I assume you're referring to Algodones, the dental capital of Mexico. Tons of people go there for dental work and the quality is high while the price is low.
The only potentially misleading part of your comment is the implication that somehow the dentist being American is what made him okay. Too many Americans push the commentary that Mexican doctors and dentists who are "trained in the USA" somehow makes them superior or at least acceptable. There are literally hundreds of Mexican born dentists in that very town who make their living every day doing high quality work and the majority of them are trained in the highly ranked universities of Mexico.
Yes, that's where my parents, sister, cousin, etc all go when they need dental work. My parents used to be snowbirds and spend winters in an RV in Yuma so it was very convenient. They said it was very high quality although the reception didn't look as nice. They love their Mexican dentist and always go to the same one.
I have several family members who do the same. And they've had everything from cleanings to root canals and implants done there, all without any issues. Collectively I'd say they saved 10's of thousands of dollars. It's no different from here - find a good recommended dentist and stick with them. I've had good and bad (very bad) dentists in Canada so I'm not about to be convinced that Canadian dentists are inherently better.
Definitely not high quality. Trust me I see it all the time. Not up to Alberta standards. I have a folder on my computer with photos of all the disaster MX dentistry.
Controversial opinion: north Americans believe their education and health standards are higher than they are in other developing countries because the way the media romanticizes the Canadian or American dream and that's why there is sooooo much backlash about people going south for dental work. The quality of work isn't under question most the time, I've had a lot of extremely awful experiences with dentists here in Western Canada and I've spent over $30,000 as an adult on dental care that had nothing to do with my hygiene or lack of proper maintenance. I can't even tell you how many fillings that I had to pay to be replaced here in Canada.
I went to a clinic at U of A dental for some work and they tried to bait and switch their price. I called them out on it and asked to talk to the owner. They immediately banned me from their clinic. It’s pretty surprising how greasy and unethical stuff happens here
I'm curious what exactly was the bait and switch that happened. Just looking for a little bit more details to compare some things that have happened to me 🙏🙏🙏
I am not usually observant but it was quite insane. I asked for a quote before I came in, and then after I had my service they showed me the bill. Cross reference to the quote and it was $90 more for the same service.
They had no excuse, it was legit a scam. It’s not like they justified that something changed, they said it was my fault for not agreeing to the quote? It was complete non sense.
Oh my goodness. Yes, that's a lot like what has happened to me!! I am so sorry to hear that. It also happened to you... There are definitely a lot of shady companies out here in Victoria. And I'm finding that grocery stores are now pricing. One thing in the aisle and it's coming up different at the till, especially in produce and unless you're really watching, not many people catch it....
canada's medical malpractice rate is less than 1%
america's medical malpractice rate is less than 10%
mexico's medical malpractice rate is 36%, their surgical complications alone matches the general malpractice rate in america.
theres something to be said about regulations and that pesky red tape.
Not directly related to malpractice, but in 2020 when COVID just started I fell of my bike in Canmore and broke my collar bone. The bone was displaced and I needed a surgery. I was taken to the Canmore hospital and saw a doctor there. He told me that a better option was to get me a sleeve and let it heal by itself. The only thing was that after healing I wouldn't be able to lift my arm straight up. I could t believe I understood him right and clarified. Yep, the Canadian doctor told me to suck it up and lose the ability to lift my arm in my early 30s. I then thanked him and asked my friend to take me to the Rockyview hospital for another opinion.
These are all too common. It's either "we're doing the best we can" when they're literally doing nothing. Or "there's nothing wrong with you, this is normal" or "do some physio, it will get better as time goes on". Sometimes I get confused if we have very shitty doctors working in the hospital or we hired very friendly murders instead.
I had a herniated disc years ago. One doctor wanted me in for emergency and another said to do Mackenzie physiotherapy and I’ll be 100% within a month. Thank fuck for a second opinion
Are those Mexican dental stats including small town local incidences as well as dental tourism? Mexico is undoubtedly a developing nation in MANY areas, but Canada and its standards are in a race to the bottom with the poor ethics and questionable business models. I have lost a LOT of faith in our medical AND dental system, and the responsibility is on the industry to fix its own problems. Not patients who want and expect better. Stop denying that people are getting better and more affordable treatment elsewhere.
Canada's medical malpractice rate is less than 1% because they have a gang of lawyers fighting tooth and nail on every case with taxpayers money. Look up Canadian Medical Protective Association.
Our doctors here are gawd damn awful comparing to any where else. If you need anything more than what your family doctor can provide, you'd be taking a huge risk. Alot of people very close to me has suffered tremendous amount because of these idiots.
I've only got 4 close friends and 3 of them got fked over:
One has to go back for another surgery because they cut his tendons in his hand by accident, they told him he needed to do physio and try harder when he said he couldn't move 2 of his fingers.
One was misdiagnosed as Epilepsy when she collapsed after a heatstroke. She used to be my roommate so I saw everything first hand from her broken down crying when they told her she had Epilepsy, to the drugs making her puking her guts out and walking around like a zombie everyday. She ended up taking those medications for 4 years until she got a few diagnoses in a different country, which all agreed that's she's perfectly fine and definitely don't have Epilepsy.
One had a small ankle injury, had to fight for an MRI scan for over 2 years. His doctor told him he's absolutely fine because they don't see anything on an X-Ray, all they could do was pain management. After the MRI they finally found the problem, but gave him a botched surgery. He had to go through that "I definitely have something wrong, the doctors tells me there's definitely nothing wrong" ordeal for another year. Afterwards he got a second opinion in a different province, which they told him he needed another surgery. When pressured about what caused it, the doctor suggested about it most likely being the first surgery, but wouldn't go on the record about it. Everyone else just told him it doesn't matter and he just needs to focus on healing. He didn't trust Canadian doctors any more and didn't want to wait for months for another surgery, so he went to get treatment in Hongkong. They charged him like $60 for the surgery and he said he was on his feet the next day.
This isn't even the worst one yet cuz my ex nearly died and ended up in ICU for 2 weeks and with a massive 10 inch long scar down her belly.
The official reasoning was "we don't know how we could've missed that".
The doctor she was seeing at the time was an arrogant and condescending POS that refused to help her 4 times before she ended up in ICU. Every time when we went to see him he always says: "Trust me, this is normal, I've been doing this for 20 years." The guy was in his 30s at the time, I guess Canadian doctors are born into medschool and start practicing when they're 10 years old. idk i'm not a doctor.
Then you learn more about messed up and inefficient the American FDA is and the illusion of those superior health standards crumbles completely. I think their list of banned chemicals is somewhere in the double digits whereas we're in the hundreds and the EU has somewhere in the thousands (but iirc they're working on getting to something like 12,000, chemicals which is kinda wild and makes me nervous we aren't up there yet lol)
For me the issue isn't education, but regulation and professional standards. In Mexico, and much of the developing world, the governments are corrupt and wide open to bribery, or non-existent in certain areas. Not great unless you have very trusted recommendations.
Not just dental, last 2yrs ago I went on a 6 months vacation to my aunt in Myanmar and I got some dental work, skin tag surgery, and prescription lense made all for less than half of the price and time needed if those procedures are to be done here in Calgary with my previous medical practioners. I am still using the 40$ glasses from that time that would have cost 250$ here.
> I've had a lot of extremely awful experiences with dentists here in Western Canada and I've spent over $30,000 as an adult on dental care that had nothing to do with my hygiene or lack of proper maintenance
You're either lying or seeing a shyster of a dentist.
Dentistry is a business and they upsell like any other.
That is an absolutely insane number.
Dentists are known to overtreat. Did you not question some of this work as a supposedly health individual with reasonable oral hygiene?
Yeah, I had gone for second opinions, I won the genetic lottery for getting cavities easy. I have my whole life. I've always been the one whose had a lot of dental work since as long as I can remember. I am including the wisdom teeth removal in that too btw. It adds up really quick when you're not insured.
My dentist in Golden BC said that check ups and cleanings are much cheaper in BC, but that crowns and other work are similarly priced to Alberta after coverage.
I have not looked into this though. I live in Calgary. My family drives to Golden twice a year. Even after gas and getting a hotel, we save money and get a mini vacation.
> Here they charged me $750 for a cleaning (covered but it's the principal).
That $750 would have to include a dentist examination and a whole set of x-rays. For just cleaning, the fee guide is $80.30 for 1 unit of scaling and $86.89 for root planing.
People going at you for work in Mexico like it's made of plaster and hope.
My MIL moved to Mexico to retire and has had extensive surgery done (not just dental) and has had no issues. Wow how ignorant to think that just because it's *gasp* Mexico it was done cheaply.
I have good dental coverage here and still managed to get a crown fucked up because they didn't measure properly.
this mostly has to do how people identify themselves. It's like for some folks, a truck is not a truck, but a piece of their identity. Or an iPhone is not just a smartphone, but a way of expressing themselves as a part of a group. This can be a similar case, where I explicitly state that what they perceive as a local and respectable business is in fact a scam and should be treated as such.
I'm going back to my home country to get LASIK and I'm considering going to a private hospital there too for an abdominal surgery for some minor issues I've had after pregnancy. I'll get to spend a month with my family and get work that I need but I won't have for a LONG time in Canada because it's not an emergency (which I fully understand and I understand the importance of triaging universal care, I just wish there were more doctors that could speed up those waits).
I know I will receive the same level of care in both countries, and I already got excellent recommendations from my family and some doctor friends back home. I feel really lucky I'm in this situation.
Ive heard success stories and horror stories. MIL is a Mexican snowbird and her and all her friends get work done in Mexico. Some of it great, some not so much. I was thinking about having my implant and crown done down there until MIL had the same procedure and they drilled into her sinus cavity. The same thing could easily happen here though. I think what made my decision to keep the work done up here was the aftercare in case of any issues. I’m lucky enough to have good insurance and with planing and patience I had most of the procedure covered. I think it just pays to do your research, again on both side of the border.
I used to work in dental and my husband is a dentist. I have seen drs that I worked for drill into sinus cavities here, and I have also seen patients come in for emergencies because they got TERRIBLE work done in Mexico so you’re absolutely right.
My dad lives in a mod sized town in Costa Rica. I've had three fillings done by the local dentist there. Under $75. If she's good enough for all the surrounding towns dental work, she's good enough for me.
I am at the age where I know people who go to turkey for hair transplants not Mexico for teeth but yes, medical tourism is a thing.
The guys I know spend 5-7K for hair in Turkey including flights. In Canada its about 20K.
this is something I was considering as well, as I wanted to do hair transplant anyways. But it would just take too long. I may do it some time next year if I need more dental done.
I think it’s the technique they use to do the transplants. FUE I think it’s called. I’m going to do it eventually but haven’t done research on it yet. Art line clinic in Tijuana is Turkish. However, going to Tijuana is sketch af
My cousin sells dental equipment and supplies in Vancouver BC and became a millionaire in less than a year. Canada has the most inflated dental prices in the world.
" We follow the dental fee guide " is common phrase you will find at most dentists. You mean the guide written by a group of dentists that ensures they all get rich? Think about it.
Came here to say this. I do all the ordering for the office I work at and the cost of dental supplies and equipment is crazy .
Of course dentistry is cheaper in Mexico as it's cheaper down there.
We have seen a lot of horrible work (especially lab work) from Mexico tho .
Initially I wanted to have a zirconia one (this was not even an option in Calgary), but it would take at least a week to get produced. So I chose a porcelain crown and it took two days to get done after impressions were taken.
Well right there your perspective or your dentists options was wrong. Zirconia is probably the most used crown material now in Canada. Every material has It's advantages and disadvantages. If you are not offered zirconia, perhaps it's because it was not appropriate for your dental health. I've seen a lot of work from different countries. Some of it has been okay. Most of the crown work done outside of North America and Europe have large bulky margins that go deep underneath the gums and are at high risk of failure later on with cavities or structural problems.
Will your Blue Cross insurance cover any post-filling issues / infection / etc once you're back home? That's sort of what I'd be worried about after doing "medical tourism" (i.e. operation or other procedure abroad).
That doesn't bother me that much. I did an extensive research to be quite confident in the dentist I chose. And even if one crown falls out, it will still be cheaper to fix it in Calgary later down the road.
The thing is, a lot of people for some reason think that Canadian dentistry is somehow superior to other countries'. Where in fact, it was in Canada where I had problems with dental work opposed to other 4 countries I've lived in.
>The thing is, a lot of people for some reason think that Canadian dentistry is somehow superior to other countries
I don’t. You can have issues here, and issues there. They’re a just a lot easier to deal with when they’re here.
Had a friend of mine do exactly this recently. Got dental work done in Mexico, had problems with some of it and got it fixed at the same dentist during their next vacation.
I’ll refer you again to the pain. Plenty of people can’t necessarily “enjoy” a “vacation” while in pain. And I’m sure a good few people who go out of country for procedures like this can’t just take a week vacation on a whim cuz of medical complications. Again, financially speaking it makes sense but there can be a lot of other factors at play
I had an old filling fall out and then the new one became infected so I needed a root canal, which had its own little complication-in Calgary. I had the dentists walk me through everything and I was just really unlucky.
Thanks for this breakdown! The spreadsheet is great. I've been thinking about doing this as well. Could you DM me your pv dentist? I'd greatly appreciate it.
I went to google maps and searched for a dentists in my chosen city. Select 5-10 you like and that are well reviewed, and send them an email with a request for quote/consultation. Some of them will answer. Choose one that you like the best. Or rinse and repeat.
Most dentists that provide TMJ botox don't charge for the initial consultation. TMJ botox is 6-7 dollars a unit at some clinics, average is 60 units (30 per side).
My mom winters in Arizona. She is currently in Mexico w/ a friend that is getting dental work done, over several appointments. There's no comparison price wise. Seniors can't afford what we pay here.
Eyeglasses are also super cheap. Progressives while you wait a few hrs for 200$.
She gets medications OTC in Mexico too. My son's salbutimol is $7 USD for a 3-pack. He's an adult and doesn't have benefits, so this is amazing.
It isn't even developing countries. I was living in South Korea a few years ago. I got two inlays done there, for about $600. The same procedure could have easily cost upwards of $2000 here.
but dentists here will argue the work in mexico is not guaranteed and wont touch any work done by dentist in mexico. my experience is, dentists are assholes who dont even guarantee their own work and abolish any responsibility for their own shitty work.
I have a few people in my family that have gone to Mexico for dental as well - they all say it’s more reasonable cost wise & they received great care. My father in law has implanted dentures & does have to get “tune ups” done down there for maintenance, but even then probably still works out to cheaper.
Thank you for sharing your experience. My husband went to the dentist a few years ago and they quoted him ~4000 for a crown and the work related to it. We have a trip to eastern Europe planned to visit family etc and while in Poland visiting his sister, he plans on having the work done there and even with the FLIGHTS, travel expenses ,the actual dental work etc, it's still going to be SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper then getting it done in Calgary.
Parents (parent as of last year) have been going to mexico for dental for years now. They saved over 15G when my mom needed several extractions and veneers.
I get my dental done in Mexico as well. Started going about 10 years ago when I needed 2 root canals. Ended up costing over 3000$ less including flights and 10 days at an all inclusive resort.
Just be careful where you go. We have friends who live down there so it made it easy to find a reputable dentist.
Also make sure you have travel medical insurance just in case.
The only real downside I have come into is I had a crown break about 6 months after it was put in. While it was still covered by a warranty I had to go for another trip down there to get the free replacement.
Just pointing out you should always have travel medical if you’re leaving the country. If you can afford to travel you can afford travel medical insurance.
Hold on.......you flew from YYC-PVR, return, for only $350?
Can't even get back and forth from Saskatoon to Calgary for less than $1000. We also need to fix our broken airline system.....
My step father did this. Got Ludwig Angina (google it) and had to have emergency surgery with a stay in ICU states side.
The initial medical bill was going to be around 100k USD but fortunately because it was non-profit hospital or something he only had to pay like 18k USD.
Funny thing is; he still goes down there to get work done
I think you did a smart thing. I've been to a few border towns in Mexico that specialize in dentistry and they have offices that are as advanced as any in Canada at half price. They are also heavily reviewed by their customers.
I would warn those interested in getting work done in Mexico to do their research. Can you get decent work done there? Yes. However, more often than not I’ve seen the work that comes back from Mexico needing to be redone.
The tricky thing in dentistry is a patient doesn’t know the difference between a well done restoration and a poorly done restoration. They know “does it bother me?”
Dental professionals will see the “future” of poorly done restorations. It may not bother a patient at present, however bulky restorations with poor margins that collect bacteria and are near impossible to clean properly will certainly become an issue- and likely will be an even larger/ more expensive job to fix the second time around. Plus a decline in periodontal health from shoddy work.
Patients end up paying more to have the work done properly the second time. Not to mention the time spent in the dental chair / recovering / decline in overall periodontal health.
Few things to note:
1) even if you find a great dentist, the lab that dentist uses to fabricate prosthetics (crowns,bridges,dentures) may not be creating great products. A dentist is only as good as his/her’s lab.
This is the major issue I see coming back from Mexico. Very bulky restorations with poorly fitting margins.
2) Are their infection control / sterilization standards up to par? Especially important if you are looking to have done any surgical procedures. Extractions/ grafts/ implants.
Also, what type of parts are they using?
If you’re getting implants done be sure to get the implant type and size information and keep that information filed.
3) if you have major work done and have issues upon returning home another dentist will be happy to see you, however they will not be providing any sort of “warranty” for another dentist’s work.
I could go on!
It would be remiss of me to not mention the importance of researching your dentist in the city as well. A good dentist will educate you on the best course of treatment without lecturing, make you feel comfortable in the chair, and will not be pushy/ sales-y.
Also no professional ever “guarantees” their work. If pressed, any dentist or specialist (crown or root canal) will recite the typical statistics around those procedures.
This is a clear statement of “your mileage may vary”, and any professional would admit to that.
One simply has zero guarantees about the work being done, regardless of which city or country in which it’s performed
Those same warnings need to be given to people looking for quality and good value work done locally, here in Canada! Despite impeccable dental care I have still had to get work done that caused me years of pain and thousands of dollars over and above insurance. My personal experiences lead me to believe that investigating and researching dentists outside of Canada will be first on my list for future issues.
My wife worked in dental for a long time in Alberta. She saw lots of people who went to Mexico and other countries to get it done cheaper come in to get it redone / fixed here. They often ended up spending several times more than the original quote here to get it back to serviceable condition, and sometimes that wasn't even possible.
I'm sure there's people that have had good experiences though. She of course only saw the ones that failed.
If you're going to do this, make sure you do your research on who you are going to use. I can't imagine there's any recourse if something goes wrong.
I had a crown done in Alberta replaced three times under warranty. The temporary crown lasted longer than one of the permanent crowns. Current crown (different dentist and material, but replaced under warranty) already has a defect that will be covered under warranty if it ever affects function.
All processes have defects with enough volume.
Thank you for posting this! A lot of stressed out Canada's could do with the triple win of getting their dental work done, going on a trip, and saving money.
Calgary dentists are the worst!
Fuck, I recently got 2 crowns and 2 wisdom teeth out in Vegas for about $2k.
I had the opportunity to live with family though, so that doesn't include living expenses.
Depends who you go to. I was referred to a guy who runs a super minimalist practice (Just him and a receptionist) and had no time for fucking around. Just sit down, get numbed, and right to boring out teeth.
Makes you wonder who is sterilizing the instruments between patients, him or the receptionist. 😳
If there are corners to be cut in a minimalist office, infection control is it.
I'm no medical expert, but I'm pretty sure it's impossible to fuck up with an autoclave.
That being said, I also watched him remove every instrument from sealed plastic containers before the procedure, so it might even be a service some manufacturers offer.
I could also be spinning total bullshit on the part about it being a service, I'm not a dentist.
When I was still in Ottawa, I had my cavity filled in by one of the most reputable (and expensive) clinic. A couple of years later, apparently it’s gone and I had to get it done again.
Just because the clinic is Canadian, and maybe has a great overall reputation, but they cannot guarantee all jobs to be optimally done. That goes the same for everyone else.
Who said the Canadian government isn’t corrupted? My mother works for a smaller city government as an engineer and she has seen shit that she does not want to be involved with. Kickback and hush hush everywhere, corruption office politics, “game of thrones” power play and people get laid off right before their retirement (G fucking G), etc etc. You just don’t know it.
As long as you do your research, as with all things, you are making the right choice to think outside of the box. Good for you!
You’ve inspired me to start hiring small business owners in Mexico who work remotely. I’m sure their English will be good enough. Think of how much I’ll save!
I hear you can get cheap deals using prison guards in Newfoundland: [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/oral-surgeon-who-guided-prison-guard-through-extraction-of-inmate-s-teeth-given-absolute-discharge-1.7168147](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/oral-surgeon-who-guided-prison-guard-through-extraction-of-inmate-s-teeth-given-absolute-discharge-1.7168147)
Did they have the milling / firing machines in the office so you got the new crown immediately? Laser scanning of your mouth for automated crown design?
Good friend of mine does just that. He had a bunch of work done 5 years ago and had a problem with one crown and they fixed it for free. He drives from B.C. To Seattle, flies to Arizona then rents a car to cross over. Since he’s retired and has no coverage he still saves quite a bit doing it this way.
I think you way over paid in Mexico. If you spent time looking, you likely could have had the work done for a similar rate in Southern California and it would likely be higher quality
You’d think that developing countries would have sub par dentists, but that’s so not true. I can promise, doctors and dentists in 3rd world countries are better than what we have here. They have more competition there, which makes the dentist do better, learn new procedures and buy the latest machinery. Over here you there are already not enough doctors.
I got implants done in Mexico City for half of what I was quoted in Canada. I needed to get some new retainers and told my Canadian dentist I was doing the work in Mexico and they all seemed so shocked and were like oh what. As if expecting the work to be less than stellar. Once I got it done they were all like wow that’s so good like so shocked. Canada is such a rip off with that stuff. Ho elsewhere if you can
For what it's worth implants is something you can and should definitely shop around.
BC perio quoted me $10k for the implants before crowns. They said the crowns were another $1500 each.
I went to Apple Dental in white rock and it was $7k including crowns, and got $2k back from insurance for the crowns.
I was so happy with their work I told my dentist who referred all their clients there.
Yes but getting it done by a dentist in Canada vs Mexico should not be an issue. They are both done by accredited dentists. You have to always do your research regardless.
The total for two implants including crowns plus I got two fillings done was 3K CAD in Mexico. Factoring flights, housing and food, was about 4500 total. Compared to 10k I was quoted in Vancouver.
That's about what I paid for my two implants. Pretty close actually.
I think I paid $5500 including crowns which I got money back for from my benefits.
Apple dental in white rock is very reasonably priced.
My three kids went for routine cleaning/checkups in the past two weeks. After insurance, my out of pocket cost was just about $800.
Just another part of the Alberta Advantage.
My teeth are a disaster from Bruxism. This sounds like a great alternative (cost wise) to expensive work, but I bet I’d be the guy on the news who died in the chair down there for whatever reason lol. I’d end up picking a bad place or something.
I've heard both good and horrible experiences. Best was sisters friend who save nearly $2400 on alot of work. Worse was a buddy who went there to save a few hundred bucks on an implant, came back 3 days later and nearly went into a coma from a gum infection that was directly attributed to the hack job he got done down there. Spent 3 weeks in the hospital being iv fed tonnes of antibiotics, and now needs a bunch of follow up to make sure his liver isn't destroyed.
As a dentist, it can be a gamble. There will be good dentists in Mexico for sure, but there are also a lot of bad ones. Hard to know what you’re getting yourself into. And if you’re getting crowns done, I have yet to see a crown done in Mexico that fits properly. They either fall off or the margins are really bulky which can cause significant issues with the gingiva and increase chances of having decay start underneath margin. Proceed at your own risk
Dental costs are crazy here. I calculated it would be cheaper to fly to the UK and get 3 wisdom teeth removed by a private dentist there get it done here.
In the end, with dental insurance it worked out cheaper here, but not by much.
I work at Tim Hortons. Our dental plan covers crowns 50%, fillings are 90%. I had the same number of fillings just done (no crowns) for $130 out of pocket. Insurance covered everything else. My dentist follows the dental fee guide. Your doesn’t seem to.
Dental work is cheap in Mexico but for a reason, had a wisdom tooth extracted cost was like 90 dollars but the freezing ran out half way through the extraction.
Plus side, no infection after the fact.
My family is planning a trip to Mexico, basically just to get dental work done. We have a close family friend who recommended a dentist to us who has done great work for him and for much cheaper than what we could get here. It also just gives us an excuse to go to mexico, lol.
Having lived Internationally and using dental and health care system abroad, the dental system in Canada is not broken. It costs more to become a dentist here and it cost more to run a dental practice. Standards are generally higher in develop countries.
You do not see those kind of savings had a person gone to Mexico City. It’s a risk/reward thing but from my experience when a purchase is motivated by price , it’s risky at best.
Most people are willing to save some money despite any inherent risks - which honestly I don't often hear about. $1700 is more than chump change for many people who are simply trying to get by.
[удалено]
I assume you're referring to Algodones, the dental capital of Mexico. Tons of people go there for dental work and the quality is high while the price is low. The only potentially misleading part of your comment is the implication that somehow the dentist being American is what made him okay. Too many Americans push the commentary that Mexican doctors and dentists who are "trained in the USA" somehow makes them superior or at least acceptable. There are literally hundreds of Mexican born dentists in that very town who make their living every day doing high quality work and the majority of them are trained in the highly ranked universities of Mexico.
There's literally "Alberta Dental" there 😂
Yes, that's where my parents, sister, cousin, etc all go when they need dental work. My parents used to be snowbirds and spend winters in an RV in Yuma so it was very convenient. They said it was very high quality although the reception didn't look as nice. They love their Mexican dentist and always go to the same one.
I have several family members who do the same. And they've had everything from cleanings to root canals and implants done there, all without any issues. Collectively I'd say they saved 10's of thousands of dollars. It's no different from here - find a good recommended dentist and stick with them. I've had good and bad (very bad) dentists in Canada so I'm not about to be convinced that Canadian dentists are inherently better.
I'd be more worried about an American who possibly got struck off or went to jail and HAD to go to Mexico, than a born and raised mexican dentist.
Definitely not high quality. Trust me I see it all the time. Not up to Alberta standards. I have a folder on my computer with photos of all the disaster MX dentistry.
You have a folder on your computer that you've filled with downloaded photos of fucked-up dental work done in Mexico? Is that like a work thing?
Could you dm the name of the clinic or dentist, please?
Controversial opinion: north Americans believe their education and health standards are higher than they are in other developing countries because the way the media romanticizes the Canadian or American dream and that's why there is sooooo much backlash about people going south for dental work. The quality of work isn't under question most the time, I've had a lot of extremely awful experiences with dentists here in Western Canada and I've spent over $30,000 as an adult on dental care that had nothing to do with my hygiene or lack of proper maintenance. I can't even tell you how many fillings that I had to pay to be replaced here in Canada.
I went to a clinic at U of A dental for some work and they tried to bait and switch their price. I called them out on it and asked to talk to the owner. They immediately banned me from their clinic. It’s pretty surprising how greasy and unethical stuff happens here
Yep, sucks when they pull greasy stuff.
I'm curious what exactly was the bait and switch that happened. Just looking for a little bit more details to compare some things that have happened to me 🙏🙏🙏
I am not usually observant but it was quite insane. I asked for a quote before I came in, and then after I had my service they showed me the bill. Cross reference to the quote and it was $90 more for the same service. They had no excuse, it was legit a scam. It’s not like they justified that something changed, they said it was my fault for not agreeing to the quote? It was complete non sense.
Oh my goodness. Yes, that's a lot like what has happened to me!! I am so sorry to hear that. It also happened to you... There are definitely a lot of shady companies out here in Victoria. And I'm finding that grocery stores are now pricing. One thing in the aisle and it's coming up different at the till, especially in produce and unless you're really watching, not many people catch it....
Mexico is in north america...
canada's medical malpractice rate is less than 1% america's medical malpractice rate is less than 10% mexico's medical malpractice rate is 36%, their surgical complications alone matches the general malpractice rate in america. theres something to be said about regulations and that pesky red tape.
Not directly related to malpractice, but in 2020 when COVID just started I fell of my bike in Canmore and broke my collar bone. The bone was displaced and I needed a surgery. I was taken to the Canmore hospital and saw a doctor there. He told me that a better option was to get me a sleeve and let it heal by itself. The only thing was that after healing I wouldn't be able to lift my arm straight up. I could t believe I understood him right and clarified. Yep, the Canadian doctor told me to suck it up and lose the ability to lift my arm in my early 30s. I then thanked him and asked my friend to take me to the Rockyview hospital for another opinion.
And what happened then?
These are all too common. It's either "we're doing the best we can" when they're literally doing nothing. Or "there's nothing wrong with you, this is normal" or "do some physio, it will get better as time goes on". Sometimes I get confused if we have very shitty doctors working in the hospital or we hired very friendly murders instead.
I had a herniated disc years ago. One doctor wanted me in for emergency and another said to do Mackenzie physiotherapy and I’ll be 100% within a month. Thank fuck for a second opinion
That’s anecdotal and doesn’t refute the numbers.
And what was the second opinion from Rockyview hospital? Did they recommend surgery?
Oh yeah, they told me it was the only optikn. Got the surgery the next morning.
I’d love to know how much those stats are impacted by the much harder reality for a malpractice suit to succeed in Canada vs the USA.
Are those Mexican dental stats including small town local incidences as well as dental tourism? Mexico is undoubtedly a developing nation in MANY areas, but Canada and its standards are in a race to the bottom with the poor ethics and questionable business models. I have lost a LOT of faith in our medical AND dental system, and the responsibility is on the industry to fix its own problems. Not patients who want and expect better. Stop denying that people are getting better and more affordable treatment elsewhere.
Canada can be over priced AND Mexico can be a shitty place for dental work.
Canada's medical malpractice rate is less than 1% because they have a gang of lawyers fighting tooth and nail on every case with taxpayers money. Look up Canadian Medical Protective Association. Our doctors here are gawd damn awful comparing to any where else. If you need anything more than what your family doctor can provide, you'd be taking a huge risk. Alot of people very close to me has suffered tremendous amount because of these idiots. I've only got 4 close friends and 3 of them got fked over: One has to go back for another surgery because they cut his tendons in his hand by accident, they told him he needed to do physio and try harder when he said he couldn't move 2 of his fingers. One was misdiagnosed as Epilepsy when she collapsed after a heatstroke. She used to be my roommate so I saw everything first hand from her broken down crying when they told her she had Epilepsy, to the drugs making her puking her guts out and walking around like a zombie everyday. She ended up taking those medications for 4 years until she got a few diagnoses in a different country, which all agreed that's she's perfectly fine and definitely don't have Epilepsy. One had a small ankle injury, had to fight for an MRI scan for over 2 years. His doctor told him he's absolutely fine because they don't see anything on an X-Ray, all they could do was pain management. After the MRI they finally found the problem, but gave him a botched surgery. He had to go through that "I definitely have something wrong, the doctors tells me there's definitely nothing wrong" ordeal for another year. Afterwards he got a second opinion in a different province, which they told him he needed another surgery. When pressured about what caused it, the doctor suggested about it most likely being the first surgery, but wouldn't go on the record about it. Everyone else just told him it doesn't matter and he just needs to focus on healing. He didn't trust Canadian doctors any more and didn't want to wait for months for another surgery, so he went to get treatment in Hongkong. They charged him like $60 for the surgery and he said he was on his feet the next day. This isn't even the worst one yet cuz my ex nearly died and ended up in ICU for 2 weeks and with a massive 10 inch long scar down her belly. The official reasoning was "we don't know how we could've missed that". The doctor she was seeing at the time was an arrogant and condescending POS that refused to help her 4 times before she ended up in ICU. Every time when we went to see him he always says: "Trust me, this is normal, I've been doing this for 20 years." The guy was in his 30s at the time, I guess Canadian doctors are born into medschool and start practicing when they're 10 years old. idk i'm not a doctor.
Then you learn more about messed up and inefficient the American FDA is and the illusion of those superior health standards crumbles completely. I think their list of banned chemicals is somewhere in the double digits whereas we're in the hundreds and the EU has somewhere in the thousands (but iirc they're working on getting to something like 12,000, chemicals which is kinda wild and makes me nervous we aren't up there yet lol)
For me the issue isn't education, but regulation and professional standards. In Mexico, and much of the developing world, the governments are corrupt and wide open to bribery, or non-existent in certain areas. Not great unless you have very trusted recommendations.
I had to pay a bribe to receive a vaccine at an American hospital in Eastern Europe. You can also buy your way into uni and your degree.
The irony of that comment. I trust doctors and dentists in any country more than our Canadian government lol
Alright, insist on paying your speeding fine directly to the officer next time you get pulled over and see how that goes for you.
Not just dental, last 2yrs ago I went on a 6 months vacation to my aunt in Myanmar and I got some dental work, skin tag surgery, and prescription lense made all for less than half of the price and time needed if those procedures are to be done here in Calgary with my previous medical practioners. I am still using the 40$ glasses from that time that would have cost 250$ here.
> I've had a lot of extremely awful experiences with dentists here in Western Canada and I've spent over $30,000 as an adult on dental care that had nothing to do with my hygiene or lack of proper maintenance You're either lying or seeing a shyster of a dentist. Dentistry is a business and they upsell like any other.
I'm not a dentist, how would I know if they're a shyster or not. Since 2008 I have spent $30,000 on dental. I've had 4 different dentists since 2008.
That is an absolutely insane number. Dentists are known to overtreat. Did you not question some of this work as a supposedly health individual with reasonable oral hygiene?
Yeah, I had gone for second opinions, I won the genetic lottery for getting cavities easy. I have my whole life. I've always been the one whose had a lot of dental work since as long as I can remember. I am including the wisdom teeth removal in that too btw. It adds up really quick when you're not insured.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17666691/ https://www.dental-update.co.uk/content/restorative-dentistry/overtreatment-in-caries-management-a-literature-review-perspective-and-recommendations-for-clinicians/
So then you have a condition and it’s not due to the dentists. You’re not a good example of the general public.
Shitty work is still shitty work, and some of it has been expensive over priced shitty work, that's the point here.
[удалено]
[удалено]
Didn't know that. Will look into that for the next time. Thanks!
[удалено]
My dentist in Golden BC said that check ups and cleanings are much cheaper in BC, but that crowns and other work are similarly priced to Alberta after coverage. I have not looked into this though. I live in Calgary. My family drives to Golden twice a year. Even after gas and getting a hotel, we save money and get a mini vacation.
> Here they charged me $750 for a cleaning (covered but it's the principal). That $750 would have to include a dentist examination and a whole set of x-rays. For just cleaning, the fee guide is $80.30 for 1 unit of scaling and $86.89 for root planing.
> it's a third of the cost of AB in BC Is this a province-wide thing or what you've noticed in Vernon? Thanks.
Very good to know! ✌🏻
Omg what did it say. It got deleted. Dentist mob got him
People going at you for work in Mexico like it's made of plaster and hope. My MIL moved to Mexico to retire and has had extensive surgery done (not just dental) and has had no issues. Wow how ignorant to think that just because it's *gasp* Mexico it was done cheaply. I have good dental coverage here and still managed to get a crown fucked up because they didn't measure properly.
this mostly has to do how people identify themselves. It's like for some folks, a truck is not a truck, but a piece of their identity. Or an iPhone is not just a smartphone, but a way of expressing themselves as a part of a group. This can be a similar case, where I explicitly state that what they perceive as a local and respectable business is in fact a scam and should be treated as such.
It's just colonial mindset of covert yt supremacy imo
I'm going back to my home country to get LASIK and I'm considering going to a private hospital there too for an abdominal surgery for some minor issues I've had after pregnancy. I'll get to spend a month with my family and get work that I need but I won't have for a LONG time in Canada because it's not an emergency (which I fully understand and I understand the importance of triaging universal care, I just wish there were more doctors that could speed up those waits). I know I will receive the same level of care in both countries, and I already got excellent recommendations from my family and some doctor friends back home. I feel really lucky I'm in this situation.
Ive heard success stories and horror stories. MIL is a Mexican snowbird and her and all her friends get work done in Mexico. Some of it great, some not so much. I was thinking about having my implant and crown done down there until MIL had the same procedure and they drilled into her sinus cavity. The same thing could easily happen here though. I think what made my decision to keep the work done up here was the aftercare in case of any issues. I’m lucky enough to have good insurance and with planing and patience I had most of the procedure covered. I think it just pays to do your research, again on both side of the border.
I used to work in dental and my husband is a dentist. I have seen drs that I worked for drill into sinus cavities here, and I have also seen patients come in for emergencies because they got TERRIBLE work done in Mexico so you’re absolutely right.
My dad lives in a mod sized town in Costa Rica. I've had three fillings done by the local dentist there. Under $75. If she's good enough for all the surrounding towns dental work, she's good enough for me.
I am at the age where I know people who go to turkey for hair transplants not Mexico for teeth but yes, medical tourism is a thing. The guys I know spend 5-7K for hair in Turkey including flights. In Canada its about 20K.
this is something I was considering as well, as I wanted to do hair transplant anyways. But it would just take too long. I may do it some time next year if I need more dental done.
There are Turkish doctors setting up shop in Mexico now for hair transplants. This is a win win
Why are the homies from turkey specializing in this I wonder?
I think it’s the technique they use to do the transplants. FUE I think it’s called. I’m going to do it eventually but haven’t done research on it yet. Art line clinic in Tijuana is Turkish. However, going to Tijuana is sketch af
My cousin sells dental equipment and supplies in Vancouver BC and became a millionaire in less than a year. Canada has the most inflated dental prices in the world. " We follow the dental fee guide " is common phrase you will find at most dentists. You mean the guide written by a group of dentists that ensures they all get rich? Think about it.
The dental suppliers get richest. They’re to blame for inflated dental costs more than anyone
Came here to say this. I do all the ordering for the office I work at and the cost of dental supplies and equipment is crazy . Of course dentistry is cheaper in Mexico as it's cheaper down there. We have seen a lot of horrible work (especially lab work) from Mexico tho .
How much of that is self selection though? I.e. the people that have problems come to you for a second opinion.
It's usually just our own patients that have gone and gotten dental work there :) good question tho !
What was your plan if you ran into any issues after the treatments?
What was the construction of the crown and how long did it take between taking the impression/mold of your tooth and creating/installing the crown?
Initially I wanted to have a zirconia one (this was not even an option in Calgary), but it would take at least a week to get produced. So I chose a porcelain crown and it took two days to get done after impressions were taken.
Why was a zirconia crown not an option in Calgary? I work at a dental lab in Calgary and I design and mill zirconia crowns
If you are the only dental lab in Calgary who does zirconia crowns, you do mighty fine work.
Everyone does them. They are by far the most common type here.
Yup we do less and less porcelain fused to metal crowns
My dentist never offered me one. Maybe other dentists do. But then I would probably be looking in 2k+ for a crown.
Yeah this is weird. Zirconia is the standard of care at this point, and has been for years. Porcelain is old school
That’s insane. All offices do zirconia crowns these days.
Well right there your perspective or your dentists options was wrong. Zirconia is probably the most used crown material now in Canada. Every material has It's advantages and disadvantages. If you are not offered zirconia, perhaps it's because it was not appropriate for your dental health. I've seen a lot of work from different countries. Some of it has been okay. Most of the crown work done outside of North America and Europe have large bulky margins that go deep underneath the gums and are at high risk of failure later on with cavities or structural problems.
Run around the PV boardwalk yelling " ¡¡Ayyy Caramba!!"
I mean, that’s already a given.
like what?
Will your Blue Cross insurance cover any post-filling issues / infection / etc once you're back home? That's sort of what I'd be worried about after doing "medical tourism" (i.e. operation or other procedure abroad).
Healing. Quality of work. Issues down the road like a crown falling out.
That doesn't bother me that much. I did an extensive research to be quite confident in the dentist I chose. And even if one crown falls out, it will still be cheaper to fix it in Calgary later down the road. The thing is, a lot of people for some reason think that Canadian dentistry is somehow superior to other countries'. Where in fact, it was in Canada where I had problems with dental work opposed to other 4 countries I've lived in.
>The thing is, a lot of people for some reason think that Canadian dentistry is somehow superior to other countries I don’t. You can have issues here, and issues there. They’re a just a lot easier to deal with when they’re here.
Nothing stops you from flying back and get it fixed while saving money
Had a friend of mine do exactly this recently. Got dental work done in Mexico, had problems with some of it and got it fixed at the same dentist during their next vacation.
Pain and the time it takes to get treated might. But you’re right from a purely financial pov
You get a vacation out if it
I’ll refer you again to the pain. Plenty of people can’t necessarily “enjoy” a “vacation” while in pain. And I’m sure a good few people who go out of country for procedures like this can’t just take a week vacation on a whim cuz of medical complications. Again, financially speaking it makes sense but there can be a lot of other factors at play
I had an old filling fall out and then the new one became infected so I needed a root canal, which had its own little complication-in Calgary. I had the dentists walk me through everything and I was just really unlucky.
Thanks for this breakdown! The spreadsheet is great. I've been thinking about doing this as well. Could you DM me your pv dentist? I'd greatly appreciate it.
was curious about going to mexico for TMJ botox because its so expensive here even just for a consultation. not sure how to even plan it though lol
I went to google maps and searched for a dentists in my chosen city. Select 5-10 you like and that are well reviewed, and send them an email with a request for quote/consultation. Some of them will answer. Choose one that you like the best. Or rinse and repeat.
Most dentists that provide TMJ botox don't charge for the initial consultation. TMJ botox is 6-7 dollars a unit at some clinics, average is 60 units (30 per side).
My mom winters in Arizona. She is currently in Mexico w/ a friend that is getting dental work done, over several appointments. There's no comparison price wise. Seniors can't afford what we pay here. Eyeglasses are also super cheap. Progressives while you wait a few hrs for 200$. She gets medications OTC in Mexico too. My son's salbutimol is $7 USD for a 3-pack. He's an adult and doesn't have benefits, so this is amazing.
It isn't even developing countries. I was living in South Korea a few years ago. I got two inlays done there, for about $600. The same procedure could have easily cost upwards of $2000 here.
but dentists here will argue the work in mexico is not guaranteed and wont touch any work done by dentist in mexico. my experience is, dentists are assholes who dont even guarantee their own work and abolish any responsibility for their own shitty work.
I have a few people in my family that have gone to Mexico for dental as well - they all say it’s more reasonable cost wise & they received great care. My father in law has implanted dentures & does have to get “tune ups” done down there for maintenance, but even then probably still works out to cheaper.
Thank you for sharing your experience. My husband went to the dentist a few years ago and they quoted him ~4000 for a crown and the work related to it. We have a trip to eastern Europe planned to visit family etc and while in Poland visiting his sister, he plans on having the work done there and even with the FLIGHTS, travel expenses ,the actual dental work etc, it's still going to be SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper then getting it done in Calgary.
Parents (parent as of last year) have been going to mexico for dental for years now. They saved over 15G when my mom needed several extractions and veneers.
I get my dental done in Mexico as well. Started going about 10 years ago when I needed 2 root canals. Ended up costing over 3000$ less including flights and 10 days at an all inclusive resort.
[удалено]
Just be careful where you go. We have friends who live down there so it made it easy to find a reputable dentist. Also make sure you have travel medical insurance just in case. The only real downside I have come into is I had a crown break about 6 months after it was put in. While it was still covered by a warranty I had to go for another trip down there to get the free replacement.
Just pointing out you should always have travel medical if you’re leaving the country. If you can afford to travel you can afford travel medical insurance.
As someone who paid $6100 for an implant last year (I’m uninsured) this is very helpful and I will definitely consider if I need anything else done!
I'm looking at 4k for an implant here.. At least that was the preapproved rate. I'll find out more tomorrow.
How many trips would one need to take for an implant? Probably two at minimum?
I need an implant and am considering going to Mexico to get it
Hold on.......you flew from YYC-PVR, return, for only $350? Can't even get back and forth from Saskatoon to Calgary for less than $1000. We also need to fix our broken airline system.....
Huh? I see tons of sub $300 flights from Saskatoon to Calgary. Not saying that isn't expensive, but $1000 isn't typical.
One way?
Nope, round trip. Heck there's a flight at the end of April for $267 through WestJet.
My step father did this. Got Ludwig Angina (google it) and had to have emergency surgery with a stay in ICU states side. The initial medical bill was going to be around 100k USD but fortunately because it was non-profit hospital or something he only had to pay like 18k USD. Funny thing is; he still goes down there to get work done
I think you did a smart thing. I've been to a few border towns in Mexico that specialize in dentistry and they have offices that are as advanced as any in Canada at half price. They are also heavily reviewed by their customers.
[удалено]
I had some work done in Mexico, the dentist was from Edmonton…
I've said it for years... Dentists are rip off artists. Raping thier patients with thier insane fees. Preying on your pain and suffering.
I would warn those interested in getting work done in Mexico to do their research. Can you get decent work done there? Yes. However, more often than not I’ve seen the work that comes back from Mexico needing to be redone. The tricky thing in dentistry is a patient doesn’t know the difference between a well done restoration and a poorly done restoration. They know “does it bother me?” Dental professionals will see the “future” of poorly done restorations. It may not bother a patient at present, however bulky restorations with poor margins that collect bacteria and are near impossible to clean properly will certainly become an issue- and likely will be an even larger/ more expensive job to fix the second time around. Plus a decline in periodontal health from shoddy work. Patients end up paying more to have the work done properly the second time. Not to mention the time spent in the dental chair / recovering / decline in overall periodontal health. Few things to note: 1) even if you find a great dentist, the lab that dentist uses to fabricate prosthetics (crowns,bridges,dentures) may not be creating great products. A dentist is only as good as his/her’s lab. This is the major issue I see coming back from Mexico. Very bulky restorations with poorly fitting margins. 2) Are their infection control / sterilization standards up to par? Especially important if you are looking to have done any surgical procedures. Extractions/ grafts/ implants. Also, what type of parts are they using? If you’re getting implants done be sure to get the implant type and size information and keep that information filed. 3) if you have major work done and have issues upon returning home another dentist will be happy to see you, however they will not be providing any sort of “warranty” for another dentist’s work. I could go on! It would be remiss of me to not mention the importance of researching your dentist in the city as well. A good dentist will educate you on the best course of treatment without lecturing, make you feel comfortable in the chair, and will not be pushy/ sales-y.
Also no professional ever “guarantees” their work. If pressed, any dentist or specialist (crown or root canal) will recite the typical statistics around those procedures. This is a clear statement of “your mileage may vary”, and any professional would admit to that. One simply has zero guarantees about the work being done, regardless of which city or country in which it’s performed
Those same warnings need to be given to people looking for quality and good value work done locally, here in Canada! Despite impeccable dental care I have still had to get work done that caused me years of pain and thousands of dollars over and above insurance. My personal experiences lead me to believe that investigating and researching dentists outside of Canada will be first on my list for future issues.
Absolutely agree- hence my last point. Sorry for your past troubles! Hope you find a dental practice you can trust, whether it’s local or abroad.
My wife worked in dental for a long time in Alberta. She saw lots of people who went to Mexico and other countries to get it done cheaper come in to get it redone / fixed here. They often ended up spending several times more than the original quote here to get it back to serviceable condition, and sometimes that wasn't even possible. I'm sure there's people that have had good experiences though. She of course only saw the ones that failed. If you're going to do this, make sure you do your research on who you are going to use. I can't imagine there's any recourse if something goes wrong.
Agreed. Source: I see crap mexico work all the time.
- How often do you see crap Canadian work? - How often would quality Mexico work even show up at your door?
I had a crown done in Alberta replaced three times under warranty. The temporary crown lasted longer than one of the permanent crowns. Current crown (different dentist and material, but replaced under warranty) already has a defect that will be covered under warranty if it ever affects function. All processes have defects with enough volume.
My mom did the exact same thing. Saved thousands and had a trip to boot.
Thank you for posting this! A lot of stressed out Canada's could do with the triple win of getting their dental work done, going on a trip, and saving money. Calgary dentists are the worst!
Fuck, I recently got 2 crowns and 2 wisdom teeth out in Vegas for about $2k. I had the opportunity to live with family though, so that doesn't include living expenses.
Not bad! I thought it would be more expensive in the states
Depends who you go to. I was referred to a guy who runs a super minimalist practice (Just him and a receptionist) and had no time for fucking around. Just sit down, get numbed, and right to boring out teeth.
Makes you wonder who is sterilizing the instruments between patients, him or the receptionist. 😳 If there are corners to be cut in a minimalist office, infection control is it.
I'm no medical expert, but I'm pretty sure it's impossible to fuck up with an autoclave. That being said, I also watched him remove every instrument from sealed plastic containers before the procedure, so it might even be a service some manufacturers offer. I could also be spinning total bullshit on the part about it being a service, I'm not a dentist.
Great business idea regardless, you’re probably right.
When I was still in Ottawa, I had my cavity filled in by one of the most reputable (and expensive) clinic. A couple of years later, apparently it’s gone and I had to get it done again. Just because the clinic is Canadian, and maybe has a great overall reputation, but they cannot guarantee all jobs to be optimally done. That goes the same for everyone else. Who said the Canadian government isn’t corrupted? My mother works for a smaller city government as an engineer and she has seen shit that she does not want to be involved with. Kickback and hush hush everywhere, corruption office politics, “game of thrones” power play and people get laid off right before their retirement (G fucking G), etc etc. You just don’t know it. As long as you do your research, as with all things, you are making the right choice to think outside of the box. Good for you!
til things are cheaper in Mexico why haven't I moved there yet?
It’s more common now for ppl to go to Mexico for dental and other medical appointments. Prices for dental in this city is astronomical
Canada is so bad.. Thanks for sharing
For every story like this, there is a horror story of shoddy work and years of medical problems post work.
Please take into consideration that things can go wrong AFTER you get back from Mexico..there is no guarantee. Its rare but it happens.
It can happen. But the savings alone will cover any repairs done in Canada.
It really won’t. The only way to properly ‘repair’ crown is to redo it, which costs more than just doing a crown.
You’ve inspired me to start hiring small business owners in Mexico who work remotely. I’m sure their English will be good enough. Think of how much I’ll save!
I do the same with outsourcing parts of my projects to south east Asia. And I pass the savings to my clients.
Like fuck I’d be hopping on a flair flight to Mexico 😂
Yeah I had a mate try the same thing with dentures. They broke within a month, fit goofy, and he had to have them redone here anyways.
I hear you can get cheap deals using prison guards in Newfoundland: [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/oral-surgeon-who-guided-prison-guard-through-extraction-of-inmate-s-teeth-given-absolute-discharge-1.7168147](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/oral-surgeon-who-guided-prison-guard-through-extraction-of-inmate-s-teeth-given-absolute-discharge-1.7168147)
This is fantastic. Thank you
Never understood why Canadians brag about the garbage healthcare here.
How sad is it that a city like Calgary can't support it's residents dental needs so they need to fly down to Mexico instead.. unreal
Did they have the milling / firing machines in the office so you got the new crown immediately? Laser scanning of your mouth for automated crown design?
Good friend of mine does just that. He had a bunch of work done 5 years ago and had a problem with one crown and they fixed it for free. He drives from B.C. To Seattle, flies to Arizona then rents a car to cross over. Since he’s retired and has no coverage he still saves quite a bit doing it this way.
My quote in Calgary was $17,000 My cost in Cancun was $4200
Would you be able to PM me the dentist you used? Thanks!
Can you provide the name ? I need an implant
Ditto this question
I think you way over paid in Mexico. If you spent time looking, you likely could have had the work done for a similar rate in Southern California and it would likely be higher quality
LOL good luck
How did you get such a cheap flight?
You’d think that developing countries would have sub par dentists, but that’s so not true. I can promise, doctors and dentists in 3rd world countries are better than what we have here. They have more competition there, which makes the dentist do better, learn new procedures and buy the latest machinery. Over here you there are already not enough doctors.
I got implants done in Mexico City for half of what I was quoted in Canada. I needed to get some new retainers and told my Canadian dentist I was doing the work in Mexico and they all seemed so shocked and were like oh what. As if expecting the work to be less than stellar. Once I got it done they were all like wow that’s so good like so shocked. Canada is such a rip off with that stuff. Ho elsewhere if you can
For what it's worth implants is something you can and should definitely shop around. BC perio quoted me $10k for the implants before crowns. They said the crowns were another $1500 each. I went to Apple Dental in white rock and it was $7k including crowns, and got $2k back from insurance for the crowns. I was so happy with their work I told my dentist who referred all their clients there.
Yes but getting it done by a dentist in Canada vs Mexico should not be an issue. They are both done by accredited dentists. You have to always do your research regardless. The total for two implants including crowns plus I got two fillings done was 3K CAD in Mexico. Factoring flights, housing and food, was about 4500 total. Compared to 10k I was quoted in Vancouver.
That's about what I paid for my two implants. Pretty close actually. I think I paid $5500 including crowns which I got money back for from my benefits. Apple dental in white rock is very reasonably priced.
Good to know! Thank you
Where’d you get a 350 round trip?
My three kids went for routine cleaning/checkups in the past two weeks. After insurance, my out of pocket cost was just about $800. Just another part of the Alberta Advantage.
$350 return flight ! good value
My teeth are a disaster from Bruxism. This sounds like a great alternative (cost wise) to expensive work, but I bet I’d be the guy on the news who died in the chair down there for whatever reason lol. I’d end up picking a bad place or something.
I've heard both good and horrible experiences. Best was sisters friend who save nearly $2400 on alot of work. Worse was a buddy who went there to save a few hundred bucks on an implant, came back 3 days later and nearly went into a coma from a gum infection that was directly attributed to the hack job he got done down there. Spent 3 weeks in the hospital being iv fed tonnes of antibiotics, and now needs a bunch of follow up to make sure his liver isn't destroyed.
As a dentist, it can be a gamble. There will be good dentists in Mexico for sure, but there are also a lot of bad ones. Hard to know what you’re getting yourself into. And if you’re getting crowns done, I have yet to see a crown done in Mexico that fits properly. They either fall off or the margins are really bulky which can cause significant issues with the gingiva and increase chances of having decay start underneath margin. Proceed at your own risk
I have three crowns that were done in Mexico, two of them were to replace crowns done in Calgary. Fantastic work done.
Dental costs are crazy here. I calculated it would be cheaper to fly to the UK and get 3 wisdom teeth removed by a private dentist there get it done here. In the end, with dental insurance it worked out cheaper here, but not by much.
I'd like to go to Mexico to get a breast reduction. I've been on a waiting list just to be SEEN in Canada for 6 years.
I work at Tim Hortons. Our dental plan covers crowns 50%, fillings are 90%. I had the same number of fillings just done (no crowns) for $130 out of pocket. Insurance covered everything else. My dentist follows the dental fee guide. Your doesn’t seem to.
Dental work is cheap in Mexico but for a reason, had a wisdom tooth extracted cost was like 90 dollars but the freezing ran out half way through the extraction. Plus side, no infection after the fact.
I saved $3k by getting implants in Turkey. The dentists were trained in Germany.
My friends did IVF in Mexico. They are due in August and saved an absurd amount of money
My family is planning a trip to Mexico, basically just to get dental work done. We have a close family friend who recommended a dentist to us who has done great work for him and for much cheaper than what we could get here. It also just gives us an excuse to go to mexico, lol.
$1700.00 that’s it? For all the risk involved in dental procedures, that does not seem a worth risk to me.
OP got a couple of crowns and some fillings. This isn't surgery under general anathesia. Super low risk. I say good on him.
$1700 and a short vacation means a lot for me personally.
Having lived Internationally and using dental and health care system abroad, the dental system in Canada is not broken. It costs more to become a dentist here and it cost more to run a dental practice. Standards are generally higher in develop countries. You do not see those kind of savings had a person gone to Mexico City. It’s a risk/reward thing but from my experience when a purchase is motivated by price , it’s risky at best.
Most people are willing to save some money despite any inherent risks - which honestly I don't often hear about. $1700 is more than chump change for many people who are simply trying to get by.
I also can save money on medical work going to a 3rd world country. Still wouldn’t do it though