Job Discussion Forums

J Sevigny · Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 161

Haven't seen this one discussed before.

It seems to be that one of the big benefits of living here is the low cost of getting your grill fixed. I just had a root canal on a big, multi-rooted molar for 1,000 pesos. It took four trips to the dentist and was marginally less comfortable than the treatment I would have gotten stateside. But it was like a tenth of the US price.

I will say that the dentist was pretty stingy with the novacaine. I kind of had to twist her arm to get her to give it to me. But she finally did.

My dentist in Guadalajara tells me that silver crowns go for 600 pesos here and porcelain ones for 1,200.

The fear many people have seems to be that pain management here might not exist.

Anyone else here been to the dentist in Mexico? What was it like?

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

One of our teachers also recently had a root canal. Her comments mirror your own, except she had no complaints about a lack of novocaine.

I go regularly for a cleaning, etc. It costs me 200 pesos each time, perhaps a tenth of what I'd pay back in Canada.

MamaOaxaca · Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Posts: 201 Location: Mixteca, Oaxaca

I just had to have a cap (resin) replaced on one of my top front teeth last week. It is a relatively easy proceedure where the dentist uses resin to reconstruct the bottom half of a broken tooth. A destist's chance to let their artistic side shine. It cost 350 pesos, while I'm very happy with it. I did think it was kind of strange that she didn't look at the rest of my teeth at all. Confused

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

samizinha · Joined: 12 May 2005 Posts: 174 Location: Vacalandia

I started a dentist thread once, and somehow it got shut down Confused

My first experience with the dentist was bad. I went through my insurance network, VRIM. The dentist �office� was like a warehouse with a cubicle in the corner. The dentist seemed more interested in talking about Canada and getting a date then checking my teeth, insisting that I didn�t need a cleaning and should consider laser whitening (they�re not yellow). I was really unhappy and paid $350.
I lost a filling, and my requirements for a new dentist were that the office looked comfortable and that I �interview� the dentist first. This worked out well. He took me without an appointment, gave me more freezing than needed, and did a good job. $500 pesos, including a check-up.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

I used to teach at a dental supply company in DF and many of the people there (albeit accounts and managers) used to ridicule dentistry up north. I took it as odd but given the beautiful state of teeth around here, I didn't argue.

My own dentist is a cousin-in-law with a practice in Roma. I didn't ask for a discount, but got a cleaning for 250 pesos - regular price. She's about to do a wisdom teeth extraction on another teacher here. If the thread stays up, I'll get her impression and post it.

I've never had a cavity - which do they use in the States or Canada - porcelain, silver, or something else?

cangringo · Joined: 18 Jan 2007 Posts: 327 Location: Vancouver, Canada

Haven't done my teeth here but have talked to people and it's cheap to get a cleaning or filling.

Never had a cavity... Shocked

I wish

They use porcelain now although I can't remember if you have to pay extra or what. I was on a dental plan in Canada but we still had to pay about $200 for about 4 fillings. The plan only covered 80%. I have no silver left in my mouth but hubby still has a few from the days when that's all they had. Laughing

danielita · Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 281 Location: SLP

I have been fortunate enough to not have had a need to go to the dentist here, but I know someone that had a root canal. It took 3 visits to complete the process with the second visit being the most painful. The first and third were a walk in the park (as dental visits go). All in all, the root canal plus crown is $2000 pesos which is a great deal. My root canal was $2800 dollars including the crown.
Based on this, I will likely go in for a check up sometime. You can't beat a cleaning for $200 or so pesos.

I was told that the most interesting part about going to the dentist in this neck of the woods is that they wrap the clean dental tools in that pinkish waxed paper that butchers use to wrap meat back home! Shocked

DavefromWandsworth · Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:22 pm Post subject:

I was about to arrange an appointment to have a filling replaced, having been told about the comparatively low prices here and having had an English-speaking dentist recommended to me. Then I read the first post and started to think about what level of pain management I might encounter. Laughing

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

Surely other people in your school have been to a local dentist! Ask your students and co-workers for recommendations; after all, the best advertising for a dentist is word-of-mouth...

dixie · Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 644 Location: D.F

A co-worker who's always there to help me out just hooked me up with a dentist that her husband is familiar with (he sells drugs...the legal kind Wink

) and I'm going to have a few fillings taken care of. My dentist back home couldn't fit me in before leaving and I've been delaying it so...I'm only hoping the teeth haven't rotted too much! I'll let everyone know how the appointment goes.

...dixie

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

mapache · Joined: 12 Oct 2006 Posts: 202 Location: Villahermosa

My experiences with Mexican dentists have been great!
The first time, I went to a dentist in Arizona who told me I needed an $800 crown. I brought the X-rays back to Mexico and a young lady dentist filled the tooth for 200 pesos. That was two years ago and I haven't had a problem with it. I was worried about instrument sterilization but she explained her procedures and they appeared to be very good.

You may want to consider laser dentistry. One of my students uses lasers instead of drills and for whitening teeth. There is no noise, no pain, no anaesthetic and less risk of infection because the laser kills the bacteria. It's great! When I had a gum infection, he zapped it with a low powered laser and the pain and inflamation disappeard in about three hours.

In any case, unless you are in a very backward place, you should be able to find references for a good dentist at a reasonable price. It's interesting now that more women than men are in dental schools, there are many very good women dentists.

thelmadatter · Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 4:00 pm Post subject: dentists

Yeah... just like everywhere else, word-of-mouth is the best way to get a dentist or doctor (BTW, Im gonna need a good podiatrist (foot doctor, in case I really screwed up the spelling) as my plantar facsitis (flat foot with pain in the heels) has gotten really bad again - any recommendations for Toluca/DF area?).

I like the work my dentist does but pain management is a problem for me as well. My dentist told me that they can no longer use novocaine legally. They have to use lidicaine. Doesnt work too good for me. Need 2 or 3 shots and I still have pain. Never had a lick of pain with novacaine. If there are good dentists here that use novocaine, please let me know!

hlamb · Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Posts: 431 Location: Canada

I had a cleaning and was very unhappy with it. I only saw the assistants, never the dentist, and they were very rough. They only cleaned about half my teeth and then told me I was done. They weren't interested in my protests, so I told them I'd spread the word to others not to go there. I now have a good recommendation and will be going in soon.