Tijuana

No. Chihuahua is a state bordering Texas in northern Mexico; its most renowned city is Juarez, bordering El Paso, Texas.

Tijuana is located on northwestern Mexico, on the Mexican state of Baja California, bordering San Diego, California.

-- Check with the appropriate government agency in the destination country about its national dentistry guidelines.

-- Find out what recourse is available if something goes wrong.

-- At the dental office, look for infection-control procedures, including instrument sterilization and use of protective gloves, mask and eyewear.

-- A traveler's guide to dental care is available through the Organization for Safety and Asepsis Procedures at www.osap.org.

Source: American Dental Association.

Why is dental cheaper in Mexico? - lower operating costs, dentists are not required have malpractice insurance, dentists are less advanced and use less expensive technology and infection control procedures.

Dental treatment performed abroad although less expensive, also carries an increased number of associated complications and risks.

Travel, Dental Care and Dental Tourism

There is a growing phenomena called "Dental Tourism" in which people travel to a destination that offers less expensive dental care. The decision to visit another country for dental care should go beyond simply comparing prices or even evaluating the dentists' expertise. Countries differ in their standards for infection control and safety. The use of fresh gloves, sterile instruments and safe water are not standard practice in all countries. Without these precautions, patients could be infected with diseases such as hepatitis B.

Before considering such trips, it is important to be prepared by using information such as that contained in OSAP's Traveler's Guide. Additional information may be obtained at www.ada.org, www.iamat.org and www.adse.co.uk.

Go to Mexico's largest dental directory at dentistasdemexico.com and search for a dentist, all dentists are fully licensed and governed by the country of Mexico

• My wife has experienced in our opinion, the worst dentist ever and he is in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico... His name is Dr. Victor M. Silva. He put in an implant in her upper jaw and two days later she had a very bad infection. Upon Dr. Silva looking at it, he just stated that it was too small of an implant and grabbed it with his finger and just pulled it out ... He did not even offer her any antibiotics until I insisted on them... His practice is a one room office/examining room that is not sanitary and usually he is there by himself without an assistant.

After removing the implant, he told her to come back in two months and he would put in another one that was longer. When my wife returned, to his office, he then told her that there was not enough bone and that she should come back in one year, At this point (4 trips later from Tucson to Nogales)we did not want to deal with him anymore and asked for our money back, he straight out refused to refund the money that we had given him as a down payment for the service. I would strongly suggest that this dentist be avoided at all if looking for a good dentist in Nogales. REMEMBER, his name is Dr. Victor M. Silva. He will take your money and give you the run around.

• I went to a dentist in Naco 9 years ago and please don't make the mistake I did.

I was 25 at the time and had great teeth but I hadn't been to the dentist for 2 years for financial reasons. I was living in Bisbee at the time and heard dentists were cheaper in Mexico. The dentist told me I had 9 cavities-- which should have tipped me off right there-- 5 on my lower teeth and 4 up top. I only had only two tiny cavities previously, but I thought, was afraid that I had "neglected my teeth". He drilled and filled the lower teeth, one side at a time on 2 separate visits (if I remember correctly) and told me to come back for the top teeth. It was incredibly painful whereas I usually have a high pain tolerance. I think on some level my body knew it was wrong and was trying to tell me. He charged me $50 per filling. They were enormous fillings and I could see the metal shifting around my mouth, or my chemistry reacting to it or something because months later dark lines were settling around the base of my teeth. I did not return for the top teeth.

About six months later, I went to a free dental clinic in the town where I now live (U.S.) thinking that i would need to get the cavities up top filled. The dentist there told me that I didn't have 4 cavities that needed to be filled, only ONE "weak spot" (which to this day has not required a filling). He said the dentist in Mexico must have been following a very old dental philosophy. Nowadays dentists fill very minimally if at all. It looked like he had carved out all the valleys, any area potentially vulnerable and filled, over what were probably "weak spots" or tiny cavities at best.

I had the fillings replaced with composite a few years later just to have all the metal out of my mouth. The receptionist (U.S.) on the phone had quoted me about $60 per filling (I swear I was specific). I was surprised, but really happy it would be so affordable, so when I came out of the dental chair after the procedure and they told me I had a $3,000 bill, I nearly passed out.

It's not over either. The fillings were so big that the integrity of the teeth under them has been compromised and 2 or more of my teeth have fractures in them now. Those cracks don't heal, they only eventually go all the way down to the nerve. That means I will need crowns, and maybe root canals, and maybe to have the teeth completely extracted and a bridge put on. I got the news it's time for the first crown today, because the tooth actually has two cracks and has started causing some pain. $1,150.

I am not the kind of person that has awful things like this happen a lot. I have just been had this very unfortunate experience with dentistry, and it's not over yet, and it's very expensive. I think there surely must be many reputable dentists in Mexico, and occasions when getting a procedure done there is more affordable. But please be careful and trust your gut. I was nearly shaking when I drove to those appointments in Naco, but my foolish reasoning mind did not listen to my body. I had great teeth.

• HOW DO YOU FIND A GOOD DDS IN MEXICO? GOOD QUESTION - I KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY, HOWEVER THE ONE I FOUND BEWARE!!!! IT WAS WASHINGTON DENTAL CLINIC. BEFORE ANY TREATMENT YOU TALK TO A CLOSER {YOU KNOW LIKE BUYING A USED CAR} YOU NEED TO PAY BEFORE ANY TREATMENT. THE TREATMENT I RECEIVED WAS FROM THE STONE AGE. THE SHOTS WERE NOT IN THE LEAST gentle - picture this I wore a hair piece and within the first five minutes it was on the floor the dentist (so called) kicked it to the side with his worn out cowboy boots. I WANTED TO STOP HIM BUT HE SUPPOSEDLY KNEW NO ENGLISH AND KEPT GOING MY TREATMENT WAS TO EXTRACT ONE FRONT TOOTH AND REPLACE IT WITH A PARTIAL I WAITED FOR THE PARTIAL FOR HOURS AND WHEN IT WAS DONE IT LOOK ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE. I COMPLAINED AND WAS TOLD TOO BAD THAT THEY LOOKED GOOD TO THEM I HAD ALREADY PAID (WITH CREDIT CARD) WHEN I RETURNED TO STATES I PUT A STOP ON THE PAYMENT. AFTER A BIG HASSLE MY CARD RULED FOR THEM THE CHARGE WAS 2700-5000. I'M OUT THE CASH BACK IN THE STATES, I HAD TO HAVE A ROOT CANAL ON ONE OF MY TEETH THAT THEY RUINED AND A NEW PARTIAL FOR ANOTHER 3,000. YOU DO THE MATH. JUST BE REALLY CAREFUL NO CLINICS THEY ARE SO MUCH WORSE THEN CLINICS HERE!!

• This is in regards to the Fierro Clinic in Palomas, MX. Beware, the good Dr. Fierro has much more competition from other very good dentists in the town like Dr. Lam and others, therefore he is not backing up the work done in his clinic and not willing to "make good" on bad work. He has overextended himself by beginning to build a hotel next door to his clinic and therefore the clinic's practice is compromised! I will not go into any details because I believe that the clinic has some very good doctors, specially the specialists, and the clinic still has a chance to live up to its reputation if Dr. Fierro maintains the standards that people coming from the U.S. side expect.

• Dr. Carolina Borjon AKA Dr. Borjon Acevedo Carolina did a hack job on my teeth. I would never recommend anyone to ever visit her or any other practicing Dentist in Mexico. The price quoted to me over the phone was much lower than what it was at the time of payment. I went in to receive 3 crowns and I ended up with 3 large boulders in my mouth. The pain is intolerable and I am out 600$, now I have to pay another 2100$ here in California just to repair the mistakes she made. So much for a guarantee, she will not even return my phone calls. I just came back from a local dentist office and he was horrified to see the work that was done on me, he compared it to a mad doctors science experiment. PLEASE DON"T EVER VISIT ALGODONES MEXICO FOR DENTAL CARE< & JUST TO BE SAFE FOR NOT ANY TYPE OF HEALTH CARE. Please spread the word so that no one else will make the same mistake as I did, many elderly were at her office and I hope that she did not take them for a ride like she did me.

The approximate driving time and mileage information -

Between: Seattle, WA

and: Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico

Driving miles: 1270

Driving time: 21 hrs

- is based on traveling non-stop in good driving conditions. Driving time does not take into consideration conditions which may extend travel time such as weather, road work, border crossings, and rush hour traffic in urban areas. Mileage denotes actual road miles covered as opposed to Point A to Point B linear distances on a map.