Dental Vacation
all photos credited to J. Ables
by John Ableseth
About 15 years ago, the estimated cost in Canada for my dental work was about $40,000. My brother David was using a dentist in Los Algadones, Mexico and encouraged me to check it out.
So when I got time off from my tech job at the Canadian Red Cross, I flew to Yuma AZ and stayed with him in a Best Western hotel.
Next day we drove 20 minutes to the California border, parked for $6 and walked across the border three blocks to the dental clinic that he'd been using for a year or so.
Up-to-date equipment - better than I saw at my dentist in Canada, lots of implant surgeon certificates and good English. Using modern equipment, they did jaw scans, not x-rays, showing my serious dental needs. The implant surgeon, and owner of the clinic, discussed my options, quoted prices and, once I decided, started work right away.
I had known from dental x-rays and estimates in Canada that my teeth were on the way out, so that same day I had three extractions. The next morning, 4 four more extractions. They don't mess around in Mexico. Need work? Get ‘em done.
Then implants, three of them that same week! Did I say they don't mess around with schedules and reschedules? In one week I had seven extractions and three implants. That was my lower jaw!
Then there was a break for four months for my jaw to heal. In the meantime, I followed a regiment of amoxicillin, pain killers, soft foods and temporary dentures held in place with denture paste, with surprisingly very little pain!
Then there was another trip to Yuma, staying in an Airbnb and a return to Los Algadones for final fittings and implant-secured teeth – seven extractions, three implants, dentures, two visits – total cost about $8,000 US. Plus, flights, car rental and Airbnb.
Time for my bank account to recover, though insurance and my parents helped with some of the costs!
Next, the upper teeth also needed some TLC. There were several follow up trips, more extractions, four more implants on the upper jaw. It was thousands less expensive than in Canada or the USA. Finally, I had the ability to chew, no more toothache and a confident smile.
But recently, it looked like my wife was going to need implants, and we figured, why not try a warmer, oceanside dental experience. We had traveled to Cancun with friends a couple years ago after my spiritual son commented that he had some dental work done there. That was good, but a little far from the Pacific coast, and harder to get to from the west.
Some Google research showed one of the top-rated implant clinics in Mexico, and one of the safest cities, is Puerto Vallarta – a five-hour direct flight from Vancouver. More checks showed competitive pricing and high praise from clients. Well, that was a "no brainer" as the saying goes.
So, we booked a dental appointment, flights, Airbnb, and then let our friends know of our schedule and plan. In minutes their couple booked their trip to join us in Vallarta and we were all set.
The trip was great. While at home, we endured rain and near freezing weather, but in Puerto Vallarta we enjoyed 82° and a relaxing nine days in... nearly paradise??
Our couple, the Ableseths, and our friends, the McHales couple
Our couple, the Ableseths, and our friends, the McHales couple
Perhaps the highlight was a trip on the public transit bus to a beautiful ocean site where the four of us boarded a boat and went snorkeling in the 80° water teeming with beautiful fishes. Not only that, but we were able to see four orcas surfacing, diving, surfacing again. Spectacular! Booked through Airbnb, the cost was a bargain at $45 each.
Another experience there, booked through Expedia, was a coffee and tequila-tasting trip to a beautiful flower and bird sanctuary. On the very comfortable bus trip to the site, the host pointed out houses owned by famous rich people, various landmarks, and explained that all beachfront property in Mexico is public, not privately owned. He was a wealth of information, listing several well-known movies shot on site.
Both these experiences are highly rated and recommended.
Oh yeah, the dental experience was very good too. In some ways better than expected, as they told Helen that she didn't need extractions or implants, just a deep cleaning. Much less expensive and they saved her tooth as well. Our friends needed more extensive work and were very pleased with the results. They'll be scheduling a revisit for final implant work and brand new teeth!
While I was still working, my health insurance covered the work done in Mexico, to my max of $1500 a year, so if any of you need work done, check with your provider to see if that's an option.
If you're in the southeast, I can recommend Castle Dental in Algadones:
https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/3222091?viralityEntryPoint=2&s=76
and in Puerto Vallarta, Esthetic Dentistry:
https://puertovallartadentistry.com/
The snorkeling trip in Puerto Vallarta can be booked at: https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/3222091?viralityEntryPoint=2&s=76
For the botanical garden (note that lunch after the tequila tasting is optional and you may want to check out the restaurant at the botanical garden):
https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/3222091?viralityEntryPoint=2&s=76
Happy smiles!