It is no doubt costly to have major dental work done here in the USA. Dental insurance is insufficient, typically covering $1,000 to $1,500 per calendar year. Also, it only includes crown replacements once every so many years. I needed eight crowns, 7 root canals, and two implants, and the cost was more than $10,000 here in America. Luckily, my mom lived in Baja, Mexico, for several years, and I had a lot of knowledge of the culture there.
Having been to Baja Mexico so many times, I learned about the dentists in Tijuana. I think it is common knowledge in those states that border Mexico, but for the rest of the USA, it seems to be alien that Americans go down to Mexico for discounted dental work. A lot of people seem to believe that dentists down there are inferior, which is entirely false. Some maybe, but the ones I have gone to have been excellent! They use modern dental equipment, just like American dentists use.
I first went to Sam Dental in Tijuana back in 2010. My front teeth required being crowned as they were stained pretty bad. The dentist did a fantastic job on my teeth. Eight years later, my front crowns were still good, except for one in which the tooth crushed while eating. The dentist had warned me that the tooth was dwarf-sized, and it was possible that it may not last. I broke it in 2014.
Since my first visit, I have gone to American dentists, and they have wanted to do a lot more work on my teeth, and I put it off until 2019, at which point I went back. I wanted a full bite upfront as I had just broken two more teeth. The original dentist did not do dental implants, so I went to Samaritan Dental. The dentist there decided to extend my bite down and crown all of my upper teeth for a complete restoration. I ended up with three implants and a bridge across the front. The total cost of the bridge and crowning all the teeth in the back was $9800. It took two trips. The first was to pull the roots of the teeth that broke off and install the implants.
The second trip eight months later was to crown all of the upper teeth and install the bridge. The second trip took a week. They took impressions and made the teeth that week for the procedure that Friday. The following day was a followup. I must say that I am so pleased. This is a picture after completion in December 2019. My teeth have not looked this good in many years.
One thing many people don't realize is that if you have a significant other living with you, both you and the significant other can cover each other with the +1 coverage through their employers. This doesn't mean you must also have +1 coverage for healthcare too. The way it works is the dentist files under one plan, and whatever that plan does not cover, the other insurance plan picks up. It is well worth having. As far as coverage in Mexico, you will have to pay upfront and then file for reimbursement through your dental plan. You can pay with your credit/debit card, but there will be a surcharge. If you pay with cash, they will give you a 5% discount. I have had Delta Dental, Cigna, and now Sunlife. Delta and Cigna will both reimburse you. Sun Life is the first dental insurance company I have had that will not, which is very surprising. Paraphrasing what Delta Dental told me, going to Mexico for major dental work saves both you and Delta money. So for now, only one of my two policies cover dental work done down there. It is still drastically cheaper on me, and I do have to have Sunlife file even though they don't cover it, so Cigna knows how much to reimburse me.
Another thing I learned was that medical travel is eligible for reimbursement. You can set aside money in an FSA account for travel to San Diego and withdraw that money after you use it. The same goes for dental procedures. That money can also be set aside in an FSA. I have not tried to file against an HSA, but I assume that can be done too.
Update: I am now back on Delta Dental, and they reimburse for work done in Mexico. I also was able to use my HSA card at the Dental Office to help pay for the procedure.
Since I used to come out to Ensenada regularly, the border has changed dramatically. You must now go through customs when entering Mexico. There is no visa fee to go down. It's usually a quick process with the typical questions asked by border agents. This is the border entry point into Mexico.
Once you get through customs, you then walk out and down to the end of the walkway where there are a lot of taxis, and your dental shuttle vehicle will pick you up. This is a video after I got out of customs and the walk to the shuttle pickup location.
I am going to step back a little and tell you there is a cheap way to get to Chula Vista from the airport. There are actually a couple of ways. You can take the rental car shuttle to the rental car facility and then walk over one block to the train station, or you can take the shuttle from the airport to the trolley station. Here is more info on the second option. Once on the green line Trolley, you will make it to the end where you will switch to the blue line. You get off the Trolley and walk around the building to where the blue line intersects. The blue line will take you to E Street and/or San Ysidro.
I suggest walking across the border. One thing I will tell you is that if you travel across the border, or internationally a fair amount, get Global Entry. It dramatically speeds up the process of crossing back into the USA.
Having been to Baja Mexico so many times, I learned about the dentists in Tijuana. I think it is common knowledge in those states that border Mexico, but for the rest of the USA, it seems to be alien that Americans go down to Mexico for discounted dental work. A lot of people seem to believe that dentists down there are inferior, which is entirely false. Some maybe, but the ones I have gone to have been excellent! They use modern dental equipment, just like American dentists use.
I first went to Sam Dental in Tijuana back in 2010. My front teeth required being crowned as they were stained pretty bad. The dentist did a fantastic job on my teeth. Eight years later, my front crowns were still good, except for one in which the tooth crushed while eating. The dentist had warned me that the tooth was dwarf-sized, and it was possible that it may not last. I broke it in 2014.
Since my first visit, I have gone to American dentists, and they have wanted to do a lot more work on my teeth, and I put it off until 2019, at which point I went back. I wanted a full bite upfront as I had just broken two more teeth. The original dentist did not do dental implants, so I went to Samaritan Dental. The dentist there decided to extend my bite down and crown all of my upper teeth for a complete restoration. I ended up with three implants and a bridge across the front. The total cost of the bridge and crowning all the teeth in the back was $9800. It took two trips. The first was to pull the roots of the teeth that broke off and install the implants.
The second trip eight months later was to crown all of the upper teeth and install the bridge. The second trip took a week. They took impressions and made the teeth that week for the procedure that Friday. The following day was a followup. I must say that I am so pleased. This is a picture after completion in December 2019. My teeth have not looked this good in many years.
Insurance and Finances
One thing many people don't realize is that if you have a significant other living with you, both you and the significant other can cover each other with the +1 coverage through their employers. This doesn't mean you must also have +1 coverage for healthcare too. The way it works is the dentist files under one plan, and whatever that plan does not cover, the other insurance plan picks up. It is well worth having. As far as coverage in Mexico, you will have to pay upfront and then file for reimbursement through your dental plan. You can pay with your credit/debit card, but there will be a surcharge. If you pay with cash, they will give you a 5% discount. I have had Delta Dental, Cigna, and now Sunlife. Delta and Cigna will both reimburse you. Sun Life is the first dental insurance company I have had that will not, which is very surprising. Paraphrasing what Delta Dental told me, going to Mexico for major dental work saves both you and Delta money. So for now, only one of my two policies cover dental work done down there. It is still drastically cheaper on me, and I do have to have Sunlife file even though they don't cover it, so Cigna knows how much to reimburse me.
Another thing I learned was that medical travel is eligible for reimbursement. You can set aside money in an FSA account for travel to San Diego and withdraw that money after you use it. The same goes for dental procedures. That money can also be set aside in an FSA. I have not tried to file against an HSA, but I assume that can be done too.
Update: I am now back on Delta Dental, and they reimburse for work done in Mexico. I also was able to use my HSA card at the Dental Office to help pay for the procedure.
Getting there
You're probably wondering how you get to the dental office in Tijuana. It is straightforward. If you are going to San Diego/Tijuana for dental work only, I suggest staying in a cheaper motel in Chula Vista, CA. The reason for this is the convenience of getting to the border. I stay at the motels on E Street just because the Trolley is walking distance, and there are plenty of restaurants. The San Diego Trolley goes to the San Ysidro US border. Trolley passes are $5 a day that you can get right at the station. It is about a 20-minute ride from E Street to the border. Once you get to the border and get off the trolley, you will walk on across the border. This is the path you take on the left side over by McDonald's.
Since I used to come out to Ensenada regularly, the border has changed dramatically. You must now go through customs when entering Mexico. There is no visa fee to go down. It's usually a quick process with the typical questions asked by border agents. This is the border entry point into Mexico.
Once you get through customs, you then walk out and down to the end of the walkway where there are a lot of taxis, and your dental shuttle vehicle will pick you up. This is a video after I got out of customs and the walk to the shuttle pickup location.
I am going to step back a little and tell you there is a cheap way to get to Chula Vista from the airport. There are actually a couple of ways. You can take the rental car shuttle to the rental car facility and then walk over one block to the train station, or you can take the shuttle from the airport to the trolley station. Here is more info on the second option. Once on the green line Trolley, you will make it to the end where you will switch to the blue line. You get off the Trolley and walk around the building to where the blue line intersects. The blue line will take you to E Street and/or San Ysidro.
Medication
Prescription medication is a touchy one. The dentist cannot give you a narcotic prescription and legally come back into the USA. If you require that extensive work, then you are better off staying in Tijuana so they can prescribe the medication and take it there. I have been lucky that every dental procedure is done on me was painless after the anesthesia wore off. I also am fortunate that the law firm I work at provides Teladoc in the event I do start having pain and need some medication.Safety
This is always a big concern I hear from a lot of people. I can tell you that as many times as I have been to Baja California, I have never felt unsafe there one time, whether I was driving or walking around. It does help if you can speak some Spanish as it shows the people there that you are trying to blend with their culture and not expecting them to speak English.I suggest walking across the border. One thing I will tell you is that if you travel across the border, or internationally a fair amount, get Global Entry. It dramatically speeds up the process of crossing back into the USA.
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