Thursday, January 16, 2014

Dental Work

Quartzsite, AZ  High 70  Low 37

Just when I thought our internet connection couldn’t get any worse, it did. So we are sitting in the truck in Quartzsite so I can get this posted.

Saturday morning Jim and I headed back to Algodones to finish up our dental work.

Our dentist is Dr. Janira Rodarte Alcalde. You can find her website at www.dentpro.net.

Let me tell you, the second trip was definitely more painful than the first. I had a lot of work done on my first visit and my gums were still really sore. Putting crowns on means they have to push them up into the gum and hold them there until the glue sets. Also, my bridge didn’t want to fit correctly with my upper teeth. They had to do a lot of work on it to make it fit and it’s still not right. I plan to go back to Mexico and have a little more of it ground off. Jim’s four crowns went on easily with no problems.

Outside of the sore gums, I did not have any pain. The worst part (and it is no matter where you are) is the needle with the Novocain.

Differences that I noticed from my US dentist:

No x-rays were taken. I knew for sure that I had three broken teeth and she pointed out a couple of others that were cracked and would have broken before too long.

No assistant sitting on the other side with the water and air suction machines. The dentist used both of those herself.

We were not in separate rooms. Her three chairs were all in one large room.

I love the way my teeth look. I’m not self conscious about my broken and cracked front (upper) teeth. It’s so much easier to smile. The crowns fit beautifully and have not given me any trouble whatsoever. I am extremely happy and satisfied with the work I had done. Now I want to get my bottom teeth crowned so they look as good as the top.

Money: For my six crowns on top, and a bridge consisting of three crowns and a tooth, I paid $1,970. Jim’s four crowns, a tooth restoration, and a crown removal came to $908.

Tom and Diane were not real happy with the cleaning they had done. Tom said that they did a good job on the front teeth but really didn’t do much cleaning on the back teeth.

Bill was happy with the crown work that he had done.

Some of you already left comments about the work you’ve had done in Mexico. If anybody has any feedback, please post it because a lot of folks are interested.

Before picture – this was taken before I broke my left front tooth.

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After picture.

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Jim said the difference isn’t as obvious in the pictures as it is in person.

Would I do it again?  Definitely.

28 comments:

  1. Nice pearly whites! Glad it all went well and you're pleased with the results You look great! :c)

    We plan on using Mexican dentists and appreciate your recommendation.

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  2. Your teeth look fantastic! What a smile. I would love to go to that dentist, but I doubt I'll get down that way again and it's just too far to go for dental work from Saramento. I desperately need several things done as soon as I feel up to it..

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    1. Gypsy, another inexpensive way to have dental work, is to call Carrington College. They have one in San Jose and one in Sacramento. They will do a full exam, xrays, cleaning and maybe some other work. My son is 1/2 way through the program in SJ and is always looking for "patients". It's totally free.

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  3. Your teeth look great! It was nice seeing you this morning You got all your hugs in and we'll look forward to you moving in full force next week

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  4. What a beautiful smile you have, Sandie! Thank you for posting about your experiences with Mexico dental work.

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  5. I think the ones of us that have seen you in person can definitely tell the difference. They look great. Of course, I think you look beautiful before.

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  6. We don't regret for one second the dental work we had done down there either. Wonderful!!


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    Karen and Steve
    (Blog) RVing: The USA Is Our Big Backyard
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  7. I've spent that much on working on one tooth and its still not finished.... Your new smile looks great....

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  8. Beautiful smile!! You look wonderful.

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  9. Sandie, your teeth look terrific !!! And as Rod said, I just had one crown done that cost more than all your dental work ..... So glad it all worked out with terrific results !!!!

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  10. Well I think your smile is beautiful before and after !!

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  11. Glad it when well. I have mostly only heard good things about the dental work south of the border.

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  12. Looks very nice! Now keep smiling!

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  13. We have never been there for dental work but after reading about yours and others experiences it is something to look into.
    Your smile is beautiful and I CAN see a difference. Looks like beautiful work!! :-)

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  14. Very nice and the price couldn't be better! I have noticed they're not great with cleanings.

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  15. Nice looking smile now, sure is nice to get all that out of the way.
    You in Quartzsite now?

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  16. They look great. Angela had 4 crowns done and they look good. If your in the Q come by the RV show we are working the show driving around on a golf cart picking up trash.

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  17. We're thinking of checking out the glasses and hearing aids too.

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  18. Very nice and so reasonably priced too.

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  19. What a very sweet smile! It's all worth it, isn't it? After all the adjustments needed to be done and the discomfort you had to endure, you see progress. Well, one close look can already tell us how your dental appointment turned out to be a success. Thanks for sharing! :)

    Lon Hollman @ YourCelebritySmile

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  20. It’s nice to know that you’ve found a reliable dentist who gives dental services at an affordable price. You definitely needed lots of adjustment, but the result is superb! Hope you’ll be able to maintain your healthy and perfect smile. Thanks for this post! :)

    Silvia Ballard

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  21. We have the same situation; I had tooth that is not located well and because of that, I take the dental crown procedure. At first I don’t want to do it because I have a feeling that it’s not a good idea. But because of the good explanation of my dentist that placidway.com recommended me I earn guts to do it. And after that treatment when I saw the difference I’m shocked it looks naturally. It makes me more attractive I think. :)

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  22. My dentist was away and had a stand-in working his shifts. This guy was a complete mess, and I should have run when he first walking in the room covered in crumbs from his lunch. I can tell you that if you love your dentist, tell the receptionist to note your account that you only want to have work done by him.

    Karen Perry @ Brook Side Smiles

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  23. Your teeth looks amazing! Your teeth in the after picture look much better than the before picture! I definitely would be very apprehensive about having dental work done outside of the United States, but you would never know by your picture that it was done in Mexico. Its a smart idea that you keep up with your dentist here in the states as well.

    Joanna @ Westheimer Dentist

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Thanks for visiting today. I look forward to reading your comments. Have a beautiful day.