‘Saved’ by Skin of Teeth at Border Dental Clinics in Mexico

Economic slowdown couldn’t ruffle Los Algodones border dental clinics; in fact, quite contrarily, these dental clinics made a windfall while the world economy was reeling. The dusty border town of Los Algodones isn’t anything what it looked like in 1969 with its cantinas and brothels. Last of the cantinas are shutting down only to reopen again, this time with a neon glow sign shouting “affordable dentistry”.

The only curious remnant that survives from the old Algodones is a hawker. Interestingly, he doesn’t hawk chintzy souvenirs or cheap booze anymore. He hawks dental implants, root canals and whatchamacallit. And if you ask him for the dentist you read favourable reviews about on the Internet, he may tell you – “there’s no one by that name, perhaps, he shifted to Tijuana, but I know a Boston educated dentist,” Don’t listen to him.

Never mind this solicitation. Keep walking on and you’d be amazed to see more dentists than grocers in the Algodones square. These dentists, some old, some new, some reliable, some shady, are governed by a competitive market economy. According to a pricelist compiled by KPBS in the story titled Americans Head to Mexico for Cheap Dental Care, dental implants on an average cost $600 in Algodones, whereas their average cost in U.S. is $1726.28. That’s 65% savings. These savings apply to almost all cosmetic dentistry procedures in Mexico border clinics.    

Cut across to few miles north of the border, the dental offices wear a deserted look in Yuma. The Mexicans have invaded the local phone books, radio jingles and out of home advertising, and the local dentists are seeing their balance sheets in the red. They are compelled to keep prices high since a dental degree in the U.S. doesn’t come cheap. There’s more money in the parking lot near the border, they could be heard saying.

Dental insurance companies too, after dilly dallying a long time, are extending their networks south of border. Clearly, reimbursing a Mexican dentist is far more affordable than reimbursing an American dentist. It seems all roads are leading to Mexico.

There’s another phenomenon which is working in favor of affordable dentistry in Mexico - the aging baby boomers. Boomers complain most of the dental insurances would provide a maximum cover of $1000 per annum. This cover is way short of the cost of a single dental implant in the United States. Boomers aside, there are flocks of snowbirds who’re throwing in family dentistry in their agenda among other things, such as sun bathing, inexpensive shopping and guzzling Coronas.

Meanwhile, Americans have a ‘close’ shave…ermmm…save (duh!) and they aren’t complaining.