Discount Dentistry

[Lesley]

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy.../AR2007061701297.html?nav=most_emailed&sub=AR

 

[li1p0ptart]

Ah yes. My boyfriend's family gets their work done in mexico. If only I was a third year and could do it for them at school......although it would still probably cost a lot more. But at least it would be more sanitary. =P

 

[armorshell]

I totally agree. Noone in the US was even willing to make me an aztec warrior mouthpiece like the one describes in the article!

It's 7mm thick (the perfect number described in the bible) and increases blood flow to my brain by not clenching my teeth! Shame on you american dentists for not letting out this amazing secret.

All truths told, I say let them go to Mexico. You get what you pay for, and if americans want mexican dentistry, let them get it.

 

[NileBDS]

Dr. William Dickerson—Buying expensive things make you feel bad once only, but the bitterness of poor quality lingers long ... "

http://www.agd.org/library/2006/mar/cover.asp

I personally think what we need here is for insurance companies (3rd parties, health brokers, whatever you want to call them) to step up their game, not for unsuspecting people to step across the border for sub-standard health care.
The standard of care is constantly evolving, yet most dental "insurance" providers turn the blind eye. Implants ? Some don't cover posterior composites, apico's, grafts/GTR ...
Besides, what does a $1,500.00 yearly allowance afford you these days anyways ? You're pretty much on your own after just a BU & crown.

 

[PChemGrad]

But his big pitch was for a device that he said increased blood flow to the brain by stopping patients from clenching their teeth. It resembles mouthpieces worn by Aztec warriors, he said, and is seven millimeters thick because seven is a "perfect number in the Bible."

"Your eyesight comes back," Alarcon promised as Salvador listened in awe. "It makes you lose weight. Alzheimer's? It cures that."

Salvador leaned forward.

"Oh my God, I have to bring my dad!" she said. "I want one for myself."

Alarcon smiled and pulled out his appointment book.

"How about you come by on Friday?" he said.

"Yeah," Salvador said, "I'll see you then."

This was great.
I hope I have some patients this guilable.

I got this magic elixir that will cure all dental problems*

[SIZE="-5"]*combined with brushing and flossing every day[/SIZE]

 

[DrJeff]

True story. I have a patient who went to to Costa Rica for some "comprehensive esthetic dentistry" for a "cheaper price." She had 8 upper veneers done( questionable about whether she really needed them in the first place IMHO) and about a half dozen all ceramic inlays/onlays done in her posteriors, during the week she was in Costa Rica. She told me that the fees were "less than half of what I (myself) charge".

Not 1 week after she got home from her Costa Rican Dental trip, the inlay she had done on #28 de-bonded and fell out😱 She then came into see me for me to recement it. In the year since she returned from her Costa Rican trip, I've had to recement 2 other inlays/onlays and one veneer, and now she's looking at the need to either have some perio-surgery and/or the veneers redone do the poor gingival marginal adaptation(think "chicklet" teeth) with fire-engine red attached gingiva)

I'm not saying that its an awful thing, foriegn country dental rehabilitation, but the one thing when a patient asks me about it that I do mention is what will they do if there is a problem down the road??

 

[DrJeff]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy.../AR2007061701297.html?nav=most_emailed&sub=AR

Just loved the quote that explains one of our reasons for high costs being malpractice insurance premiums

Umm, no!

 

[armorshell]

Just loved the quote that explains one of our reasons for high costs being malpractice insurance premiums

Umm, no!

Oh yeah, I thought that was funny. Isn't average malpractice like, $1000 or so a year?

 

[DrJeff]

Oh yeah, I thought that was funny. Isn't average malpractice like, $1000 or so a year?

Mine's just over $1200 a year, and thats for a $3,000,000 / $5,000,000 policy, not the basic $1,000,000 /$3,000,000 policy that many dentists carry

 

[wizziefiend]

I totally agree. Noone in the US was even willing to make me an aztec warrior mouthpiece like the one describes in the article!

It's 7mm thick (the perfect number described in the bible) and increases blood flow to my brain by not clenching my teeth! Shame on you american dentists for not letting out this amazing secret.

All truths told, I say let them go to Mexico. You get what you pay for, and if americans want mexican dentistry, let them get it.

I agree. I've had family members receive care down there. There are some pretty great offices down there. One family member said this as told by the dentist down there: They charge less but still take home the same amount of money. It's all cash basis so they never report anything for tax purposes. They also pay their employees very little and the resulting lack of employment and S.S. taxes leads to lower overhead. The doc used autoclaves to clean his equipment and the lab work was either done in house by him or an employee or done in TEXAS and sent over the boarder. There is also little expectation to have a super nice office with plush chairs, etc...lower overhead.

But I bet there are also lots of dirty places where sanitation is hardly a priority. But I don't think people going there expect the same level of care as their US community dentist.

 

[armorshell]

I agree. I've had family members receive care down there. There are some pretty great offices down there. One family member said this as told by the dentist down there: They charge less but still take home the same amount of money. It's all cash basis so they never report anything for tax purposes. They also pay their employees very little and the resulting lack of employment and S.S. taxes leads to lower overhead. The doc used autoclaves to clean his equipment and the lab work was either done in house by him or an employee or done in TEXAS and sent over the boarder. There is also little expectation to have a super nice office with plush chairs, etc...lower overhead.

But I bet there are also lots of dirty places where sanitation is hardly a priority. But I don't think people going there expect the same level of care as their US community dentist.

That reminds me of one of the things I thought was funny in the article. It mentions how the mexican government makes it basically impossible to sue the doctor, therefore lower malpractice. Of course, if you're the patient, this means you have no protection against a mexican doctor who does shoddy work.

I'm not really worried about dentistry being outsourced. Plus, like Dr. Jeff said, I'm sure we'll have plenty of business fixing all the mistakes and shoddy work.