Tijuana dental clincs?
January 21, 2011 9:31 AM Subscribe
No dental insurance and need 5 cavities filled, anyone have any experience in Tijuana Mexico, to save $?
I'm heading over to San Diego anyhow and have been doing a lot of research on the many dental clinics over there. Most of them seem to be a 60 to 80% savings over the U.S. I realize that there are many dental schools that offer low cost dental work and filling cavities isn't as complex as a root canal or dental implants of course, but I figured I could get all my cavities filled in one sitting in TJ and save money as well. If anyone has any recommendations or comments about this I'd appreciate it. I've done a ton of research online about reputable dentists but the reviews are mixed and varied. Worst case I'll just go there and meet with them face to face to decide on a dentist.
I'm heading over to San Diego anyhow and have been doing a lot of research on the many dental clinics over there. Most of them seem to be a 60 to 80% savings over the U.S. I realize that there are many dental schools that offer low cost dental work and filling cavities isn't as complex as a root canal or dental implants of course, but I figured I could get all my cavities filled in one sitting in TJ and save money as well. If anyone has any recommendations or comments about this I'd appreciate it. I've done a ton of research online about reputable dentists but the reviews are mixed and varied. Worst case I'll just go there and meet with them face to face to decide on a dentist.
When my grandparents snowbirded in Padre Island, they always went across for dental work and never had issues. They also said a lot of other snowbirds did the same thing will minimal issues.
That said, I kinda agree with BobbyDigital. Last I recall, Tijuana isn't exactly pleasant anymore with the drug cartel wars and all.
posted by jmd82 at 10:03 AM on January 21, 2011
That said, I kinda agree with BobbyDigital. Last I recall, Tijuana isn't exactly pleasant anymore with the drug cartel wars and all.
posted by jmd82 at 10:03 AM on January 21, 2011
My dad has had some dental work done in TJ in the last year. I think he had some crowns replaced but he was very happy with the whole experience. For what it's worth, he's in his 70s, speaks minimal Spanish, and is very much a gringo but had no problems whatsoever. I think even the dentist lived north of the border but commuted into TJ for his practice. I'll see if I can get his info.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 10:13 AM on January 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by otherwordlyglow at 10:13 AM on January 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
"why risk it to save some money?"
We constantly do this with all sorts of things. It factors into things like buying a used car that lacks the latest safety equipment instead of a new one, or living a cheaper neighborhood. There's no particular reason that this situation is exempt, unless the risk is so great that it outweighs the savings he'll get, which is quite possibly several thousand dollars. Dental care is expensive.
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 10:30 AM on January 21, 2011 [5 favorites]
We constantly do this with all sorts of things. It factors into things like buying a used car that lacks the latest safety equipment instead of a new one, or living a cheaper neighborhood. There's no particular reason that this situation is exempt, unless the risk is so great that it outweighs the savings he'll get, which is quite possibly several thousand dollars. Dental care is expensive.
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 10:30 AM on January 21, 2011 [5 favorites]
Filling cavities is not a matter of several thousand dollars -- my expensive dentist here in LA charges about $100 to fill a cavity. It's not chump change, but it's not crazy expensive either.
posted by incessant at 11:19 AM on January 21, 2011
posted by incessant at 11:19 AM on January 21, 2011
For reference, I asked this question about dental care for the uninsured and broke a week ago. We eventually decided on dental school but going to Mexico was on the table.
From my research, there are several practices that are used to medical tourists. Their equipment is up-to-date, their facilities clean, staff professional and mostly fluent in English. We called around and were pretty impressed. So look on the internet, you should be able to find a few very professional sites. Call and see if you're comfortable with the level of service and English on their side.
IMPORTANT: You don't need a passport to enter Mexico but you need one to re-enter the United States. One reason we didn't opt to do this is because boyfriend didn't have a passport. We didn't want to risk crossing without it.
posted by vilandra at 11:27 AM on January 21, 2011
From my research, there are several practices that are used to medical tourists. Their equipment is up-to-date, their facilities clean, staff professional and mostly fluent in English. We called around and were pretty impressed. So look on the internet, you should be able to find a few very professional sites. Call and see if you're comfortable with the level of service and English on their side.
IMPORTANT: You don't need a passport to enter Mexico but you need one to re-enter the United States. One reason we didn't opt to do this is because boyfriend didn't have a passport. We didn't want to risk crossing without it.
posted by vilandra at 11:27 AM on January 21, 2011
I participated in the thread Vilandra references - I received plenty of fillings at the dental school here in Las Vegas. A three-surface filling was around $110 for composite, and something close to half that for amalgam (metal).
Don't go to Mexico for fillings. Larger work, sure, there's some savings to be had, but unless gas and travel time have no value to you, you're not going to save much actual money going across the border on such minor work.
Slight derail:
IMPORTANT: You don't need a passport to enter Mexico but you need one to re-enter the United States. One reason we didn't opt to do this is because boyfriend didn't have a passport. We didn't want to risk crossing without it.
If it's a land border crossing, you just need government issued ID and documentation of citizenship, unless something's changed very, very recently. I typically deal with Mexican and Canadians coming across the border to take a flight from an airport on the US side of the border, and they don't need a passport for that either (since all air travel they're doing with us is domestic).
I'm not an expert on the matter, though, so please consult someone that is - Or consult state.gov travel subsite
posted by Rendus at 12:42 PM on January 21, 2011
Don't go to Mexico for fillings. Larger work, sure, there's some savings to be had, but unless gas and travel time have no value to you, you're not going to save much actual money going across the border on such minor work.
Slight derail:
IMPORTANT: You don't need a passport to enter Mexico but you need one to re-enter the United States. One reason we didn't opt to do this is because boyfriend didn't have a passport. We didn't want to risk crossing without it.
If it's a land border crossing, you just need government issued ID and documentation of citizenship, unless something's changed very, very recently. I typically deal with Mexican and Canadians coming across the border to take a flight from an airport on the US side of the border, and they don't need a passport for that either (since all air travel they're doing with us is domestic).
I'm not an expert on the matter, though, so please consult someone that is - Or consult state.gov travel subsite
posted by Rendus at 12:42 PM on January 21, 2011
Huh. No, I didn't participate in that thread. A similar one recently, though. Ok, I'm done now, I promise!
posted by Rendus at 12:42 PM on January 21, 2011
posted by Rendus at 12:42 PM on January 21, 2011
Best answer:
I go to Tijuana all the time for cheap medical care (I was there just yesterday). There are several dentists within walking distance of the border and the area is less dangerous than parts of San Diego. The Zona Centro and Zona Rio areas where most dentists offices are perfectly safe (from cartel violence, pickpockets, whatever). It breaks my heart every time I go to Tijuana and see the lack of tourists because of this feeling that you'll get shot as soon as you leave the US.
Many doctors in Tijuana are also licensed in the US and have offices in San Diego (most also have local 619/858 phone numbers so you don't have to make an international call. My optometrist is like that. But he charges a 1/3rd if I visit him in his office in Tijuana. I don't have a specific dentist reco, but there are several within a few hundred meters. Park your car (or take the Trolley) on the US side, walk through the gate (the first billboard you see is for a Mexican dentist). After you walk by the marines and Mexican customs you'll see an exit to the right. You'll see a big McDonalds. On the other side of the Mickey D's there's several dentist office. Business is so slow you can probably just walk in.
Every doctor will speak English. Some receptionists speak English. The equipment is modern. The only difference really is you pay less.
IMPORTANT: You don't need a passport to enter Mexico but you need one to re-enter the United States. One reason we didn't opt to do this is because boyfriend didn't have a passport. We didn't want to risk crossing without it.
A passport or other WHTI ID is required to get into the US. However, if you are a US citizen (or legal resident) CBP will let you back into the US without WHTI docs if they're satisfied you actually are legally allowed to enter the country.
There are three queues at San Ysidro for pedestrians. SENTRI which is a trusted travel card for frequent border crossers; WHTI which is for passports/military ID/enhanced driver's license/Mexican laser visas, etc; and the line for people without proper documentation. If you only have a driver's license, or your DL + birth certificate, you get in that line. If you "look American" they'll pretty much scold you for not having the proper ID but quickly let you go. If the agent suspects you're not a lawful resident, they'll need to look up your info in databases like DMV, etc. Although Homeland Security is supposedly wired in with the police/feds on people with warrants. If you have a warrant out on you and you're in the non-ID line, you will get let back into the country. But only to taken into custody by the SDPD.
The third line started a few months ago and was done to let people w/o papers feel the pain. So all people w/o passports/passport cards/etc stand in a single line for one agent to process and a good chance of going to secondary. People with proper ID have up to 20 agents that process them.
Yesterday at 4pm when I was crossing I waited 5 minutes in a line of 20 people in two lanes to speak to one of 6 open agents. The no-ID line had about 20 people in it, but didn't seem to move at all. (there was a gringo hobo fighting with another gringo hobo and the ruckus almost caused the hobos to get tossed out).
If you do go to Tijuana, I recommend trying to get back into the US around 3pm-4pm, maybe even 5pm when there's no line at CBP. In the mornings, you can wait over an hour (protip: guys will offer rides in their buses/vans for $5US...what this gets you to the front of the line...well worth it on those 2hr+ wait days to wait 30 minutes in a van. You don't need to go beyond the part where they let you out to go in for Passport Control. But some buses go as far north as LA if you need a ride). You can go to http://www.sandiegored.com/ and look at the wait times (garitas). The Tijuana/San Diego media wait times a much more accurate than the estimates provided by CBP.
If you do find yourself with a long wait to get back into the US and want to kill time w/o doing the stereotypical getting drunk on Av Revo. Catch a taxi to the Plaza Rio Mall and take in a movie at the Cinepolis VIP theater. There's two Cinepolis theatres, the VIP is great where you have comfy reclining seats like in Asian/Australian/everywhere else. First run US movies are presented dubbed or in English with Spanish subtitles. I saw Tron a few weeks ago down there. The dubbed was in 3D, the English w/subs was in 2D.
tl;dr: sure, go to Tijuana. Hopefully others will have specific referrals.
posted by birdherder at 1:01 PM on January 21, 2011 [8 favorites]
I strongly advice against this. You could probably get decent dental care there, but these days northern Mexico is extremely dangerous and Tiajuana especially so. The odds of something bad happening to you are low, but why risk it to save some money?For one thing, it is Tijuana. And to my knowledge not a single Mexican or American going to a dentist has ever been killed or injured at the dentist office in Tijuana or anywhere else in Mexico. Unless you're going to a dentist on a cartel's HMO, you're not going to encounter any problems.
posted by BobbyDigital at 9:59 AM on January 21
I go to Tijuana all the time for cheap medical care (I was there just yesterday). There are several dentists within walking distance of the border and the area is less dangerous than parts of San Diego. The Zona Centro and Zona Rio areas where most dentists offices are perfectly safe (from cartel violence, pickpockets, whatever). It breaks my heart every time I go to Tijuana and see the lack of tourists because of this feeling that you'll get shot as soon as you leave the US.
Many doctors in Tijuana are also licensed in the US and have offices in San Diego (most also have local 619/858 phone numbers so you don't have to make an international call. My optometrist is like that. But he charges a 1/3rd if I visit him in his office in Tijuana. I don't have a specific dentist reco, but there are several within a few hundred meters. Park your car (or take the Trolley) on the US side, walk through the gate (the first billboard you see is for a Mexican dentist). After you walk by the marines and Mexican customs you'll see an exit to the right. You'll see a big McDonalds. On the other side of the Mickey D's there's several dentist office. Business is so slow you can probably just walk in.
Every doctor will speak English. Some receptionists speak English. The equipment is modern. The only difference really is you pay less.
IMPORTANT: You don't need a passport to enter Mexico but you need one to re-enter the United States. One reason we didn't opt to do this is because boyfriend didn't have a passport. We didn't want to risk crossing without it.
A passport or other WHTI ID is required to get into the US. However, if you are a US citizen (or legal resident) CBP will let you back into the US without WHTI docs if they're satisfied you actually are legally allowed to enter the country.
There are three queues at San Ysidro for pedestrians. SENTRI which is a trusted travel card for frequent border crossers; WHTI which is for passports/military ID/enhanced driver's license/Mexican laser visas, etc; and the line for people without proper documentation. If you only have a driver's license, or your DL + birth certificate, you get in that line. If you "look American" they'll pretty much scold you for not having the proper ID but quickly let you go. If the agent suspects you're not a lawful resident, they'll need to look up your info in databases like DMV, etc. Although Homeland Security is supposedly wired in with the police/feds on people with warrants. If you have a warrant out on you and you're in the non-ID line, you will get let back into the country. But only to taken into custody by the SDPD.
The third line started a few months ago and was done to let people w/o papers feel the pain. So all people w/o passports/passport cards/etc stand in a single line for one agent to process and a good chance of going to secondary. People with proper ID have up to 20 agents that process them.
Yesterday at 4pm when I was crossing I waited 5 minutes in a line of 20 people in two lanes to speak to one of 6 open agents. The no-ID line had about 20 people in it, but didn't seem to move at all. (there was a gringo hobo fighting with another gringo hobo and the ruckus almost caused the hobos to get tossed out).
If you do go to Tijuana, I recommend trying to get back into the US around 3pm-4pm, maybe even 5pm when there's no line at CBP. In the mornings, you can wait over an hour (protip: guys will offer rides in their buses/vans for $5US...what this gets you to the front of the line...well worth it on those 2hr+ wait days to wait 30 minutes in a van. You don't need to go beyond the part where they let you out to go in for Passport Control. But some buses go as far north as LA if you need a ride). You can go to http://www.sandiegored.com/ and look at the wait times (garitas). The Tijuana/San Diego media wait times a much more accurate than the estimates provided by CBP.
If you do find yourself with a long wait to get back into the US and want to kill time w/o doing the stereotypical getting drunk on Av Revo. Catch a taxi to the Plaza Rio Mall and take in a movie at the Cinepolis VIP theater. There's two Cinepolis theatres, the VIP is great where you have comfy reclining seats like in Asian/Australian/everywhere else. First run US movies are presented dubbed or in English with Spanish subtitles. I saw Tron a few weeks ago down there. The dubbed was in 3D, the English w/subs was in 2D.
tl;dr: sure, go to Tijuana. Hopefully others will have specific referrals.
posted by birdherder at 1:01 PM on January 21, 2011 [8 favorites]
If it's a land border crossing, you just need government issued ID and documentation of citizenship, unless something's changed very, very recently. I typically deal with Mexican and Canadians coming across the border to take a flight from an airport on the US side of the border, and they don't need a passport for that either (since all air travel they're doing with us is domestic).
Technically, a passport or other qualifying document has been required for Americans, Canadians, Mexicans to enter the US over land since June 2009.
Practically, as my note indicates above they'll let you in w/o a passport/passport card/etc.
Mexican nationals need a visa to enter the US. And to get a visa, they need a passport. Frequent Mexican crossers can get SENTRI cards or the "laser visa" which allows them to commute to the US without requiring them to carry their passport with them.
I got a passport card from the State Dept so I can cross without having to carry my full passport. It only allows me to enter the country over land from Canada or Mexico. Next month, San Diegans and Tijuanense will be able to get the SENTRI card for $42 (down from $120). Even though when I cross the the lines tend to be short, but $42 for 5 years of no lines, I'm sold.
posted by birdherder at 1:15 PM on January 21, 2011
Technically, a passport or other qualifying document has been required for Americans, Canadians, Mexicans to enter the US over land since June 2009.
Practically, as my note indicates above they'll let you in w/o a passport/passport card/etc.
Mexican nationals need a visa to enter the US. And to get a visa, they need a passport. Frequent Mexican crossers can get SENTRI cards or the "laser visa" which allows them to commute to the US without requiring them to carry their passport with them.
I got a passport card from the State Dept so I can cross without having to carry my full passport. It only allows me to enter the country over land from Canada or Mexico. Next month, San Diegans and Tijuanense will be able to get the SENTRI card for $42 (down from $120). Even though when I cross the the lines tend to be short, but $42 for 5 years of no lines, I'm sold.
posted by birdherder at 1:15 PM on January 21, 2011
I did this a number of years ago. I went to Pacific Dental and got work done by a really nice dentist. In fact, I liked him better than quite a few of the US dentists I've been to.
This particular guy is in Zona Rio, which is a quick cab ride from the crossing (when you walk across, just keep walking with the crowds until you see a bunch of cabs). I can't add anything to the great information birdherder provided, other than to say that I would feel perfectly comfortable going there tomorrow if I needed to.
posted by stefanie at 1:57 PM on January 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
This particular guy is in Zona Rio, which is a quick cab ride from the crossing (when you walk across, just keep walking with the crowds until you see a bunch of cabs). I can't add anything to the great information birdherder provided, other than to say that I would feel perfectly comfortable going there tomorrow if I needed to.
posted by stefanie at 1:57 PM on January 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
Quite a few members of my extended family have gone to TJ for both major and minor dental work. So far, they've all spoken very highly of the dentists they've used and saved thousands of dollars. The one thing I would recommend is getting a good referral from a friend or relative rather than just walking into a clinic.
posted by lekvar at 2:20 PM on January 21, 2011
posted by lekvar at 2:20 PM on January 21, 2011
So I checked with my dad about the dentist he saw in TJ. His name is Eduardo Herrera and his phone number is 619-666-3048 (it's a cell that rings in the office). He was super happy with the care he got there and got the recommendation from another friend of his who lives in San Diego and goes down to see him frequently. The office is literally right over the border - you can see the building from the crossing. He speaks English.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 8:15 PM on January 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by otherwordlyglow at 8:15 PM on January 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by BobbyDigital at 9:59 AM on January 21, 2011