A day trip to Tijuana, Mexico for some tacos or churros? Definitely. Surf trip to Ensenada? Of course. Taking your car to the mechanic 10 minutes south of San Ysidro? If it's cheap, why not. Crossing the border to get your teeth looked at? I don't know about that.
I have one buddy of mine who has been down there to get his teeth fixed but he's kind of a strange guy so I didn't pay much attention to him.
But maybe it's way better than we think. At least the writers of The Real Tijuana think so in How to Choose a Dentist in Baja California.
Apparently dentists are better trained and regulated according to the Asociacion Dental Mexicana with 5,000 certified dentists just in Tijuana. Although be aware that there are others who aren't regulated.
A few interesting things that I learned are that dentists in Tijuana often take cash but also U.S. dental insurance as been known to work and that the scope of practice is much larger. All sorts of procedures can be done in the same office along with non-dental ones as well; "tummy-tuck, Botox injections, and porcelain veneers all at the same time."
Plus, it was noted that "your Mexican dentist will spend more time with you, answering your questions and putting you at ease, and will take extra pride in the painlessness of their work." Apparently it's a cultural thing.
Although cultural differences can cause problems. My favorite examples they gave were:
"Every Halloween...one of the most successful practices in Tijuana decorates its waiting room in north-of-the-border macabre, going so far as to play sound effects of women being tortured over the sound system. Only gringos might think that the screams were coming from patients inside. Nor are people in Mexico put off by realistic anatomical images or by cartoon drawings of teeth in pain: on the contrary, as they walk between the roots of a molar in order to enter a building, they are reassured that they’ve come to the right place."
But don't worry, these guys all speak English!
I think what this writer is pointing out that Baja California is a great option for healthcare, not just to save some money (which you inevitably will) but in order to get quality care that might be hard to come by in the States.
Either way, it was a very informative article but I still don't think I'm ready for this.
Unfortunately America's dental care isn't quite up to par with a lot of countries. While going to Tijuana seems shady, it might actually be a better option. When I got my wisdom teeth pulled in America, it cost $2000 with anesthesia. In Mexico, it would probably cost less than half that, and the doctor probably would have given me more instruction and treated me better. My friend in Japan with free health care got her teeth pulled at absolutely no cost at all. At the very least, families with no health care plans should consider this option.
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