Wondering if anyone from US has ever had dental work done in Mexico?

Question

I won a trip to LA California which is only 2 hours from the boarder of Tijuana. I had a terrible accident when I was young and broke my jaw and messed up my teeth. They fixed me and my teeth as well as possible, but 30 years has passed and even after spending more than $2000.00 on dental work last year, I continue to have poblems and need what I will call extensive dental work on disability funds. Someone told me about how cheap the dentists work in Mexico while I was in LA and I decided to stay and see what I could find out. I went from LA to Chula Vista which is only a few miles from the boarder and rented a room from a lady at the cost of $20 per day. After consulting with upwards of ten dentists, I chose an office run by a family of 2 brothers and a sister who all speak English and all specialize in something different .l have had a tooth extracted which the dentist said was bothering me because when a root canal was done in the states they went sideways and punctured a hole in the side of the molar. The extraction was thirty dollars. I was having problems with an eye tooth that had the root broken 30 years ago and surgery done at that time to save it. However, it had turned very dark now and because the bottom part of the root had been removed because it was broken, I was afraid I would loose it as well. However the brother that specializes in root canals took X-rays and said after doing calculations that he could do a root canal and cap and save the tooth. The root canal was $80, and feels fine. The cap will be between $150 and $300, depending on the type. I have an appointment to go back on Tuesday for more work. They will be taking off an old bridge this time that has decay under it. I feel estatic! I have a lot of trust in them, maybe too much! It seems that it has come down to a point of saving my teeth while I am here or loosing them because of the cost of dental in the states. Has anyone had good or bad experiences with dental work in Mexico or know someone who has? I want to know what you think of the choice I have made to this point!

Patty

Answer 1

Mexican Dentist and Doctors,are very good.They are more caring than U.S. doctors only interested in the Mercedes payment.

Answer 2

Location of the practicing dentist doesn't necessarily mean they are unqualified. That being said you shouldn't trust them, just because they seem trusting. As con artists wouldn't be very good at their job if they weren't. Check their credentials, ask them of their experience, and check up if they are honest or not. I doubt very much anyone here can tell you definitely one way or the other.

Answer 3

There are fine dentists in Mexico and there are also really bad ones. The hard part is telling which is which.  You have no legal recourse if a dentist commits malpractice.  If someone messes up then you won't be able to sue, you'll just have to suffer.  No dentist in the USA is going to stand behind work you get in Mexico.  If a crown breaks or comes off or something goes wrong, its going to be a major hassle to get back to the Mexican dentist to help you out.  I am a dentist myself and I have heard stories about Mexican dentistry that are not good.  I've heard of patients coming back with their teeth so messed up from awful crowns and fillings that they ended up losing all of them and getting dentures.  If you want to save money on dental work in this country, see if your dentist will give you a break on fees and work out a financial plan for you.  You may be surprised what you can work out.  

Mark Morris

Chicago, IL