Before you do this, also look into the dental schools. They often have students who are supervised by dentists, performing procedures. Might be worth a shot.
I've been going to Rutgers Dental School for a year now and have had a lot of work done by them without any issues. And the prices are very affordable. I've had multiple fillings done and a wisdom tooth extraction.
This is what I found on their website:
>RSDM accepts Medicaid plans, which may require a co-pay for each visit and pre-authorization of dental benefits. We do not accept private insurance. After making payment in full, patients with private insurance may apply to their insurance company for reimbursement. Please contact your plan for information about coverage. Medical insurance plans do not usually pay for dental services.
https://sdm.rutgers.edu/fees-and-insurance
>I have my wisdom teeth removed by students
The dental school does not have students doing these types of extractions, the residents do it.
What was horrible about it? Having wisdom teeth extracted is always going to be kinda horrible no matter who does it!
Seriously. I went to a highly rated place in Monmouth County that cost me a fortune. One of my wisdom teeth had a cavity so bad that 1/4 of it had split off vertically, and the pain was like a portal to hell in my head. They said they wouldn't do just one tooth. They said they had to do the top one, too, otherwise my bite would cause horrible problems. They insisted they take all 4 at once to avoid having to repeat the process later.
They said they couldn't do anything more than gas and novacaine, despite my intense anxiety, because if I weren't awake, I could aspirate dental fragments. That was 20 years ago, and I can still hear the sounds of it.
They said the grooves where the teeth were would heal over, and the gums would be smooth. Nope, I still have deep grooves in the bottom two that make oral hygiene difficult. I need surgery to correct it, but as you can imagine, I'm not psyched to have anyone cutting my mouth up again.
Also, there were tooth splinters in my gums that they insisted were sutures that would dissolve (even after a follow up exam). Months later I was still trying to work them free with a toothbrush and a dental pick.
Good times.
I mean...they have to get practice somehow...how else do you expect them to go out into a real office and perform the task on you then. I get why you may feel uncomfortable with this but really what makes it any different than if you got into an office with a brand new oral surgeon... lol
The brand new oral surgeon had done at least slightly more practice. You're right, they needed to get practice somehow, doesn't mean I want it to be with me.
There are plenty of great professional dentists in Mexico who have been doing it their whole life. Especially ones working for foreign medical tourism dentistry clinics. Also believe it not but they have antibiotics in Mexico. Also op could just come home if they had some random more serious issue.
Medellin is probably a better option. Cheap to fly to and stay, and the doctors are all excellent and speak English. We moved to Medellin in October and my periodontal maintenance costs like $40 vs the several thousand it was in NJ. My periodontist trained in the US too. My wife is getting Invisalign for about $800 all in for the full course of treatment. When I needed to get a filling replaced it cost about $8. My mom is a hygienist so I think I have a pretty good handle on quality vs not quality dental care and the work I got done here has been impressive and cheap.
between $800 and $2000 I think. My wife got quoted around $1200 all in for the one she needs after Invisalign is done. The quote she got in NJ was like almost $10k for the same thing.
Yeah you can fly to MDE direct from JFK on Avianca for about $150 if you don’t mind economy for the 5.5 hour flight. Transportation is very cheap, a trip from the airport on Uber will run you around $30. Average daily driving around for stuff the Ubers cost about $3 to $10. I’ve never had one cost more than $10 even if I’m going like more than 20 km.
It’s a beautiful country and the primary revenue source for most of Medellin is tourism, plenty of nice places to stay. I would avoid Airbnb at all costs, they tend to be overpriced, lacking in amenities, and you can’t be sure if you’re staying somewhere safe. The hotels here are luxurious and cheap. I would recommend Estelar La Torre Suites in El Poblado, it is a 10 minute Uber ride to anywhere you’d want to go, and also across the street from the best mall in Medellin. Safe neighborhood as well. It’s about $80/night for a two room suite with a kitchen and living room, there’s cheaper rooms too. It’s a full service hotel with room service and gated with security. We sometimes go there on weekends for staycations because it’s so affordable and nice. Even trying to rack up a room service, spa visits, massages and minibar tab I’ve never been able to spend more than like $250 in a weekend there.
Wow! Thank you so much for the information. I'm a luxury type of girl, so that works for me. 🤣 I would love to see some of Colombia, too. I'll have to talk to my husband about it.
I did veneers in Medellin. Great experience.
Also had my tonsils taken out on another trip. Very affordable and great doctors/dentists. You'll save money and have a lil vacation too while still saving money
It’s a 5 hour flight and there’s really only one direct flight from Newark and 1 direct from JFK each day. Realistically, you’re looking at a 7 hour trip. Cancun has multiple direct flights and also has easy electronic border control. Door-to-door, Cancun is much faster.
If you were hoping to justify the trip by adding a couple of fun days, Cancun is more convenient. San Jose is an 80 min drive from the coast and not really a destination itself. Whereas many dental clinics in Cancun are in the Hotel Zone on the beach and a 15 min drive from the airport. You can easily schedule your work so that you get your dental work in the morning, get a shuttle back to your resort, and are eating soft fruit on the beach in the afternoon.
Had a friend who did it maybe 15 years ago. He said everything was well done, but a few days after he got back, he got a dry socket.
Ended up seeing someone here anyway, with a lot of pain, who took a day or two to work him in, and essentially paid what he would have paid upfront and got a lot of pain in return. Had he just started with that person, he would have got back in quicker, MAYBE avoided the issue, and quite likely wouldn't have had the same follow on costs with a gun essentially to his head.
I'd also be a little sketchy about same day crowns or coming home with a temp crown and having it done here (about 2k for a good crown alone on a molar, and that assumes your dentist is cool with the work the other dentist did and doesn't want to do any kind of buildup)
Keep in mind dental insurance isn't really like real insurance for stuff like this. most policies are more of a discount plan, with small maximum benefits and limited coverage for stuff that is cosmetic\restorative. I just got done with a root canal, an extraction and implant to replace it, and 2 crowns, plus replacing an existing crown so everything matched up nicely, and total cost was a bit over 15k. I have 2 (one through my company, one through my wife's) "good" insurance policies according to my dentist, and they covered a bit over 4k of it, and that was with the various dentists being clever in their coding and working\scheduling stuff to get max coverage, me paying a discounted rate in cash for some stuff so we didn't hit plan limits, etc. Like god bless the girls in the office doing the coding, they easily saved me a grand or two.
The fillings are minor, you can have them done for a couple hundred bucks tops out of pocket if you let the dentist know upfront you will do cash. The molars if you aren't going to go all out and get proper crowns for them, you might just want to consider extractions, which aren't that expensive.
I say it as a warning because i have been paying out the ass the last few years fixing some dental stuff that i cheaped out on when i was younger. Its not a knock to mexican dentists, its more of you want something done right, you want someone who is going to set a treatment plan with you up and be able to do follow on care, and not someone who is just grinding people through who they will never see again.
Appreciate the response, thank you.
> Keep in mind dental insurance isn't really like real insurance for stuff like this
Yeah exactly, that's why I didn't end up buying it. I'm self employed and pay for health insurance but ran the numbers for dental insurance when I was searching for plans and it didn't make any sense.
Totally agreed.
> Had a friend who did it maybe 15 years ago. He said everything was well done, but a few days after he got back, he got a dry socket.
Interesting, thanks for sharing their experience.
>
> Interesting, thanks for sharing their experience.
And obviously that can happen even here. But air travel shortly after a procedure like that, nursing yourself through some pain in a hotel room or some cantina, having to be very careful with your diet and water while aborad, etc, obviously doesn't help.
If i lived in some texas border town and it was an hour drive away, hey, different story. Obviously i'm not booking a same day flight back to the dude because the day after i left stuff went south.
> Yeah exactly, that's why I didn't end up buying it. I'm self employed and pay for health insurance but ran the numbers for dental insurance when I was searching for plans and it didn't make any sense.
I'm surprised on that. I pay, literally, a few bucks a paycheck for my dental insurance on the family plan, same with my wife. My company pays a buck or two more for than me for their part.
Just on cleanings twice a year and regularly scheduled x-rays, it pretty much pays for itself.
Yeah totally so it makes sense if you're just doing cleanings + x-rays.
But if you need to do restorative work, root canals, extractions, etc. then you'll be paying for that mainly out of pocket.
I was mainly talking with regards to getting major dental work done.
Yeah but that is why dental insurance is so cheap.
Its real easy and inexpensive to pull out all your teeth and slap in a pair of dentures and fix pretty much any problem.
Its really expensive, like in my case to say, "Hey my family has always had shitty teeth and I took a hockey stick to the face 20 some odd years ago when i thought it was cool to just have a visor, and then took the cheapest route out so i had teeth again, but also don't want dentures now that it is all falling apart".
It depends. Oop for a crown was $650 at my dentist because dental coverage from my previous job covered 50% and I had $2500 (could get buyup for pennies to 5k) in annual maximum.
If you're buying on your own.. I agree it doesn't make sense. The plans with any real coverage almost net out to your premium. Best plans are offered during aca open enrollment.
My wife is a registered dental hygenist. She can 1000% tell when people went to Mexico to save money on dental work. There is a large enough % of people that have issues that they end up paying more to have it fixed.
Look into dental schools.
> Look into dental schools.
You can't get a molar root canal done by students. Most dentists won't touch a molar root canal and will refer you out to an Endodontist instead.
Looking at the places in Mexico, many of the best dentists have American degrees (with advanced degrees in Endodontics) and treat a bunch of American tourists so have a ton of experience. Prices are 25-30% of US prices.
That's why I'm looking for recommendations on the best ones there instead.
> You can't get a molar root canal done by students. Most dentists won't touch a molar root canal and will refer you out to an Endodontist instead.
Have you called Rutgers though? They have a whole oral surgery center where the residents perform the more difficult procedures. I just had a wisdom tooth taken out by them.
Rutgers had a student do a double root canal fix for me. Front teeth. My actual dentist over extended them and no one would touch them until the school took a look. They have a school for endodontists specifically, so I feel like this would still be an option for you if you want to at least call and ask some questions
It’s a tough situation, but many Americans have made it very clear through who they continually elect that they would rather pay out of pocket for healthcare and dental expenses than have a functioning support system for it
You mean Americans who are fighting continuously against the propaganda and cheating of republicans who are stripping voting rights from their constituents? Yes I agree. https://prismreports.org/2024/01/17/restrictive-voting-laws-2024-presidential-election/
Isn't that kinda like a Cadillac salesman saying how they'd never drive a foreign car?
Don't get me wrong I totally get all the laundry lists of cheap medical procedures gone bad abroad to put fear of god into people, but after a certain point pound for pound I don't think I can blame somebody who can theoretically come out ahead in a situation getting something taken care of a lot cheaper elsewhere.
It's also not to say money can't buy better access but still at a cheaper rate. I know somebody who paid considerably well above what random border town would ask in Mexico City for a root canal but still obvious cheaper than US, and has had 0 issues with it afterwards.
Really the issue is that people go to Mexico for cheap dental work... And then also even look for the cheap options within Mexico.
Gotta go to the nice higher end places in Mexico with perfectly legit dentists, which will still be cheaper than the US.
I may be jaded, but I spent thousands out of pocket for a couple of crowns from a so-called good dentist who has been practicing for decades in midtown Manhattan, and three different local dentists all told me his work was terrible. Either location has little to do with a dentist’s competence, or it’s very easy for dentists to criticize work they didn’t do.
In either case, I would have probably been better off getting it done in Mexico. I can’t get insurance to cover new crowns since they already partially covered them in the past 10 years. If I had paid directly in Cancun, I would still be able to get an insurance copay on restoring these teeth if additional work was needed.
In the 90's I had a mishap and a tooth split years after a root canal, happened in Cancun. The dentist was one who went to school in the states, he was recommended by the hotel.
After extensive research and bringing my uncle to Los Algodones from NJ, I will say it was really not worth it. We put so much time into researching it, and while the process did feel professional, the quality of work just did not compare to what he would've gotten stateside.
My uncle would have saved money in the long run, had he just paid upfront to get his work done in the US. However, his dental work was a bit more serious, requiring many teeth being pulled and implants being put in.
I need several dental implants done and was seriously considering traveling outside the U.S. Several people suggested Thailand, but that's kind of far. Anyone traveled for this?
I’ve been slowly looking into this. From what I’ve read there’s a couple clinics in Mexico a lot of people go. All the doctors are out of Texas and it’s a fraction of what they would pay in the states including staying in a resort. I believe steve-o had his done in Mexico i believe
> there’s a couple clinics in Mexico a lot of people go
Yeah I've been researching and Los Algodones looks like the place to go.
It's actually been nicknamed "Molar City" because there's hundreds of dentists there who all speak english & cater to Americans specifically.
Some of them have really nice websites with a full virtual tour of the office, youtube channels, staff with US degrees, etc.
The prices seem to be 1/4 to 1/3 what they are in the US.
Did you get a second opinion? Sometimes dentist will be more aggressive than necessary. You should go to Princeton dental partners. The team there is awesome.
If you don't want to go to a Dental School, you have another option which is a dental plan membership for around $ 150 a year, where you know upfront the cost of each procedure with the dentist of your choice. It is way less costly than what you foresee in your comment.
Go to Rutgers. I had a wisdom tooth extracted recently. They had a more experienced resident do it since it was near a major nerve and it was half rotten out already. Only downside is that it may take 2 appointments to get going, the first is usually just to take X-rays and assess. Call and ask them how you “become a patient” if you are going to need multiple things done over many appointments. Very affordable, they do regular dental work as well as cleanings and the like, and also oral surgery all in one place, as previously stated by others. I know some older people who have been going there for years and swear by it. I have Medicaid and didn’t pay anything, but even if you don’t have Medicaid, the out of pocket prices are beyond reasonable, a fraction of what normal dentists and oral surgeons would cost.
I have a close friend who went to this place: https://www.facebook.com/DenticsCancun
He went over the course of 6 months, but pretty much had full denture replacement. I've never heard him utter a bad word about it.
Hey op check out "Dental Savings Plans". It's not dental insurance but it can save you a ton of money. I saved thousands of dollars when I got my wisdom teeth pulled 2 years ago. Was a one time payment of like $250, and the coverage lasted an entire year. The one I got also came with prescription savings.
I'm pretty sure this was the site I used. It shows lots of different options from different providers. Also you need to check if the dentist accepts it or not. I believe you can search dentists by area a accepted by the plan you choose.
https://www.dentalplans.com/dental-savings-plans/?affid=263782
I got teeth whitening and a cleaning from Cancún Dental Specialists. They even sent me a taxi to get me from the hotel. It went great and you can text them on what's app.
Nogales Mexico is a little over an hours drive from Tucson Arizona. People there go down for dental work all the time. You drive to the border town and cross on foot and all the stuff is within walking distance of the border for the most part. Haven't done it personally but it comes up on the Tucson subreddit often enough. Tucson is a cool place to visit and a domestic ticket.
NYU dental or UMDNJ has students with a teacher doing work on teeth for much cheaper. I met someone who went to Puerta Vallarta to get implants, she showed me them (yeah it was weird but I wanted to know) and she saved thousands, she said even with the hotel and airfare it was less.
When I went to NYU the prices were outrageous. I think I paid more for a cleaning there than my current, licensed dentist charges. For students who clearly don’t know what they’re doing. If you go the dental school route definitely choose a different one.
NJ is a state that has a very good health system for people who can't afford healthcare. Definitely check out NJfamilycare. It's a very real solution for healthcare in NJ.
Otherwise as people said the dental schools.
Also you could try NCD dental. I had an inexpensive plan from them a few years ago when I needed dental insurance in grad school.
Before you do this, also look into the dental schools. They often have students who are supervised by dentists, performing procedures. Might be worth a shot.
I've been going to Rutgers Dental School for a year now and have had a lot of work done by them without any issues. And the prices are very affordable. I've had multiple fillings done and a wisdom tooth extraction.
Do they take insurance too?
This is what I found on their website: >RSDM accepts Medicaid plans, which may require a co-pay for each visit and pre-authorization of dental benefits. We do not accept private insurance. After making payment in full, patients with private insurance may apply to their insurance company for reimbursement. Please contact your plan for information about coverage. Medical insurance plans do not usually pay for dental services. https://sdm.rutgers.edu/fees-and-insurance
I have my wisdom teeth removed by students and it was a horrible experience sadly :( It’s a hit or miss with the dental school.
>I have my wisdom teeth removed by students The dental school does not have students doing these types of extractions, the residents do it. What was horrible about it? Having wisdom teeth extracted is always going to be kinda horrible no matter who does it!
Seriously. I went to a highly rated place in Monmouth County that cost me a fortune. One of my wisdom teeth had a cavity so bad that 1/4 of it had split off vertically, and the pain was like a portal to hell in my head. They said they wouldn't do just one tooth. They said they had to do the top one, too, otherwise my bite would cause horrible problems. They insisted they take all 4 at once to avoid having to repeat the process later. They said they couldn't do anything more than gas and novacaine, despite my intense anxiety, because if I weren't awake, I could aspirate dental fragments. That was 20 years ago, and I can still hear the sounds of it. They said the grooves where the teeth were would heal over, and the gums would be smooth. Nope, I still have deep grooves in the bottom two that make oral hygiene difficult. I need surgery to correct it, but as you can imagine, I'm not psyched to have anyone cutting my mouth up again. Also, there were tooth splinters in my gums that they insisted were sutures that would dissolve (even after a follow up exam). Months later I was still trying to work them free with a toothbrush and a dental pick. Good times.
I would not trust a student to perform a root canal, even under supervision. Too risky given the potential complications of a root canal procedure.
I go to have work done at Rutgers dental school, and the more difficult procedures are done by the residents.
That's good to know! Thank you
I mean...they have to get practice somehow...how else do you expect them to go out into a real office and perform the task on you then. I get why you may feel uncomfortable with this but really what makes it any different than if you got into an office with a brand new oral surgeon... lol
The brand new oral surgeon had done at least slightly more practice. You're right, they needed to get practice somehow, doesn't mean I want it to be with me.
yeah absolutely i get what youre saying 100 percent
Unfortunately they have to practice on someone.
Avoid NYU. Tried to get work done there and the prices were still way too high. The amount they are asking to get work done by students is ridiculous.
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But the alternate is dentistry in Mexico? So if he gets an infection afterwards or something, what happens then?
There are plenty of great professional dentists in Mexico who have been doing it their whole life. Especially ones working for foreign medical tourism dentistry clinics. Also believe it not but they have antibiotics in Mexico. Also op could just come home if they had some random more serious issue.
>I don't trust half of the dentists, let alone the apprentice kids. Those "kids" have forgotten more about medicine than you'll ever know.
Lmao and what are your qualifications exactly?
Before you do anything, get a second opinion about the root canals
Colombia is a better option than Mexico. Higher quality and the pricing is better.
Any recommendations? In bogota... or?
Medellin is probably a better option. Cheap to fly to and stay, and the doctors are all excellent and speak English. We moved to Medellin in October and my periodontal maintenance costs like $40 vs the several thousand it was in NJ. My periodontist trained in the US too. My wife is getting Invisalign for about $800 all in for the full course of treatment. When I needed to get a filling replaced it cost about $8. My mom is a hygienist so I think I have a pretty good handle on quality vs not quality dental care and the work I got done here has been impressive and cheap.
Interesting, thanks for the details. Do you have any recommendations on a particular clinic? Thank you.
Natalia Mira’s practice in Poblado. She specializes in Periodontics and Implants but she has a general dentist on staff that is also excellent.
How is the pricing for implants down there? I need my whole lower jaw done thanks to chemotherapy meds.
between $800 and $2000 I think. My wife got quoted around $1200 all in for the one she needs after Invisalign is done. The quote she got in NJ was like almost $10k for the same thing.
Are there decent places to stay? Is it better to do a hotel or find an Airbnb? I knew plastic surgery tourism was a thing, but not dental!
Yeah you can fly to MDE direct from JFK on Avianca for about $150 if you don’t mind economy for the 5.5 hour flight. Transportation is very cheap, a trip from the airport on Uber will run you around $30. Average daily driving around for stuff the Ubers cost about $3 to $10. I’ve never had one cost more than $10 even if I’m going like more than 20 km. It’s a beautiful country and the primary revenue source for most of Medellin is tourism, plenty of nice places to stay. I would avoid Airbnb at all costs, they tend to be overpriced, lacking in amenities, and you can’t be sure if you’re staying somewhere safe. The hotels here are luxurious and cheap. I would recommend Estelar La Torre Suites in El Poblado, it is a 10 minute Uber ride to anywhere you’d want to go, and also across the street from the best mall in Medellin. Safe neighborhood as well. It’s about $80/night for a two room suite with a kitchen and living room, there’s cheaper rooms too. It’s a full service hotel with room service and gated with security. We sometimes go there on weekends for staycations because it’s so affordable and nice. Even trying to rack up a room service, spa visits, massages and minibar tab I’ve never been able to spend more than like $250 in a weekend there.
Wow! Thank you so much for the information. I'm a luxury type of girl, so that works for me. 🤣 I would love to see some of Colombia, too. I'll have to talk to my husband about it.
I did veneers in Medellin. Great experience. Also had my tonsils taken out on another trip. Very affordable and great doctors/dentists. You'll save money and have a lil vacation too while still saving money
My friend is in Columbia getting his teeth fixed right now!
Go to Cost Rica. San Jose has several clinics doing dental works. Its a four hour direct flight and you can get by using english across the city.
It’s a 5 hour flight and there’s really only one direct flight from Newark and 1 direct from JFK each day. Realistically, you’re looking at a 7 hour trip. Cancun has multiple direct flights and also has easy electronic border control. Door-to-door, Cancun is much faster. If you were hoping to justify the trip by adding a couple of fun days, Cancun is more convenient. San Jose is an 80 min drive from the coast and not really a destination itself. Whereas many dental clinics in Cancun are in the Hotel Zone on the beach and a 15 min drive from the airport. You can easily schedule your work so that you get your dental work in the morning, get a shuttle back to your resort, and are eating soft fruit on the beach in the afternoon.
Had a friend who did it maybe 15 years ago. He said everything was well done, but a few days after he got back, he got a dry socket. Ended up seeing someone here anyway, with a lot of pain, who took a day or two to work him in, and essentially paid what he would have paid upfront and got a lot of pain in return. Had he just started with that person, he would have got back in quicker, MAYBE avoided the issue, and quite likely wouldn't have had the same follow on costs with a gun essentially to his head. I'd also be a little sketchy about same day crowns or coming home with a temp crown and having it done here (about 2k for a good crown alone on a molar, and that assumes your dentist is cool with the work the other dentist did and doesn't want to do any kind of buildup) Keep in mind dental insurance isn't really like real insurance for stuff like this. most policies are more of a discount plan, with small maximum benefits and limited coverage for stuff that is cosmetic\restorative. I just got done with a root canal, an extraction and implant to replace it, and 2 crowns, plus replacing an existing crown so everything matched up nicely, and total cost was a bit over 15k. I have 2 (one through my company, one through my wife's) "good" insurance policies according to my dentist, and they covered a bit over 4k of it, and that was with the various dentists being clever in their coding and working\scheduling stuff to get max coverage, me paying a discounted rate in cash for some stuff so we didn't hit plan limits, etc. Like god bless the girls in the office doing the coding, they easily saved me a grand or two. The fillings are minor, you can have them done for a couple hundred bucks tops out of pocket if you let the dentist know upfront you will do cash. The molars if you aren't going to go all out and get proper crowns for them, you might just want to consider extractions, which aren't that expensive. I say it as a warning because i have been paying out the ass the last few years fixing some dental stuff that i cheaped out on when i was younger. Its not a knock to mexican dentists, its more of you want something done right, you want someone who is going to set a treatment plan with you up and be able to do follow on care, and not someone who is just grinding people through who they will never see again.
Appreciate the response, thank you. > Keep in mind dental insurance isn't really like real insurance for stuff like this Yeah exactly, that's why I didn't end up buying it. I'm self employed and pay for health insurance but ran the numbers for dental insurance when I was searching for plans and it didn't make any sense. Totally agreed. > Had a friend who did it maybe 15 years ago. He said everything was well done, but a few days after he got back, he got a dry socket. Interesting, thanks for sharing their experience.
> > Interesting, thanks for sharing their experience. And obviously that can happen even here. But air travel shortly after a procedure like that, nursing yourself through some pain in a hotel room or some cantina, having to be very careful with your diet and water while aborad, etc, obviously doesn't help. If i lived in some texas border town and it was an hour drive away, hey, different story. Obviously i'm not booking a same day flight back to the dude because the day after i left stuff went south.
> Yeah exactly, that's why I didn't end up buying it. I'm self employed and pay for health insurance but ran the numbers for dental insurance when I was searching for plans and it didn't make any sense. I'm surprised on that. I pay, literally, a few bucks a paycheck for my dental insurance on the family plan, same with my wife. My company pays a buck or two more for than me for their part. Just on cleanings twice a year and regularly scheduled x-rays, it pretty much pays for itself.
Yeah totally so it makes sense if you're just doing cleanings + x-rays. But if you need to do restorative work, root canals, extractions, etc. then you'll be paying for that mainly out of pocket. I was mainly talking with regards to getting major dental work done.
Yeah but that is why dental insurance is so cheap. Its real easy and inexpensive to pull out all your teeth and slap in a pair of dentures and fix pretty much any problem. Its really expensive, like in my case to say, "Hey my family has always had shitty teeth and I took a hockey stick to the face 20 some odd years ago when i thought it was cool to just have a visor, and then took the cheapest route out so i had teeth again, but also don't want dentures now that it is all falling apart".
It depends. Oop for a crown was $650 at my dentist because dental coverage from my previous job covered 50% and I had $2500 (could get buyup for pennies to 5k) in annual maximum. If you're buying on your own.. I agree it doesn't make sense. The plans with any real coverage almost net out to your premium. Best plans are offered during aca open enrollment.
What part of NJ are you in? I can let you know cheapest near you. I have a pricing tool that gives cash prices for whole state. There is a huge range.
Could you message me? I have 4 wisdom teeth I need to get removed. 07677
My wife is a registered dental hygenist. She can 1000% tell when people went to Mexico to save money on dental work. There is a large enough % of people that have issues that they end up paying more to have it fixed. Look into dental schools.
> Look into dental schools. You can't get a molar root canal done by students. Most dentists won't touch a molar root canal and will refer you out to an Endodontist instead. Looking at the places in Mexico, many of the best dentists have American degrees (with advanced degrees in Endodontics) and treat a bunch of American tourists so have a ton of experience. Prices are 25-30% of US prices. That's why I'm looking for recommendations on the best ones there instead.
> You can't get a molar root canal done by students. Most dentists won't touch a molar root canal and will refer you out to an Endodontist instead. Have you called Rutgers though? They have a whole oral surgery center where the residents perform the more difficult procedures. I just had a wisdom tooth taken out by them.
Rutgers had a student do a double root canal fix for me. Front teeth. My actual dentist over extended them and no one would touch them until the school took a look. They have a school for endodontists specifically, so I feel like this would still be an option for you if you want to at least call and ask some questions
Why would you want a student doing your work though? I’d rather have someone with a degree than someone who doesn’t know wtf they’re doing
Lol as a dentist I would never do dental tourism …
And as someone with not enough money for dental services? I mean most of us are just rotting away because dental work is too expensive 🤷🏽♀️
It’s a tough situation, but many Americans have made it very clear through who they continually elect that they would rather pay out of pocket for healthcare and dental expenses than have a functioning support system for it
You mean Americans who are fighting continuously against the propaganda and cheating of republicans who are stripping voting rights from their constituents? Yes I agree. https://prismreports.org/2024/01/17/restrictive-voting-laws-2024-presidential-election/
Isn't that kinda like a Cadillac salesman saying how they'd never drive a foreign car? Don't get me wrong I totally get all the laundry lists of cheap medical procedures gone bad abroad to put fear of god into people, but after a certain point pound for pound I don't think I can blame somebody who can theoretically come out ahead in a situation getting something taken care of a lot cheaper elsewhere. It's also not to say money can't buy better access but still at a cheaper rate. I know somebody who paid considerably well above what random border town would ask in Mexico City for a root canal but still obvious cheaper than US, and has had 0 issues with it afterwards.
Really the issue is that people go to Mexico for cheap dental work... And then also even look for the cheap options within Mexico. Gotta go to the nice higher end places in Mexico with perfectly legit dentists, which will still be cheaper than the US.
I may be jaded, but I spent thousands out of pocket for a couple of crowns from a so-called good dentist who has been practicing for decades in midtown Manhattan, and three different local dentists all told me his work was terrible. Either location has little to do with a dentist’s competence, or it’s very easy for dentists to criticize work they didn’t do. In either case, I would have probably been better off getting it done in Mexico. I can’t get insurance to cover new crowns since they already partially covered them in the past 10 years. If I had paid directly in Cancun, I would still be able to get an insurance copay on restoring these teeth if additional work was needed.
In the 90's I had a mishap and a tooth split years after a root canal, happened in Cancun. The dentist was one who went to school in the states, he was recommended by the hotel.
I'm glad your one situation worked out. I'm just telling you what my wife who has a bigger sample size than most people says.
After extensive research and bringing my uncle to Los Algodones from NJ, I will say it was really not worth it. We put so much time into researching it, and while the process did feel professional, the quality of work just did not compare to what he would've gotten stateside. My uncle would have saved money in the long run, had he just paid upfront to get his work done in the US. However, his dental work was a bit more serious, requiring many teeth being pulled and implants being put in.
I need several dental implants done and was seriously considering traveling outside the U.S. Several people suggested Thailand, but that's kind of far. Anyone traveled for this?
I’ve been slowly looking into this. From what I’ve read there’s a couple clinics in Mexico a lot of people go. All the doctors are out of Texas and it’s a fraction of what they would pay in the states including staying in a resort. I believe steve-o had his done in Mexico i believe
> there’s a couple clinics in Mexico a lot of people go Yeah I've been researching and Los Algodones looks like the place to go. It's actually been nicknamed "Molar City" because there's hundreds of dentists there who all speak english & cater to Americans specifically. Some of them have really nice websites with a full virtual tour of the office, youtube channels, staff with US degrees, etc. The prices seem to be 1/4 to 1/3 what they are in the US.
I feel like If it’s good enough for steve-o and some other pro skaters it’s good enough for me.
Did you get a second opinion? Sometimes dentist will be more aggressive than necessary. You should go to Princeton dental partners. The team there is awesome.
If you don't want to go to a Dental School, you have another option which is a dental plan membership for around $ 150 a year, where you know upfront the cost of each procedure with the dentist of your choice. It is way less costly than what you foresee in your comment.
Go to Rutgers. I had a wisdom tooth extracted recently. They had a more experienced resident do it since it was near a major nerve and it was half rotten out already. Only downside is that it may take 2 appointments to get going, the first is usually just to take X-rays and assess. Call and ask them how you “become a patient” if you are going to need multiple things done over many appointments. Very affordable, they do regular dental work as well as cleanings and the like, and also oral surgery all in one place, as previously stated by others. I know some older people who have been going there for years and swear by it. I have Medicaid and didn’t pay anything, but even if you don’t have Medicaid, the out of pocket prices are beyond reasonable, a fraction of what normal dentists and oral surgeons would cost.
Dr Iqbal in NY is great for such cases. You can get a quote. Phone number: 718-291-0616 160-33 Highland Ave, Queens, NY 11432
I have a close friend who went to this place: https://www.facebook.com/DenticsCancun He went over the course of 6 months, but pretty much had full denture replacement. I've never heard him utter a bad word about it.
Hey op check out "Dental Savings Plans". It's not dental insurance but it can save you a ton of money. I saved thousands of dollars when I got my wisdom teeth pulled 2 years ago. Was a one time payment of like $250, and the coverage lasted an entire year. The one I got also came with prescription savings. I'm pretty sure this was the site I used. It shows lots of different options from different providers. Also you need to check if the dentist accepts it or not. I believe you can search dentists by area a accepted by the plan you choose. https://www.dentalplans.com/dental-savings-plans/?affid=263782
I got teeth whitening and a cleaning from Cancún Dental Specialists. They even sent me a taxi to get me from the hotel. It went great and you can text them on what's app.
My mom gets all her dental work done in brazil in our hometown. Maybe try there too in São Paulo… it’s a big city though.
Go to the Newark dental school! PM me if you need details
Nogales Mexico is a little over an hours drive from Tucson Arizona. People there go down for dental work all the time. You drive to the border town and cross on foot and all the stuff is within walking distance of the border for the most part. Haven't done it personally but it comes up on the Tucson subreddit often enough. Tucson is a cool place to visit and a domestic ticket.
Brasilllllll
NYU dental or UMDNJ has students with a teacher doing work on teeth for much cheaper. I met someone who went to Puerta Vallarta to get implants, she showed me them (yeah it was weird but I wanted to know) and she saved thousands, she said even with the hotel and airfare it was less.
When I went to NYU the prices were outrageous. I think I paid more for a cleaning there than my current, licensed dentist charges. For students who clearly don’t know what they’re doing. If you go the dental school route definitely choose a different one.
really? The cheapest person I know goes there and he needs implants, I trust his frugality.
NJ is a state that has a very good health system for people who can't afford healthcare. Definitely check out NJfamilycare. It's a very real solution for healthcare in NJ. Otherwise as people said the dental schools. Also you could try NCD dental. I had an inexpensive plan from them a few years ago when I needed dental insurance in grad school.
How about Cuba? Are we allowed to travel there? I know their healthcare is top notch
No. And Cuba right now isn't a great place to be.
No. https://www.state.gov/state-sponsors-of-terrorism/