Heading south for discount dentistry

Need a new dental crown, dentures, or a root canal? Or simply hoping to whiten your smile into film star perfection? Denizens of the United States are heading south en masse to take advantage of the discount dental Mecca of Mexico’s Ciudad Juárez. Dentistry in the US can often be prohibitively expensive, with bills running to tens of thousands of dollars for complicated procedures. For the approximately 45% of Americans lacking dental insurance, or those looking for low-cost dental care because their plan only covers the basics, Mexico’s border towns are becoming a haven for fixing your choppers on the cheap. And Juárez, more frequently in the news for drug turf wars and violence, is cut-price dentist central.

Those north of the border have long crossed over to take advantage of cheaper medicines and specialist doctors, but now dentists are congregating in the border towns to tend to the influx of US clients on the lookout for dental bargains, previously sought in places like Thailand and Eastern Europe.

Google the words “cheap dentist mexico” and you will find a multitude of dental clinics plying their trade, as well as testimonies from American clients about cheap dentistry in Mexico, advice about the best places to go, and accounts of good and bad experiences.

“I am so interested in getting dental work done outside of the US, as the charges here are so high. Living on a limited income and needing a great deal of work, I am very anxious to get all the info that would help me get to a point where I am in sound dental health. Please e-mail me with any help and/or info. Thank you so much... Patti,” reads one contribution to an online discussion about Mexican dentistry.

Savings, even for routine procedures, can be considerable. For example, dentists working in the border region quote $180 USD for putting in a crown, whereas in the United States you are looking at handing over around $600 USD. The Rio Dental Clinic in Juárez says you can save as much as 60% off US prices by having treatment in Mexico. El Arte de La Cosmetica Dental quotes prices between 30 and 60% lower, and the Washington Dental Clinic claims savings of 50 to 70%.

Mexican border dentists say the price differential is due to lower operating costs, and does not mean second-class work. “We buy our materials in the United States, but university costs are much cheaper in Mexico, as well as rents and insurance,” said Dr. Ariel Tapia in Tijuana. Malpractice insurance premiums are a sizeable factor in the high cost of US dentistry. “Mexico is a third-world country so costs are inevitably lower,” said Dr. Armando Tellez Giron of El Arte de La Cosmetica Dental in Juárez.

Rio Dental says on its website that it is “dedicated to treating American patients in a clean, modern medical environment,” and advertises “crowns, veneers, and bridges that are made in the United States of top quality materials.”

The clinic is run by Joseph Andel from the United States and his Mexican wife Jessica, who is a trained dentist. They offer free transportation between the clinic and many hotels in El Paso, accept all major credit cards and even offer financing options. “English-speaking staff can also help arrange travel, accommodation, and transportation.”

This type of package deal is common among the many dental clinics that line the streets of Ciudad Juárez, a sign that business -- and competition -- is booming. Many border clinics estimate that more than 95% of their clients come from the United States.

The Washington Dental Clinic, which has offices in Juárez and Tijuana, is one of the clinics frequently mentioned in dentist-related chat rooms. A testament to whom it considers as its primary clientele is the fact that the contact phone numbers on the website are all in the US. It also offers a shuttle service between the clinic and various points in El Paso, as well as free parking for clients who arrive by car.

Medwest Dental goes a step further: “Under most insurance plans we can offer complimentary transportation services from anywhere in North America and Europe.” Many websites also offer information and advice for crossing the border, and stress their bilingual credentials.

Some US dentists are up in arms over the southward flow of clients, warning of shoddy work and a lack of professional care, but others are joining the exodus and setting up their own clinics across the border. Needless to say, one can find dentistry horror stories from both sides of the border. Mexican dentistry is considerably cheaper than its US counterpart, but naturally you should do your homework before letting anyone -- wherever they work -- drill holes in your teeth.

Useful websites:

US Consulate in Ciudad Juárez (lists four dentists): ciudadjuarez.usconsulate.gov

Mexican Dental Association (to check a dentist’s qualifi cations): www.adm.org.mx

Dentists in Tijuana:

Dr. Ariel Tapia: www.dentistattheborder.com

Dentists in Ciudad Juárez:

Rio Dental, www.riodental.com

Washington Dental Clinic: www.washingtondentalclinic.net

Dr. Armando Tellez Giron (listed on the US consulate’s website): www.artofcosmeticdentistry.com

MedWest Dental: www.medwestdental.com 

Tara FitzGerald wrote about detective novelist Paco Ignacio Taibo II in the December/January issue of Inside México.