Dental Trip to Mexico
Posted on : Aug-28-2011 | By : Barbie | In : Dentist
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Just received this note from Middle Son, Steve, through Skype, about his Dental Experience a couple of days ago and thought immediately I need to share it with my readers:
“Hi Mom, I wanted to send you a quick message about how happy I was about my 6 month check up and my last trip to the Gator Dental Group in Los Algodones, Mexico, near Yuma.
“I made my appointment with Rosalba, one of their receptionists, who speaks perfect English, earlier in the month at (928-377-4562). I keep one of their Gator Dental Group business cards in my passport, both for ease of access and to remind me to take my passport with me.
“Since it is summer time, their business is kind of slow, so I had my choice of days and times. I made the trip from Los Angeles in good time through the beautiful Imperial Valley again.
“I got an early start and arrived ready for yet another adventure in Mexico in the early afternoon. After parking in the designated parking lot on the American side, and walking a short distance, I was heartedly greeted at the front door of the office by Leo, one of the young men who hand out the dentist’s business cards as you go by on the street, and who is a great translator and who also acts as a host for the Gator Dental office, My friend Leo greeted me and I was ushered straight in to the dentist’s chair.
“I had one little chip in the back of my front porcelain veneer and the dentist asked me if I wanted it replaced. I thought it could just be patched so that’s what he did. A quick patch and a clean exam and I was finished with the dentist in about 15 minutes. And I was only charged $30. A fair price I thought for the service.
“Since I had the rest of the afternoon and didn’t have to meet my brother Chris until later that night, Leo took me next door to the Green Room Bar and Grill, where I enjoyed a couple of beers and many, many games of pool in the cool air conditioning! I was careful and didn’t have too many beers because I did have to drive to Phoenix, plus in the heat, drinks can affect you differently, especially if you get dehydrated in the heat. So I drank bottled ice tea too.
“I had a great afternoon of playing pool with all of the guys who normally run the numerous businesses of the town, at the many dentists and optometrists in Los Algodones. After saying my goodbyes to the guys and to my host Leo, I grabbed a sandwich, chips and cold bottled water and my allotted liter of Kahlua at the Purple Pharmacy on my short walk to the border crossing. I was the only “Norte Americano” going back home that day in the heat so I had no waiting to cross – this is when you must have your passport – to enter the United States of America.
“So I had a great experience at Gator again. Much thanks to Rosalba, Leo and Doctor Edgar, for another inexpensive dental checkup and fix.”
Additional from Barbie: there are many, many dentists and opticians in Algodones, and lots of pharmacies to boot…so plan on taking care of a couple of your needs with one trip if possible. Every penny saved is a penny earned – and I don’t know about you, but it’s been a real long time since Dick and I got a raise in our Social Security – so – make those pennies stretch! Here’s more info about Dental prices in Mexico: Click here and Click here.
Dentist Article by Barbie
I had a similar experience last year in Tequis. The dentist was great and I had a lot of ork done. 2 extractions 7 croens and a redo of both my uper and lower partial plates. Total cost was just under $1,150.00 usd ( another way of putting it a free trip to Mexico). With allof that work I ever felt a thing and the longest wait toeat anything like meat was when he had to send out for the new partials. He speaks very little english, but we have friends there and my wife speaks perfect Spanish. Some day she will relent and we will move there.
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Barbie Reply:
September 4th, 2011 at 3:32 pm
Thanks so much for this info, Larry – hope James, who needs the implants reads this too. Barbie
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I’m retired on SS. Worried about cost to have several implants done.Impossible here in Fl. Any info appreciated!
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Barbie Reply:
September 4th, 2011 at 3:30 pm
Hi James – Know just exactly what you mean. About 4 months ago, I had two implants started – in Algodones, Mexico. That means I had the bone in my jaw drilled to accept a screwed in “screw” – that in about 2 more month’s time will hold the finished “teeth” that will be glued onto the screw. The six month’s time gap is because the bone in my jaw will grow around the screw and secure it and then the top “pretty” tooth can be put in place and at that time, I will have what is actually a new tooth in my head – well, I’ll have two new teeth – back right side. They will then be treated just like a real tooth – brushed, cleaned, and used to chew!! I’ve been chewing only on the left side for a while now – can’t wait until I can chew properly again. The price of an implant is usually divided into two sections – mine was $600 each for the drilling and the screw, and then will hopefully be no more than $175 for the finished teeth. Quite a bit of saving, when you see the advertisments around for implants. When I first checked into implants, almost 11 years ago, the price in Arizona was $9000 each. Dick and I went to a seminar, well-attended by people with real problems – why other would anyone be interested in such an expensive project? And I think the most disgusting part of that whole evening was when the dentist conducting the seminar convinced a gentleman – I’d guess his age at 78 – to have his whole mouth done with transplants. The gentleman said he couldn’t afford that and the dentist’s reply was “Don’t worry about that – we finance”. This gentleman was going to his grave (in my opinion) with a mouth full of teeth after making exhorbitant payments to those dentists who were going to charge big interest on that loan, and still have huge bills to pass on to his heirs…how sad – and how disgusting that a dentist would even suggest such a thing! That was the begining of Dick’s and my exploring the possibilities of Mexican dentists – and we are very happy we can take advantage of those possibilities. So – guess my answer has grown into a seminar itself :) I did have a lady in Florida, several years ago contact me – through this site – and ask about dentists – just like you. She decided she would bring her daughter on a cross-country vacation, get her dental work done in Mexico, and still have money to put in her pocket, when she compared the cost her dentist had quoted her and the amount she would have to pay in Mexico for the same stuff. You do have to remember that implants will take two trips. But, I could take one heck of a vacation on a whole lot less even than $9000. I’m sure the costs of implants has gone down, but last time I checked they were still several thousand each. Good luck. And – read all my articles here about dentists – you’ll feel better. Barbie
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It seems like that finally you have found the right one who cares your teeth within a reasonable price.
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