By A. Galvin
LOS ALGODONES, Mexico
(AP) — Mark Bolzern traveled 3,700 miles to go to the dentist. The 56-year-old
Anchorage, Alaska, native left home this spring, made a pit stop in Las Vegas
to pick up a friend, and kept heading south, all the way to Los Algodones, Mexico,
a small border town teeming with dental offices.
About 60 percent of
Americans have dental insurance coverage, the highest it has been in decades.
But even so, the nation's older population has been largely left behind. Nearly
70 percent of seniors are not insured, according to a study compiled by Oral
Health America.
A major reason is
because dental care is not covered by Medicare and many employers no longer
offer post-retirement health benefits. What's more, the Affordable Care Act
allows enrollees to get dental coverage only if they purchase general health
coverage first, which many seniors don't need. At the same time, seniors often
require the most costly dental work, like crowns, implants and false teeth.
As a result, many are
seeking cheaper care in places like Los Algodones, Tijuana & Puerto
Vallarta where Mexican dentists who speak English offer lower prices for
everything from a cleaning to implants. Dentists in Los Algodones say a large
portion of their clients are seniors.
In the desert outpost
near the border of California and Arizona, men in white shirts stand outside of
offices with signs advertising root canals and teeth cleanings.
For Bolzern, seeing a
dentist in Los Algodones meant a savings of up to $62,000. He was told the
extensive dental work he needed — his teeth needed to be raised and he needed a
crown on every molar — would cost $65,000 at a private dentist. He looked for
lower rates, finding a dental school where the work was less expensive because
it was performed by students. But it still cost $35,000.
He paid $3,000 in Mexico
and has been back several times.
The cost of dental care has surged in the last two decades and continues to increase at a rate of 5 percent annually. Many dental plans have high deductibles and don't offer extensive coverage. Many people opt out.
Mexico has lower costs
because of cheaper labor and fewer regulatory requirements. Residents in border
towns like El Paso, Texas and San Diego California, often make the short drive
to the Mexican side for basic medical needs and prescription medications that
are much costlier in the U.S.
Going abroad for cheaper
health care is nothing new. Americans have been doing it for years, for
everything from elective, cosmetic procedures to major, life-saving surgery.
Matthew Messina, a
practicing dentist and consumer adviser on behalf of the American Dental
Association, said Americans who visit dentists in foreign countries should do a
lot of research before they go.
Different countries use
different types of equipment, and some items, such as implants, may not have
warranties. Malpractice lawsuits may not be an option.
Aiti Gutierrez left her
home in the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico, 1,400 miles away, to practice in a Los
Algodones office that has four patient rooms and a lobby with a water-stacked
mini-fridge. In the busy season, the dentista sees about a dozen patients a
day, and 12-hour work days aren't unusual.
"They like to feel
comfortable and that they're safe," Gutierrez said of her clients.
-end
Editor's comments:
When visiting a dentist in Los Algodones or elsewhere in Mexico, you can
be safe and comfortable knowing you will be getting the best dentistry if you
go with a Board
Certified Mexico Dentist Association recommended dentist. Their association dentists all have
many years of advanced dental college training in their specialties.
- You can also check if your dentist in Mexico is board certified easily with them. Just email Board Certified Mexico Dentist Association at: certifiedmexdentist@gmail.com
- Most dentists in border towns are all general dentists are far less-trained in the procedures many dental tourists require.
- If you plan on flying - take a real dental vacation for a few bucks more in airfare and go to Cabo, Puerto Vallarta or Tijuana (stay and play in San Diego).
Los Algodones is over-rated and the same low prices are available everywhere in Mexico. Los Algos is fine if you live within driving distance of the border, but not anyplace you want to vacation for a week while the dentist and lab do their work. -ed
COMMENTS: Share you Mexico denture adventures with our readers. The good and the not so... Your thoughtful and helpful comments are appreciated. All comments will be moderated. -ed
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