Algodones Dentistry/Optical (was Re: eyeglasses for early catarats)
- From: The Real Bev <bashley101+mot@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 05 Jun 2009 09:34:39 -0700
Salmon Egg wrote:
<bashley101+mot@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
OTOH, I had my ophthalmologist's new prescription done in Mexico. $50 for
both pair and they're perfect. You win some, you lose some, but on
balance you're better off financially if you look for *real* bargains.
Sounds good. Tell us more about Mexico.
This is something I wrote up for a mail list I belong to.
=====================================================
ALGODONES DENTISTRY
Bottom line: DO IT!
*THE GOOD*
The natives are friendly. Most speak English, and if they don't there's
somebody nearby who does.
The dentists are willing to work for 4 hours or more at a sitting and
will shoot you sufficiently full of lidocaine that you're numb the
entire time AND MORE. I had possibly 9 (I didn't count and don't have a
detailed bill yet) crowns and three fillings. Total chair time 16 hours
spread over 6 days. $2700. Husband has implants, crowns, a root canal,
a bridge and a partial. BIL had crowns, root canals and partials.
Their work required much less chair time than mine. Implant post
insertion and attached teeth still to go in 6 months.
They use bottled water for drinking/dental purposes, but the sinks use
whatever comes out of the tap. Some website said Algodones used Yuma
city water, but the office didn't confirm that.
They had higher-tech equipment (digital x-rays) than the last local
dentist I went to.
If you need a specialist, (s)he will come to YOU, and possibly while you
wait.
Prescription stuff IS cheaper and the big pharmacy is only a few short
blocks from the border. The pet pharmacy is a little further.
August means no crowds. Free parking (when that gets filled up there's
a huge $5/day lot). Short or no pedestrian line to cross the border
back into the US. Don't even think of driving across the border, the
parking probably won't be any closer to where you want to go and you
risk whatever you risk by driving across the border -- not the least
being a LOOOOOOONG wait even in August.
We found an ordinary motel with AC, 2 double beds, TV (HBO too),
microwave, refrigerator and a small pool for $40/night. RegaLodge on
4th Avenue. The Del Sol supermarket is a few blocks away.
I know nothing about silver jewelry prices (they price by weight,
apparently), but the stuff sold by the street vendors is attractive. I
bought a ring for $20.
Lots of opticians too. Even with my nasty prescription, I got my
glasses in an hour. Cheapest: $20 for single-vision or bifocals plus
$10 for tint and $10 for exam. My right lens was better than the one
I'm wearing. The left one wasn't, so the guy made another left one in
my old prescription. An acceptable outcome. If you don't like the
frames this shop has, go to the next. There are hundreds.
*THE BAD*
Had I accepted the offer of a private tour of the Yuma Sewage Treatment
Plant it would have been the highlight of the trip. There is nothing to
do in Yuma that you can't do in the town you left because there was
nothing to do there. Plan on bringing your entertainment with you
unless you're an alcoholic.
Air conditioning is essential. Check out the high and low temperatures
and plan accordingly.
Food quality was not a high priority ("soft" is prime), but avoid the
Jack-in-the-Box breakfast bowl.
If you go in a group, it's probably wise for everybody to go to a
different dentist. There were only a few other patients while we were
there, but the three of us did a lot of waiting while the two dentists
worked on us. I'd recommend bringing some kind of cushion -- my
tailbone is really painful.
I don't know how you choose a dentist. My SIL used one recommended by
someone she knew. I picked ours because they had the most
professional-looking webpage, handled all the procedures we needed, and
responded promptly and in excellent English to my emailed questions.
My tongue is still sore so I can't really tell how the crowns feel, but
they seem a little rough with some unexpected edges. If they don't
disappear with time and usage I'll have the guy smooth them down when we
go back in 6 months.
*THE UGLY*
Yuma. It's not actually ugly, it's just like every other town of
similar size in the US that's REALLY warm.
=====================================================
Addendum: May 2009
The dentist chipped off the stuff that bothered me and finished my husband's
implants. I got 2 pair of glasses at the closest Algodones Optical shop to the
border. http://www.losalgodones.com/algodones_optical.htm. Not much to say here. Same range of frames as US opticians. Don't know the prices for fancy frames or lenses, but they're probably better. Fast. Much faster than any US optician I've been to. 2 hours and I've got a nasty prescription. There are a lot of other optometrists besides the one I used. There must be a HUGE lens warehouse in town, but I didn't ask.
My BIL needed three crowns TODAY. He and my husband went in search of a dentist who could do that. Started grinding at around 10:00am and the guy said the crowns would be back from the lab by 3:00. It turned out to be 5:00, but
that's not all bad from a standing start. 5 minutes after getting them cemented
in he was eating pizza. $425 total, including pulling a bad back tooth.
There's only one lab in town that does all the work, so it's a queueing problem
-- if there's justification of some sort you can get crowns made in an hour or so.
This was nearly a random choice, and it seems to have worked out well. All the dental shops and drugstores have shills out in front urging you -- pleasantly -- to come inside.
Apparently Tecate and Tijuana are also aiming at medical tourists. SIL, who
first told us about Algodones, is going to Tecate next time -- closer than
Algodones. Much more crowded in May than August, but no big deal. Definitely not as hot. If you need a lot of work done it's probably better to go in summer -- with few customers the dentists are much more flexible about appointments.
If you make an appointment before you go, confirm it before you leave your house. It may be a simple screwup or a possible "manana" attitude or something completely different, but we had a few issues this time. Nothing insurmountable, though -- maybe we were lucky.
Unless I was going to Mexico for a long time, I wouldn't bother driving across
the border. There are convenient parking lots on the US side at Algodones and
Tijuana, and probably Tecate too. Look at the google earth shot of the
Tijuana-to-USA border crossing and you'll see what I mean. Even in Algodones
the single line was at least half a mile long in the afternoon, while there was no line at all for pedestrians.
The border guy was interested in my antihistamine collection -- I guess Kirkland isn't a recognized brand in some places. Passport or border-crossing card needed now.
--
Cheers, Bev
Far away in a strange land
.
- References:
- eyeglasses for early catarats
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- Re: eyeglasses for early catarats
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- Re: eyeglasses for early catarats
- From: The Real Bev
- Re: eyeglasses for early catarats
- From: Salmon Egg
- eyeglasses for early catarats
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