It was my own fault…I was packing one evening for an early flight the next morning. I had a thousand things on my mind as I ran around…and for a moment I forgot how tall I am.
So when I dashed from the bathroom to the bedroom without ducking, I smacked the top of my six-foot, five-inch-high head on the top of the doorway, breaking one of my top front teeth.
When I returned home from my trip, I called the office of Dr. Jesús Manuel Sánchez Ruz in Mérida, Mexico, and was able to get an appointment immediately. In three visits, he cast a color-matched cap for the tooth, ground a post from the remaining half and fit the new cap perfectly. It was as if nothing had ever happened.
In the States I would have paid anywhere from $600 to $1,500 for the same work, depending on the type, location and material of the cap or crown. Dr Jesús charged me less than $300. The price came as a surprise because we’d never mentioned money during the entire process. After the last appointment he gave me the bill, and I didn’t have that much cash with me. “That’s fine,” he said, “bring it in when you get it.”
That’s dental care in Mérida, Mexico. Since then I’ve had other procedures done by various Mérida dentists, and the story is always the same…great quality work at half the cost or less of the same work in the U.S.
There are some local peculiarities, but for the most part, dental care in Mérida isn’t too different from in the States…except for the price. Some doctors practice out of private offices, often in a converted part of their own homes. Others practice in larger specialized clinics or have offices in Mérida’s major medical centers like Star Medica and Clínica Mérida.
Naturally, the higher the overhead, the more expensive the care, so you’ll pay a premium for those fancy new offices and equipment. But on average, a visit to the office for a checkup runs $45. Cleanings cost about the same, and fillings average $60. More serious procedures vary in price depending on the individual situation, but implants, bridges and crowns are significantly cheaper than in the U.S.
In fact, most dental work in Mérida is paid for in cash at the office. It is then up to the patient to make any insurance claims for reimbursement.
Price is one thing, quality is another, and Mérida dentists are, on the whole, remarkably qualified. The local university, UADY (Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán) has an excellent dental program, and there are also doctors who have trained in the U.S., and many speak English.
There is also no shortage of state-of-the-art equipment in Mérida dental offices, but it can take some shopping around to find the right combination of location, office layout, training and equipment. In Mérida it’s very possible to spend next to nothing to have work done in a doctor’s converted front-room office with 20-yearold equipment while speaking nothing but Spanish. It’s just as possible to sit in a sparkling clinic with the most modern equipment and converse with your doctor in perfect English…for which you’ll pay a little more, of course.
But regardless of the equipment, surroundings or language skills, one thing you will find with most Mérida dentists is a level of personal care and service that is hard to find in the U.S. any more.
Appointments can often be made just days in advance, and if a price is settled for a procedure that ends up taking more time and work than anticipated, the price will often not change. A dentist may give you his cell phone number in case you have any questions or discomfort after a procedure…and will actually answer the phone when you call, no matter the time of day or night.
There is an active expat community in Mérida, which makes it easy to talk to people who have used various dentists and to get recommendations. You can also find reviews of Mérida dentists and dental care in several of the local English language publications, including Yucatan Today, and Yucatan Living.
No Dental Insurance Necessary
If you’re one of the more than 100 million Americans who lack dental insurance, then you should know: Costs for high-quality dental procedures abroad can be so low that you could easily combine a vacation (including airfare and hotel) with your care and still pay less than you would for the dental procedures alone in the States. If you’d like to try just that in Mérida, contact Health Star Medical Tourism, which offers dental vacation packages that can include spa treatments and trips to nearby haciendas and Maya archaeological sites.
Editor’s Note: Learn more about Mexico and other countries in our daily postcard e-letter. Sign up for our free daily postcards here and we’ll send you a free special report – Why Millions of Americans Are Moving to Mexico.
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