Out-of-country medical work

[MoneyGuy]

I need a dental implant and one of my clients suggests I do it in the States or in Mexico (she has experience with that). It's very expensive here but in Mexico it apparently is less than a quarter of the cost. Of course, there is the travel cost but I could make a vacation of it, although implants are apparently tough (I'm told) and may require a fair bit of recovery time.

Does anyone have experience doing this (traveling abroad for medical work)? I am friends with my dentist and have a call into him about this as well. I also have to check if my health plan covers this.

[blankall]

I hate to generalize an entire country here, but when you pay extra in Canada for medical treatment, you are paying for the fact it wasn't done in Mexico.

[M*A*S*H 4077]

Originally Posted by blankall

I hate to generalize an entire country here, but when you pay extra in Canada for medical treatment, you are paying for the fact it wasn't done in Mexico.

Never had dental work done in Mexico but I have been in a hospital down there (for a hematoma). I'm sure there are decent facilities and good professionals down there but I never want to do that again.

[scotty2hotty]

My mom had some dental work done in Mexico a couple of years ago. Had a great experience, FWIW.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by M*A*S*H 4077

Never had dental work done in Mexico but I have been in a hospital down there (for a hematoma). I'm sure there are decent facilities and good professionals down there but I never want to do that again.

Sounds like a real roll of the dice to me. You're dealing with standards of professionalism different and foreign to our own. Additionally, if something does go wrong, you're looking at hiring a Mexican lawyer and dealing with their legal system.

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by blankall

I hate to generalize an entire country here, but when you pay extra in Canada for medical treatment, you are paying for the fact it wasn't done in Mexico.

My client who suggested this has a family member who had the same thing done in Mexico. Two years ago my brother was in Mexico and had to be taken to the hospital. In both cases the care was not only exceptional but the skills of the professionals were also top rate. I wouldn't do this if I felt uncomfortable with it.

[getbak]

My uncle is notoriously cheap (so I'm sure he probably went to the most cut-rate of cut-rate places) and he went to Mexico to get dental work done.

I'm not sure exactly what he had done (I think it was crowns or veneers), but when he came back, all of his visible teeth were about the same colour as the porcelain of a toilet. It didn't take very long for them to discolour and break down, and now all the porcelain has chipped away and his teeth look like Jaws from James Bond.

At about the same time, my father needed to get work done on his teeth too and my uncle told him how great it was to go to Mexico to get it done because even paying for the flight and hotel, it was cheaper and you got a vacation out of it. My father decided to get the work done in Canada and not only did it look better when it was first done, it has held up a lot better too.

[M*A*S*H 4077]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

My client who suggested this has a family member who had the same thing done in Mexico. Two years ago my brother was in Mexico and had to be taken to the hospital. In both cases the care was not only exceptional but the skills of the professionals were also top rate. I wouldn't do this if I felt uncomfortable with it.

In that case if you know people and can probably get referrals to someone down there you are probably fine

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by M*A*S*H 4077

In that case if you know people and can probably get referrals to someone down there you are probably fine

My thought also. I'm in the process of finding out where this person went. He was very pleased with the work done and the process so I can contact that clinic, I guess.

On a side note, I know that the quality of work done in Thailand is exceptional. There is a clinic there run by a Canadian who used to be an EA for a former Canadian prime minister and the work done there is outstanding. It's non-dental medical work.

[Tyler]

Dentists charge a lot in Canada because they're all in cohorts with one another and people will pay.

How much should a root canal really cost? No one knows. But I'll be damned if you ever see a Canadian dentist have a 'root canal sale'.

[MelBridgeman]

but you're MoneyGuy??????????

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by MelBridgeman

but you're MoneyGuy??????????

That's why he has Money!

[Chingas]

I have had experience in Thailand on more than one occasion and I can vouch for the Thailand hospitals. They are second to none, and I would highly recommend them.

[Smartcar]

So is this an ad, or do you really want to know if people had good experiences going out of Canada for cheaper health care? I haven't, and other than unfortunate episodes while traveling, I can't imagine why you would want to try.

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by Tyler

Dentists charge a lot in Canada because they're all in cohorts with one another and people will pay.

How much should a root canal really cost? No one knows. But I'll be damned if you ever see a Canadian dentist have a 'root canal sale'.

That's because if you need a root canal you'll pay whatever the going rate is for one and they know it. Why give a break on price?

[Sr. Mints]

I can't find the damn link, of course, but I read of a Canadian dentist who set up shop in Mexico, just south of the US border, specifically to cater to people looking for a cheaper alternative. I'll keep looking....

[Thor]

Isn't India the place to go, they have top notch facilities and doctors, they lead the world in the medical tourism industry.

[normtwofinger]

I know some people come down to Costa Rica for dental work. It works out to the same price as having it done in Calgary, but you get a tropical vacation out of it. The quality is comparable to Calgary, just depends on what dentist you go to. Some dentists are a generation behind on equipment, while others are state of the art. Thailand's quality of dental work is good too.

Edit: My father had a root canal done here in CR for $250.

[Cowperson]

Millions of Americans and Canadians travel outside their countries every year for medical work.

Aside from Mexico and Costa Rica, India is also a hotbed for that kind of thing. Often you are talking about USA trained doctors setting up practices to specifically cater to foreigners.

This article is a bit dated now but shows where the trend was and is going - medical care is global instead of local.

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/nov...ness/fi-cover2

Cowperson

[Buzzard]

I'm in Puerto Vallarta right now awaiting the second half of my implant procedure. I'm paying 18,000 pesos for one implant which works out to around $1400 CAN. Some here say thats a bit much, but whatever. My money hungry dentist in Calgary wanted over $4000. Most of the dentists here are very well trained. There's horror stories out there, but, as my hygienist told me in Calgary when the dentist wasn't listening, there are bad dentists at home also.

If nothing else it isn't snowing here.