IS DENTISTRY IN AMERICA ONLY FOR THE RICH?- NY Times

For many US middle-class families - dental emergencies and large treatments such as oral restorations are a huge, uninsured family budget wrecking event. And many are going without treatment and ending up in hospital emergency wards which are unable to provide proper dental care. 

Dental care in the US is increasingly becoming something that only the upscale segment of society can afford causing many to leave the US on “Dental Vacations” to Mexico and Asia to find affordable dental care. -ed

DENTAL DOUBLE STANDARDS

By Reed Abelson for NY Times

With dental costs rising and employers cutting dental coverage, an increasing number of working Americans cannot afford to see a dentist even for chronic problems. If you need a full-mouth restoration, several root canals, 27 crowns or dental implants - most dental insurance won’t cover you.

During the Iraq war, some reservists and Guard members chose to have their teeth pulled so that they could be deployed, said Maj. Gen. Robert A. McIntosh,in testimony before Congress.

"Although promised restorative dental work, their reward for their loyalty and patriotism will be dentures," he said. Dental implants, a better alternative to dentures, are not covered because they are more expensive.

In a nation where a person's smile is considered a sign of general well-being and an important factor in landing a job, dental care is becoming ever more unequal, policy specialists say. In 2000, the Surgeon General issued a report describing the silent epidemic of dental and oral diseases.

HOW TO AVOID DENTAL TOURISM HORRORS - By Certified Doctors & Dentists Internationale'

Whether you call it a Dental Vacation, Dental Holiday, Dental Travel or Dental Tourism..  It may be a good way to save big money while enjoying a vacation. Or it can be your worst nightmare in a foreign dentist chair come true.  

Here's how to avoid starring in your own dental vacation horror show..

 1.  Always get estimates from board certified dentists who are accredited for your procedures. Board certified dentists in most developing countries cost the same as less trained general dentists. And many general dentists would love to learn advanced dentistry at your expense. Certified Doctors & Dentists Internationale' Association will get estimates. referrals, 2nd opinions and check dentists credentials for you without any additional cost or obligation.

2.  Choose dentists who speak your language.  So you won't need to know how to say “Take it easy doc!”  in  Spanish, Thai or Mandarin. Most foreign board certified dentists speak English fairly well as they often use English language textbooks and  many do graduate study in the US & UK.

3.  Avoid commercial dental broker agencies like WhatEver Dentist, Flacid Way, Tooth Fairy A-GoGo etc. They list any dentists who pay their fees and who cannot possibly vet the 1,000’s of dentists they feature. 85% or more of their dentist listings are non-certified general dentists calling themselves 'specialists' soliciting foreign patients for complicated procedures they have no formal training in. 

MEXICO DENTAL VACATION By Huffington Post

 Cabo San Lucas marina - by Certified Doctors & Dentists Internationale'

By Huffington Post

Sometimes you just don't see it coming.

Living in Merida, Mexico, at the time, we were dashing around the house and packing for an early flight when a tall American forehead met a low Spanish Colonial doorway, and a top front tooth snapped cleanly in half.

Once we returned from the trip, we called our dentist and got an appointment immediately. In three visits, he cast a color-matched cap for the tooth, ground a post from the remaining half of the real tooth, and fit the new cap perfectly. It was as if nothing had ever happened.

In the States we estimate that we'd have paid anywhere from $800 to $1,500 for the same work, depending on the type, location and material of the cap or crown. Our dentist in Mexico charged less than $400. Even though it wasn't a large amount, we didn't have that much cash on us.

MEXICO DENTAL PRICES 2015 by Board Certified Dentists Association in Mexico

Mexico Dentist Costs are way lower for the same procedures. 

Carla Sanchez, Presidente' of the Board Certified Mexico Dentist Association.

There’s never been a better time to visit a dentist in Mexico according to US dentist Dr. Nelson Henry DMD of Wyndham Maine. The dentist owns 2 clinics in New England and during the economic crisis of the past several years the doctor has seen more and more of his patients unable to obtain affordable big treatments such as crowns, bridges, cosmetic dental makeovers and dental implants.

So he acquired a Mexican dental vacation website – About Mexican Dentists.com and soon became the very first US affiliate of the Board Certified Mexico Dentist Association.

He insists on using the services of certified Mexican dentists exclusively since they have had years of additional training in the advanced procedures most dental tourists are searching for and incredibly – cost the same as far less trained general dentists who like their US counterparts – only learn the basics in dental college - cleanings, drilling, filling and normal non-surgical extractions.