First Time Medical Traveler Journals Experience

Many of you know that I have been researching Mexican dentists for my son’s dental work. He needs a crown on a recent root canal, and some impacted wisdom teeth removed. Aug. 26-29 we will be headed to Los Algodones to visit the dentists and oral surgeon Dr. Federico Rivera Luna at the Alamo Dental Clinic. I have checked personal references, reviewed professional qualifications, and feel comfortable that this is a good fit for us. U.S. patients have received excellent, professional and gentle care here; office staff and dentists speak English well enough; and they take credit cards for services. This work can be done for a fraction of the US cost (e.g. US cost for a crown: $1000/Mexico: $220) and in significantly less time (US typically takes 1-2 weeks for a crown fitting; Mexico: 2 days).

——–
8-28-09. Tony and I arrived in Yuma, AZ last night. We are staying at the Cocopah Casino Resort hotel because someone told me to spend the night in the casino by the border. We should be staying at the new Quechan Casino resort, as it is only 2 miles from the Los Algodones border, and about $30-40 by taxi closer. Oh well, we’ll head over there tomorrow.

We walked across the border to Los Algodones at around 9 am this morning. It was about 81 degrees. Several vendors tried to interest us in jewelry, blankets, and other dentisits. The Alamo Dental Clinic was literally two blocks away. The good thing about showing up at a Mexican dental clinic this time of year, we were the ONLY dental patients, and everyone in the office seemed determined to take car e of us. There were always 2-3 people in the dental office while we were being worked on, sometimes more.

Overall, the experience was very much like an American dental experience, except that there were more people around, and we spent six hours there….The most fluent English speaker serves as a translator, guide, facilitator. He explains everything in English to the patient, answers questions, translates for the dentist (although everyone seems to speak some English).’

Tony was getting a crown for a recent root canal. But it turns out that Tony’s American dentist had put an undersized post into his root canal, and the Mexican dentist re-did it. They took an impression of Tony’s tooth, and tomorrow he will be fitted with a porcelain crown.

The Mexican dentists also have a handheld, low-energy xray machine that they use to take frequent shots of the progress being made on the teeth. It is clear from the xrays that none of Tony’s wisdom teeth will have room to come in. They will all have to come out, eventually. We will take out however many we can on Saturday.

I decided to have my teeth cleaned, and during the exam discovered a broken filling with a cavity below. It was deep enough we decided to do a root canal, so I will be fitted with a crown tomorrow as well. In the course of doing the root canal, they discovered decay on the side of the tooth–which was documented for me as well with a digital camera.

Typical American costs for a root canal $900; $1000 for a crown; $150 for a cleaning and exam; $500 to have a tooth extracted.

Mexican costs: Root canal $200 + $100 for metal post; crowns $220; cleaning and exam $25; tooth extraction $200-$400 (best as I can remember). The bill gets paid on Saturday….oh, and they take credit cards…..

8.28.09–Yes, they do use lots of running water at the dentist chair. I was a little concerned about that; I tried not to swallow very much, but you can hardly avoid some. Nevertheless, I feel absolutely fine today (although gums are a little sore where they worked on the root canal and crown fitting). I consoled myself by thinking that the water could not be all that different from the water 200 yards away in California, but who knows?

The dentist office gave us prescriptions for pain and anti-inflammatory medicine afterwards. We went to the Mexican pharmacy nearby where they rang up these two drugs for $25. Naw, I complained, just give us ibuprofen (both an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever). $2 later we were on our way with hundreds of 800 mg ibu….

Today we get our permanent crowns affixed. Tomorrow Tony gets wisdom teeth out, and then we head home….

8.28.09–Tony and I got our permanent crowns today, just two quick appointments. So we spent most of the morning and early afternoon shopping and bargaining with the local street vendors. Tony bought two fishbone sculptures (one of a lion, one of a dragon) for $36 (originally asking $75), earrings as a gift for Korinne ($5), a Breitling (knock-off?) altimeter watch for $30, a stiletto knife with a built-in butane lighter and a black leather belt (both for $18), and I got two ankle bracelets, a cheap one for $4 and a Mexican gold one for $25. I am thinking about the hammock chair for $15, but doubt that it is really polyester instead of cotton….

We moved into the Best Western in downtown Yuma, easier access to amenities, restaurants, groceries, and of course, shipping boxes to mail all of Tony’s purchases….I had the best beef tamale and best chile relleno at the Tacos Mi Rancho across from the Best Western in Yuma today, recommended by the taxi driver. Next time we hire the taxi to take us to UHaul, and rent the local cargo van for $19.95 per day. Lots cheaper than the taxis (but we learn a lot from the taxi drivers).

It was 117 degrees outside today. The hardest part is waiting 15 minutes for the taxi to pick us up from the shade tree at the border…..

Tomorrow is Tony’s oral surgery, and we need to pick up more ibuprofen, as he left the last bottle in our previous hotel room….

8.31.09–Our final day of Mexican dentistry began at 8 am yesterday, and finished just over an hour later. Tony was courageous enough to have all FOUR wisdom teeth surgically removed from below the gum line. Oral surgeon Federico Rivera Luna gave him the bloody teeth as a souvenir….Tony appeared looking dazed, puffy cheeks, and somewhat traumatized. This was difficult surgery for anyone, but he was a real trooper. Happy not to have to converse with his mother. Had no appetite all day, and requested his second pain pill one hour early. He has a pretty high threshhold for pain, so this is serious.

Discovered that the Alamo Dental Clinic would have been happy to provide transportation for us all week, which would have saved me about $200 in taxi fares from Yuma. Days Inn in Yuma would also be a good place to stay, especially with more moderate temperatures, as it is at 4th Av & 16 St, in the heart of old Yuma and close to lots of shopping and amenities within walking distance.

Overall, fairly positive experience, although I would have liked to have spent one extra day in a hotel room allowing Tony to recuperate in a quiet, relaxed setting. But he did OK. Looked almost back to normal last night. He needs to keep taking his antibiotics, and I guess his cheeks are puffy today. But he feels well enough to hang out with his girlfriend, so must not be feeling too badly.

–Wendy Ceccherelli for Traveling4Health

____________________________________

Wendy also lists below other dentists that have been recommended to her through personal referrals:
Dr. Laura Ogas in Paloma (80 mi S of Silver City, NM)
575-388-3716

Dr. Hector Francisco Torress in Agua Prieta (S of Silver City/Tucson)
011-52-633-808-80

Dr. Martha Ortega in Oaxaca
011-52-513-0413
(Above, all recommended by Kathy and Phil Dahl-Bredine)

Dr. Anna Marie Gutierrez in Los Algodones
011-52-658-517-7600 (closed for August? or wrong phone #?)
Calle Primera #3903
(Recommended by patient Jody from Snohomish)

Dr. Francisco Javier in Los Algodones*
Avenue A (cash only)
9-3 M-Sa
011-52-658-51-7167
(Recommended by Brent Melnyk)

*note:  Report on this clinic posted by T4H member