Okay, so I have regrettably put my dental hygiene on the back burner since my diagnosis. Surgery, radiation, and chemo intervened, and then our dental insurance lapsed. Now that I am feeling better emotionally and physically, I started to research new dental plans because most major medical plans don’t include it or it’s grossly expensive to do so. Even independent dental policies are more token than substantive, with the end result being that when we did have dental insurance, we were still spending A LOT of money for everything from x-rays and teeth cleaning to crowns after the insurance contributed their miniscule portion of the bill. Such a scam. A rip off… a medical conspiracy between the dentists and the insurance companies, if you will. Yet another American charade to fleece the 99 percenters out of their hard earned money or their teeth will rot and fall out.
Long story short, I got off my soap box and continued to do my due diligence, mainly because I was worried that my teeth might rot and fall out. 
Next stop, Algodones, Mexico. Also known as Molar City. A virtual mecca for Americans and Canadians to travel to for inexpensive dental and vision work, and cheap (REALLY CHEAP) drugs. That’s it. No more. You drive to the border, park your car in an Indian Reservation parking lot, and walk across. There are literally dozens of dental offices, vision centers and pharmacies within a few block radius. When we got there, I decided to take a risk and get my teeth cleaned to test the waters, so to speak, as long as I was there.
Before my diagnosis my Phoenix dentist had told me that I needed to replace three old crowns or, you got it, my teeth would rot and fall out. I didn’t believe him, but I figured it was worth a second diagnosis, and why not in Mexico, along with the thousands of tourists a day who make the trek to dental nirvana. After a thorough teeth cleaning with state of the art equipment in a very sterile environment that cost all of $25, the Mexican dentist took X-rays (for free) and told me the bad news. I needed 3 crowns replaced, or your got it, my teeth would eventually rot and fall out. So there was no avoiding the inevitable if I wanted to keep my teeth. I had priced the crowns in Phx, and WITH dental insurance each crown was going to cost me $800 to $1,000. In Algodones, each crown would cost $210. Hmmmm. More research and due diligence on the efficacy and success rate of Mexican dental clinics, and I have decided to book the work. Oh, and I also got 3 pairs of glasses with lenses for about $100/pair, which is about $800 less than I paid for one pair of glasses two years ago at the Mayo. Voy a Mexico con mi amiga!! I’ll report back for those who might be interested…love and light.
Apr. 9, 2015
Judy Richter 