Dental care, just like social security and public education, is one of those things that should be affordable and available for everybody. However, good dental care comes at a steep price, especially in the United States. All people have teeth, but not everyone has a good dental insurance policy that will cover their needs. This is the main reason why more and more people are exploring dental tourism.
Dental tourism the practice of going to less expensive foreign cities near the United States for high quality dental services, including root canal procedures, cosmetic dentistry, and dental implants. At the heart of the dental tourism industry is the city of Tijuana in Mexico. This city has been the dental tourism destination of choice for many Californians—Tijuana is around ten minutes away from San Diego and very close to Los Angeles, a city where good dental care can be highly expensive.
There are plenty of dental clinics in Tijuana that are very close to the United States border, making it easy for patients who are seeking for affordable dental care to drive to their appointments. With the rising cost of health care services in the United States and the shrinking coverage of health insurance companies, dental services in Tijuana are becoming an appealing alternative for those people who want to improve their smiles and dental health. This is especially true for people who do not have dental insurance that would pay for all or a fraction of their health care costs.
The cost differences of Tijuana and American dentists are significant enough to encourage patients from the United States to cross the border. Dentists in Tijuana, Mexico offer the services of highly qualified dental professionals at rates that are up to 70 percent cheaper than the rates offered by dentists in the United States. At present, the Mexican government are actively encouraging dental tourism within their borders—the tourism office has compiled a list of certified dental professionals in the Baja California peninsula, which would make it more convenient for American patients to find qualified Mexican professionals.
The dental tourism industry in Tijuana, Mexico is also very competitive, which means that patients are more likely to offer special discounts and promotions from the dental service providers. It will do you good to shop for rates, as well as qualifications, from different clinics that are easily accessible to you. Rates, however, can be extremely affordable—extensive dental work (that includes crowns, implants, laser whitening, fillings, root canals, and bridges) that would cost up to $20,000 in the United States would only cost less than $4,000 in Tijuana, Mexico. Even if a patient includes the gas expenses and the time it requires to go to an out-of-the-way clinic, there are still substantial savings.
Many patients from the United States are worried about a language barrier—especially since Spanish is the language spoken in Mexico. However, most of the dental professionals in Tijuana speak good English, which is more than enough to communicate the information and various concerns required for the dental procedures.
