I’ve seen a couple of really old threads but I was interested in more current insights, specifically on traveling to Mexico for dental work. My husband is being told he needs his teeth pulled (it has been expected; his teeth are in bad shape) and the prices are eye-watering - implants $25k+, a partial “clip-on” bridge thing for $15k, and even dentures are expensive, though mostly covered by our insurance. He wants to just go with dentures. I thought it was worth at least exploring other options.
Which brings me to the thread question.
And experiences?
There are lots of San Diegans who get their dental work done in Tijuana. I haven’t done it myself, but we do have a couple of friends who have been - sorry, don’t know specifically where but could probably find out. There is huge business in medical tourism cross border.
I would recommend seeking treatment at a nearby dental school. It won’t be quick, but the treatment will be thorough and significantly cheaper than private practice. If you seek treatment in Mexico, getting back and forth is expensive and not always feasible. Better to go somewhere within driving distance. Quality dental work takes more than 1 visit, and bone needs time to heal after extractions. It’s also easier to go back if adjustments need to be made. Good luck.
Thanks, that is indeed something to consider, follow-up care. We aren’t near Mexico but my husband travels to near there, in Texas, a few times a year; hence the idea.
Just throwing out there - my dad had dentures, and there is a significant period of adjustment, it can impact a lot of areas of life. Maybe your hub might consider implants if not so expensive at a dental school?
He feels strongly against spending money on himself. I keep saying you’re only 64 and implants that would last decades are a better value, but sigh…
I’ll look around for a dental school. We’re in a pretty rural area, though.
IMO, it’s a worthwhile investment to do implants, especially at his age. It’s not a quick procedure though and will require a good amount of follow up. And lord forbid there is an infection or something goes wrong, you need to find someone in your area.
Definitely check around. Someone I know found that prices for implants varied considerably. I don’t remember the exact numbers, but he’s having some done at half the price he was initially quoted.
We have a bit of experience here. My brother, father and daughter have all gotten dental treatment in Cancun. The facility is top notch they say. They pick them up at the airport to do the initial consultation then drop them off at their hotel (my father typically stays at a timeshare). All of them have had implants. A single implant cost around $1500 for both visits but you do have to arrange hotel and travel twice as the initial post takes around 6 months to adhere to the bone. Our experience is that the cost is about a third of the typical cost here in the US. I’ll have to see if I can get the name of the facility.
Thanks for that - he’s gotta get his whole mouth done though. The $25k+ quote for here is for the whole mouth and he is adamant that it’s “not worth it.”
My husband is getting a couple of implants next year to replace teeth lost to a benign tumor. Unless the $25k expenditure was actually going to make me homeless, it would be worth it to me. You use your mouth all day, every day. That actually sounds like a very fair price for a whole mouth procedure; these two implants will cost a lot more than 1/10th of that quote.
As some who had had to replace and redo dental work done in other countries I’d advise against it. The most immediate concern is infection and the long term concern is failure also who knows what materials are being used.
For long term implant success the process shouldn’t be rushed - work up with CBCT, extractions/grafting as needed followed by appropriate healing, then placement with 3-5 months for osseointegration before final restoration. This is how you attain a greater than 95% success rate…cutting any corner can decrease this dramatically.
In fact I had a patient yesterday that went elsewhere for an implant/crown at another DDS (in the US) without consulting me and I took a radiograph and it’s failing less than 9 months after placement.
And trust me the removal, grafting and replacement is no fun…
Cavietee, sobering advice. Do you see better work coming from some areas of the world rather than others? Better materials?
From what I know, at least getting a few crucial implants for anchoring dentures can ensure a decent fit. And don’t wait too long! The dental arch can atrophy and chewing muscles change sans teeth. My mom was always looking for bargains/alternative care, waited for years and was finally suckered into some shyster clinic that advertised. She looked ridiculous with overlarge teeth, they never fit, and chewing felt impossible. Total waste of money, and a significant percentage of her retirement savings were lost. She and my sister did this on the sly initially as they probably knew I’d disapprove.
In Oaxaca last winter someone staying at the same place was having a full set of extractions and implants. He was down there for many months, so had time for the full process.
My one dental experience in Taiwan decades ago was interesting. A crown, and it was functional for a long while, if less finely done than what replaced it later for aesthetic purposes. There can be differences overseas, chairs in a row, and at least back then, no finely crafted temps while work is in progress.
This can be difficult to determine…more elaborate cases (I.e. full mouth reconstruction, full arch implant retained cases, etc.) require experience and a good dental lab. There are plenty of general dentists who are more than qualified and have done lots of cases but when in doubt see a prosthodontist.
They exclusively do these types of cases and have advanced training beyond dental school for more comprehensive cases. Expect to pay a premium but as I tell my patients “you have to determine what the treatment is worth to you.” I’ve done upper and lower full dentures that aren’t implant retained and some patients do well…others turn into dental cripples. Unable to eat, vertical dimension collapses changing their whole appearance. In hindsight adding some implants for $15k - $20k to eliminate a daily struggle over 10-15 years (or more) seems like a bargain.
I appreciate your words of caution, and as much as saving the money appeals to me, penny-wise pound-foolish is something I try to avoid.
My worry is that even implants - even the clip-on half-measure approach - would not work for my husband; the bone/roots are severely degraded. Would hate to find that out months after treatment in a foreign country.
And so maybe it comes back to dentures. Is there variation there in quality/experience I should be researching?
My best suggestion is to find a prosthodontist or a general dentist how has been in the same location 10+ years with great reviews and look at their cases on line.
As a more affordable option, patients typically do much better with an upper than the lower. Can initially get a lower immediate and then retrofit with a minimum of 2 implants for retention and bypass any implants on the upper…
We have many friends who live near the Canadian border and other than Covid, never had an issue with dental care there. Both the exchange rate and also seemingly cheaper base.