REVIEW OF LOS ALGODONES DENTAL CLINICS - From Cantinas to Cavities. Isn't there some other place? KPBS Radio News

Los Algodones Dentists Offer Cheap Dentistry in Mexico 

Reposted from KPBS Radio News

 LOS ALGODONES, MEXICO — The first time Mike Negle walked across the U.S.-Mexico border to Los Algodones, near Yuma, Arizona, he was instantly surrounded by salesmen who screamed they had the best deal, the best offer or the best price. They reminded Negle of hawkers in open markets in the U.S. who sold tomatoes or knock-off designer sunglasses. But these men weren’t selling tomatoes or sunglasses.

The sidewalk hawkers were selling root canals..

“There’s a guy standing right at the gate by the border,” Negle explained. “He says, ‘I got good dentistry, come with me,’ and he’ll actually walk you over to the dentist and then they’ll give you an estimate."

"And then when you walk out of that door, someone else will grab you up and take you to another dentist down the road, and then maybe they’ll knock 20 bucks off, maybe beat the price by some,” he said.

Tomato markets aside, Negle wasn’t used to doing business like this. Like most Americans, he’d always chosen his doctors and dentists not because of cost, but because of coverage — as in, did his insurance plan cover a provider or not?

Negle drives tractor-trailers. He has since 1984. Over the years, he admits to eating a lot of roadside food and not making a lot of trips to the dentist. So by the time he went to see his dentist in Fargo, North Dakota, he was told it would take $20,000 to quell his many toothaches. Instead, Negle looked for other options.

“Know where to find a good dentist in Mexico?” he asked someone he met on the road.

“Yes. Go to Los Algodones,” she said.

Which he did. Negle made eight trips in six months for a total of four root canals, four crowns, five fillings, a teeth cleaning, a deep cleaning, and laser whitening. He’s not done. Soon, he’ll also get two new implants and a permanent bridge.

This was going to cost $20,000 in the United States. In Mexico, it cost him $5,800.

The reasons for this incredible discrepancy in price are many: It is cheaper to live in Mexico. Mexican dentists don’t have to buy malpractice insurance and they generally don’t have to track down reimbursements from insurance companies. 

Essentially, the market sets the bottom line. Which means that along the border, it is a constant race to the bottom to lower and lower prices. 

LOS ALGODONES DENTIST REVIEWS & FORUM 2015-16 by Dental Tourism News Today.

Los Algodones dentist prices, quality and alternatives 

Read what patients say about dentists in Los Algodones and Mexico dental tourism from Certified Doctors & Dentists Internationale'   www.certifieddentsts.org/

     


The following Los Algodones dentist reviews were submitted to Certified Doctors & Dentists Internationale during 2015-16.  

1.    From Steve S.

My wife and I have been going to Los Algodones for 12 years. Used to live in So. Cal and had a getaway place in AZ. Everybody we met in AZ went to Algodones. We have had major work done and have saved thousands. Never had a problem. Now we live in Hawaii and it is STILL cheaper to go to Algodones. 

In June I needed work that in Hawaii or California (prices about the same) would have been about $16,000. We flew to CA, rented a car, visited friends and had the work done by our dentist in Algodones. Dental work: $2600; flight (for both of us): $900; rental car: $500. Savings: $12,000.

When the snowbirds are down south, approximately 10-15,000 of them cross over for dental work. One time we had to go in the Winter (for a root canal) and it took us 2 1/2 hours to get back across the border. The line was blocks long. In the summer there is no line to get back.”

Cabo and Puerto Vallarta dentists report seeing patients from Hawaii, Maine, Alaska and Florida and everywhere in between.  And from one end of Canada to the other.  Los Algodones draws patients primarily from the Southwest and Midwest. And dental prices everywhere in Mexico are about the same with Cancun and Cabo being about 5-10% higher than the others due to the higher cost of living in a resort town. Tijuana/San Diego dentists are priced comparable to Los Algos dentists.  -ed

2.    Mad Mike

Absolutely NOTHING on this earth has skyrocketed more than the price of basic dental care in the US in the past 35 years. A filling that cost $20 35 years ago--now it it is 10x that amount (or more). I had a crown that cost $65 (and I still have it) back then. Now it is $2000.

WAGES have certainly NOT gone up that much in 35 years. Ridiculous. This is fast becoming a country where only the very rich will be able to afford basic dental care (and dental insurance usually only pays about a third of the cost). Just pure greed. You can't do it yourself, so they just (expletive deleted) you.

LOS ALGODONES, Mexican Dental Tourism Mecca (AP)

 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.

PANORAMIC X-RAY - What is it and how much? My dental implant dentist said I need one..

My dentist said to get a pano..  A what?   

(It's not some kind of Italian bread or pantyhose)

Article by Medical & Dental Tourism writer David Mandich 

Don’t panic over a pano. This strange new (since 1985) x-ray is commonly used by dental specialists for evaluating a patient’s oral condition before deciding on procedures. 

If you are thinking about having serious dentistry such as dental implants or a dental makeover – and you are want to go abroad to see a dentist in Mexico or someplace  exotic in Asia – your specialist dentist may request a panoramic x-ray. 

Panoramic radiograph x-rays show an ear to ear 180 degree view of the patient’s jaws and all the teeth as well as much of the head and neck anatomy.

The machine used is different than the standard x-ray unit as the patient generally stands while the x-ray unit travels on a semi-circular track around the patient’s head.

A pano will show in greater detail impacted wisdom teeth, bone loss, often sources of dental pain caused by tmj (temporomandibular) disorder, oral trauma and orthodontic assessments necessary for oral surgery.

The image quality is vastly superior to conventional film-based systems and of great importance to oral surgeons and maxillofacial specialists in assessing a patient’s suitability for conventional, mini dental implants, or other procedures. 

Cone 3D Technology is a new advancement to digital pano devices.

The panoramic apparatus slowly rotates 180 degrees around the patient's head taking the x-ray

Get a pano from a specialist at home in advance or have one made in your dental vacation destination (assuming you are not going to Timbuktu). The costs will range from $150us to $300 in the US, Canada or Australia vs. $30 to $65 by a dentist in Manila or Puerto Vallarta Mexico using the same pano x-ray units.

It doesn't matter whether you have your pano made in New York, Cabo or Manila. 

It's simply a matter of cost and convenience.

• What does matter is having the assessment for implants or other surgeries and the eventual dentistry performed by a board certified dentist.
• In many developing nations - (Mexico, Thailand etc.) General dentists untrained and un-certified for anything other than drilling and filling teeth are permitted to attempt advanced dentistry learning as they go at your expense (read that line again).
• The pano will help the dentist to determine if you will be a suitable candidate for implants or not.

Dental Tourism: Your best option or a successful dental vacation is to have a consultation and pano made back home and sent to a board certified dentist in Mexico, Asia or elsewhere for their opinion and estimate. Then compare the two.

If  you have already decided to head for Puerto Vallarta or Tijuana/San Diego for your denture adventure and want to save $2-300 on the consultation and pano at home - just wing it to your preferred dental travel destination and  have the pano and consultation there.

All on 4 prosthesis - can use mini or conventional (longer) implants.

·  With a pano to study the dentist can often recommend several options for you including conventional dental implants, mini implants, One-Day, 4 in 1, implant secured dentures, traditional dentures and others. 

A complete exam for determining your suitability for maxillofacial or dental implant surgery includes includes the panoramic x-ray, an in-chair examination where the doctor will check your gum health, bone density, sinus capacity, movability of your teeth and a general health assessment.

Not everyone is a candidate for dental implants - advanced age, heavy smoking, diabetes and other issues are mitigating factors.  Your specialist dentist will be able to recommend the best solution to your needs reviewing the pano and completing a clinical (in-chair) exam. 

For Board Certified Dentists in Mexico and Asia for advanced dental procedures such as oral surgery, full-mouth oral restorations, cosmetic dentistry, dental implants visit Certified Dentists Internationale' for free estimates and referrals to dentists in the most popular dental vacation destinations.  www.certifieddentists.org/

Author David Mandich writes about dental tourism for Board Certified Dentists Internationale'

Contact him if you have any questions about dental tourism in Mexico or Asia. 

email: www.angelsworte@gmail.com

url: www.angelswrote.wordpress.com 

Dental Tourism News Today

Copyright all Rights Rerserved - Todos los derechos reservados - Dental Tourism News Today. This article may be republished so long as all credit and links remain. 

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MY DENTIST WANTS ME TO HAVE A PANORAMIC X-RAY - WHAT IS THIS?  

AND WHERE, WHY AND HOW MUCH?

Article by Cabo writer David Mandich 

If you are thinking about having serious dentistry like dental implants or a dental makeover – and you are thinking of going abroad to see a dentist in Mexico or someplace more  exotic like  Asia – your specialist at home or abroad may ask for a panoramic x-ray. Don’t panic over a pano.

This strange new (well, since 1985) x-ray is a normal x-ray used by specialists for evaluating a patient’s oral condition. 

FIND THE BEST DENTIST IN MEXICO Cabo, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, Tijuana, Los Algodones Review by Travel Writer David Mandich

The best dentists in Mexico - whether in Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Tijuana, Cancun or Los Algodones will always be Board Certified Dentists. They cost the same a far-less skilled general dentists. You don't have to accept 2nd best dentists in Mexico.

By David Mandich,  Mexico Travel Writer

Photo - Cabo San Lucas Bay from Pedregal by David Mandich 

Lets talk about Mexican dentists. Quality can be problematic and here’s why. General dentists in Mexico untrained in dental implants, cosmetic dentistry, root canals etc. can legally attempt advanced dental procedures by practicing on unsuspecting patients. Did that wake you up?  If not, read it again. 

This situation is not the result of any conspiracy, or criminality – just less consumer protection laws. It used to be the same situation in the US many decades ago.  But the Mexican government does not get in the way of any general dentists in Mexico who want to learn advanced dentistry the old-fashioned way – by trial and error on their patients (that’s you, me and Jose').

But it gets worse - especially in the smaller Mexican border towns. There you can find many clinics which prey on desperate US patients operated by illegal alien unlicensed dentists from Central America (and the USA), dental school drop-outs,  dental technicians and worse – clinics operated by businessmen and American Insurance companies stocked with dental school grads doing (attempting) specialist work at minimal wages.

May God protect you if you get one of those nice young dentists learning root canals at your expense.

11 TIPS FOR A PERFECT DENTAL VACATION - And how to avoid a dental tourism disaster

It's been called a Dental Vacation, Dental Holidays, Dental Travel and Dental Tourism..  But call it what you will, it can be a great way to save money while taking a vacation, or it can be your worst nightmare in a dentist chair  

By David de Los Angeles

Here's how to avoid starring in your own dental vacation horror show:

 1.  Get estimates from Board Certified Dentists who are certified for your procedures. They cost the same as less trained general dentists who would love to learn advanced dentistry at your expense. 

2.  Choose dentists who speak your language.  So you won't need to know how to say “Take it easy doc!”  in  Spanish, Thai or Mandarin. Most foreign board certified dentists speak English fairly well.

3.  Avoid commercial dental broker agencies like WhatEver Dentist, Flacid Way, Dentist-A-GoGo etc. They list any dentists who pay their fees including non-certified general dentists with fake credentials angling for big treatment patients. 

DID THE AZTECS INVENT COSMETIC DENTISTRY? National Geographic

National Geographic - Mexico City:

Some dentists today cater to fashionistas by inlaying real diamonds on the surface of front teeth. The ancient Mexicans were inlaying turquoise and other semi-precious stones 1,000's of years ago. Today 1,000's of American and Canadian dental tourists visit Mexican cosmetic dentists annually for dental makeovers, crowns, veneers and other treatment they might not be able to afford back home.

Archaeologists recently reported finding a 4,900-year-old burial site in Mexico that had one of the oldest known examples of dental work in the Americas.

The upper front teeth of the remains had been ground down so they could be mounted with animal teeth, possibly wolf or panther teeth, for ceremonial purposes, according to researchers led by Tricia Gabany-Guerrero of the University of Connecticut.

“It’s like he was using the mouth of some other animal in his mouth,” explained James Chatters, an archaeologist and paleontologist with AMEC Earth and Environmental Inc. in Seattle, Wash., and a member of the research team.

Such modifications, typically using beasts of prey, became more common centuries later in the Maya culture, Chatters said in a telephone interview, but this is the earliest example that has been found.

YOUR COSMETIC DENTIST COULD BE ONE OF THE 3 STOOGES

The American Dental Association says cosmetic dentistry is not a dental specialty, so anyone can call themselves a Cosmetic Dentist in the US.  Even the 3 Stooges could have - 

In the US - cosmetic dentistry is not an American Dental Association (ADA) recognized specialty and any dentist can purchase a dental whitening machine, double their prices overnight and call themselves a 'Cosmetic Dentist.' Some join cosmetic dentist associations and hang their membership certificates on their salon wall for added credibility. 

Virtually anyone can join some of these cosmetic dental associations. Dental students, dental lab technicians, dental suppliers, general dentists and even the 3 Stooges would be welcome so long as they paid the membership fee. 

Consumer protection laws in the US have not caught on to the cosmetic dentistry gimmick that many general dentists in the US use to promote themselves with.  How can they be charged with misrepresentation when cosmetic dentistry does not exist as a specialty field in the eyes of the American Dental Association?

You don't always know what you are going to get when you see a cosmetic dentist in the States... because there are not any ADA recognized certification boards, dental college advanced degrees or standards for the field.

True cosmetic dentistry as found in many countries outside the USA can involve dental implantology, periodontics, endondontics and other fields with an emphasis on aesthetics as well as functionality. 

In the US a general dentist is not permitted to perform implants or crowns unless they have graduated from the appropriate dental specialist school. But they can (and do) call themselves cosmetic dentists with carefree abandon because the specialty per the ADA - does not exist.

In Mexico general dentists are permitted to learn advanced dentistry such as dental implants, oral surgery etc. at the patients expense and peril. (Read that again).  No dentist anywhere, any place,  on either side of the border can call themselves Board Certified unless they are without risking the loss of their license. Board certification is your best guarantee that you will be getting a professional who is fully trained, tested and accredited for the specific procedures you need.

To become a certified cosmetic dentist In Mexico, one has to attend a dental specialist college for another 2 years beyond the 4 years of basic dental college (and 1 year public service in a government clinic).

Board Certification comes after graduating from dental specialist college and taking the Board exams - written, lab demonstrative and oral. Less than 1% of dentists are Board Certified. They are the best of the best and the ones you want when you go on your dental vacation abroad.

Best of all, board certified dentists often cost the same as far-less trained general dentists in Mexico and elsewhere offshore. That's due to the increased competition from all the un-certified dentists attempting complicated dentistry by winging it.  That's a good deal for the patient so long as they end up in a board certified dentists chair.

Mexican dental horror stories are true. And usually caused by general dentists attempting procedures they have no business doing. It used to be that way in the US before the advent of stronger consumer protection laws regulating dentists. 

Board Certified Dentists Internationale CDI helps with referrals, estimates  and dental travel information without cost to patients and features top certified dentists in Mexico, Asia and Europe.

Board Certified Dentists Internationale' is the outgrowth of the recent merger of the Mexico City Board Certified Mexico Dentist Association and the Board Certified Asia Dental Association in Manila.

Visit: www.certifieddentists.org/


By David Mandich 

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Dental Tourism in Danger of Getting a Black Eye...

Certified Dentists Internationale Combats Bad Dental Tourism - Most dental tourism patients have a great experience, but some don't. And here's why.

By Sandra Jamala

Board Certified Asia Dental Association

Dental tourism today faces new challenges according to Ms. Carla Helena Sanchez the new Director of Certified Dentists Internationale.

“The expanding dental tourism industry is in danger of getting a black eye with many dental tourism websites and dental travel brokers promoting any dentist who is willing to pay their annual membership fees. The dentist membership fees can cost $1,500us or more per year and generate much valued high treatment patients for dentists in developing nations. 

The websites cannot possibly screen the credentials of the 1,000’s of dentists some agencies claim to list.  Consumers are often getting shoddy work from general dentists anxious to bag lucrative treatments by misrepresenting their qualifications to unsuspecting dental tourists."

HOW TO AVOID FAKE DENTISTS IN MEXICO - by the Board Certified Mexico Dentist Association

How to find & qualify the best dentists in Mexico & avoid the pretenders.  

Dentistry in Mexico is affordable.  Everyone knows that. 

But American and Canadian dental patients need to know what Mexican patients know about dentists in Mexico..


 Dental tourists from the USA and Canada need to be aware that things are not always the same in Mexico as back home. 

There are 4 kinds of dentists in Mexico. Board Certified Dentists are the best, next are certified dentists, then general dentists and 3rd are all the pretenders. Guess who gets the most business and does the most harm?

Here's the issue and most dental tourism patients are clueless about it. General dentists in Mexico with only basic dental education are permitted to attempt advanced dental procedures learning as they go by practicing on their patients. If you are not awake yet, read that last line again!

This is the most problematic of all the issues regarding Mexican dental tourism. This practice of general dentists attempting advanced dentistry on unsuspecting patients is a violation of consumer protection laws in most developed countries - but legal in many developing nations like Mexico. 

Anyone can call themselves a "Specialist" in Mexico.  

Even the guy selling tacos on the corner or the girls in the cantina can (and do) call themselves specialists. And be aware that general dentists in Mexico without any training in advanced dentistry can call themselves specialists in implants or cosmetic dentistry.  If you aren't into rolling dice, find a Board Certified Specialist Dentist. Then have a margarita and everything will be fine. 

The word "specialist" means nothing.  But Board Certified means everything.

To be Certified, the dentist has to graduate from 4 years of basic dental college, then attend another 2-6 years of specialist college. Endodontics (root canals) is 2 years more, implants, oral surgery - 3-4 more  years.  That dentist is now a Certified Dentist in their particular field of specialty. 

But stop for a moment and consider. Using a certified dentist who didn't take the boards can be compared to hiring a lawyer who didn't take the bar exam. If you want the best - get a Board Certified Dentist. If the new Certified Dentist specialist is really top drawer, they will study for the Board Exams - written, lab and oral exams given by a panel of experts in their chosen specialty.

Selecting a Board Certified  Dentist in Mexico is absolutely your best guarantee that the work will be done safely, and to international professional standards. You can find Board Certified Dentists in Mexico trained and accredited in all the American and Mexican recognized dental specialties. General dentists and many so-called "especialistas" in Mexico are usually not formally trained or certified in any specialties.

Avoid dentists in white jackets bearing cheap dental implants from China. 

With a board certified dentist in Mexico you don't get fake specialists or general dentists learning advanced dentistry such as dental implants at your expense. And no pretenders such as lab techs, dental school drop-outs or unlicensed illegal alien dentists from Central America or the US (really!). Small border towns are infamous for these dental predators.

Undocumented fake dentists in some border towns prey on desperate American patients. The Mexican health authorities to their credit close the clinics down from time to time but they pop back up again. Trusting foreign patients are easy money. 

Many foreign patients have unwittingly spent many 1,000's of dollars on implants and makeovers by a general dentist or other pretenders only to have the work redone at a later date due to infections, misalignment, poor quality implants, inexpensive adhesives or crown material etc.

Your dentist back home may warn (scare, intimidate, educate) you on the consequences of seeing a dentist in Mexico and there is some truth to what is being said. But these scare tactics always omit the good experiences of the 1,000's of patients seeing quality board certified dentists in Mexico who do fine work. 

Board Certified and Certified dentists in Mexico typically cost the same as general dentists. 

Why?  Because of all the competition from the non-certified general dentists in Mexico who have no business doing specialist work. But that's good for you the consumer as long as you insist on a certified dentist.  

The Bottom Line.

Unless your dentist in Mexico is fully accredited by a specialist college certified for the procedures you need, you don't know what you kind of work you will end up with. And to have the work redone will be costly and certainly not painless.

The challenge is to find a Board Certified Dentist.

 About 5-10% of dentists in Mexico are certified for specialties having graduated from a specialist college. But they are not Board Certified. If you want the very best, find one that has passed the Board Exams. Board Certified Dentists are less than 1% of the dentists in  Mexico. But they are the best and typically cost the same as the rest.

Board Certified Mexico Dentist Association membership is restricted to senior dentists who become members by invitation. Many are present or former Presidents or Directors of specialist associations, dental specialist college instructors, award winners, hospital maxillo-facial or oral surgery department heads. 

Find Board Certified Mexico Dentist Association member dentists in Cabo, San Jose del Cabo, Cancun, Guadalajara, Los Algodones, Mazatlan, Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta, Tijuana and other popular dental travel destinations in Mexico. 

And now you can find Board Certified Dentists in Asia through their affiliation with Certified Dentists Internationale' Tip: Dental prices in Manila are about 30% less than in Mexico. If having a major dental makeover that's a lot of savings. Even after paying for airfare. 

Saludos!

David Mandich

For Certified Dentists Internationale'
Url: www.certifieddentists.org/
Email: certifiedmexdentist@gmail.com

For Free Estimates and Referrals to Board Certified Dentists in Mexico and Asia visit:

• Board Certified Mexico Dentist Association
  
• Certified Asia Dental Association 
• Certified Dentists Internationale' 

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TODOS SANTOS - Baja Art & Music Colony Near Cabo San Lucas

Todos Santos -  ‘The Beyond of Baja’ - Discover Art, Music, Fine Cuisine and the Illusionary Hotel California in this sleepy artist's colony an hour north of Cabo 

 

Todos Santos Hotel California - made famous by the Eagles song.  

Tourists who aren’t into the Cabo San Lucas scene of catching a big fish, golf or getting drunk and hanging upside down by their ankles on a fish scale in a bar are happy to discover the sleepy ‘Artists Colony’ of Todos Santos just one hour north of Cabo San Lucas. What was once Santa Fe, New Mexico in the 1920´s, later Carmel and Laguna Beach in the 50´s & 60´s, is now becoming Todos Santos. Whatever that is … or whatever you want it to be.

To get there, rent a car, take the two-lane highway out of Cabo San Lucas, and get prepared to enjoy one of the most spectacular scenic drives to be found anywhere. You will cross over grand arroyos, look down on Pacific coast beaches, off which you may see migrating whales spouting or manta rays the size of baby grand pianos belly flopping. The road meanders up and down hills and across coastal plains covered with thorn tropical vegetation.

        

In Todos Santos one can stroll paved (and dirt) colonial era streets of a peaceful village where one will find more art galleries and fine restaurants than cantinas or taco stands. Here you won’t have to fend off Time Share sales people, or ‘street peddlers’ who in Cabo San Lucas, seem to leap out at you from behind every bush and rock.