crown. And that's just what I already know about. I haven't been to a dentist in almost 2 years, except for one consult here that I wasn't happy with and paid $85 for. So I don't know yet if I would get it all done at one time or exactly what yet. But I am definitely thinking about going and will continue to do my research. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread. I will check those recommendations out.

March sounds good to me also and I would definitely consider going with another person or more. Let's everyone who is considering going seriously subscribe to this thread and keep each other posted.

[Scott456]

dental implants require more than one trip, it is usually not done in one visit. You can get those "express" implants, but with higher risk of failure.

[cacio]

Thanks for the reply Tijlover.
How is the pricing structure in Tijuana compared to Algodones? From quick searches it seems much more expensive there.
If it was similar pricing then I'd love to go to Tijuana as I want any excuse to go to San Diego. It'd be nice to get a few days there.

I had a look for the dentist you recommended in Algodones but couldn't find him.

[tijlover]

I tend to avoid the dental clinics with the splashy websites, with emphasis on their ability to speak English, as they tend to be more expensive. At Washington Dental, in TJ. there's an in-house interpreter who translates everything you say to the dentist in English and vice versa.

The first clinic I came to in Algodones, right at the Border, was pushing me to get a root canal for $600. Further into the city, the estimates got cheaper: $400. The 4th clinic I went to is the one where the dentist said I had enough tooth left for a crown, and steered me away from having a root canal, and have had no regrets.

The dentist I was seeing in TJ, back in the 90's, didn't speak any English, he was off the beaten track in Tijuana, in an unremarkable building/office, and I had a crown put in there for $60 back in 2000, and a crown has a lifespan of roughly 10 years, and I had that replaced in Algodones a couple years ago. I stopped seeing him because he had developed Parkinson's Disease.

So, it's tough, I know, shopping around, trying to get the cheapest price with the highest quality work. Decision-making can be very stressful!

I stumbled across Washington Dental, waiting to take the Mexicoach bus back to the border/San Ysidro, and at the bus stop were a whole crowd of dental tourists, mostly seniors, all handed me cards for this or that dental clinic, with numerous recommendations in TJ.

I've had dental work done, while traveling to El Salvador, Bolivia and Argentina, and there it's even cheaper! I had a crown put in on a 2009 trip to Argentina which set me back $60, and have had no problem with it eversince.

I will DM you with the phone # for that dentist I used in Algodones!

[cacio]

A lot of great info in that post. Thank you for taking the time to write it.
I'm definitely not nervous about going to get my teeth done but it's nice to hear some firsthand experience too.