Cousin Judy smiled at me, her mouth filled with perfect teeth.
“Where did you get those teeth?” Jokingly.
“Los Algodones, Mexico.” she was serious. Judy’s teeth jump-started my journey to replace my four front teeth, which had been yanked by a dentist in Reno, Nevada. That dentist replaced them with dentures, which came out while I ate. Two thousand dollars later, I was looking for dental implants.
Most of my friends (baby boomers) didn’t expect to live as long as we have; we were cavalier regarding health insurance and savings. Even those who did everything we were told to do (saved, purchased real estate, then sold for profit), divorce, medical issues, and putting kids through school ate up much of our middle-class savings.
I am one of the luckier ones. In my third act of life, I can avoid people who annoy me (regardless of whether I am right about them). Traveling in my 23-foot, paid-for motorhome (which has a bedroom, small kitchen, bathroom, and air conditioner) allows me to drive anywhere in the USA I’d like. I can park at a roadside stop, not pay anything, get a good night’s sleep, and then continue my journey as I please. Writing has become my profession these days (selling fiction and journalism for actual dollars is unusual in the USA, but I am doing it).
So far, I hadn’t resolved the ego-reducing front teeth problem, which came out during holiday meals or dinners with friends.
Given that I might have at least another twenty years to go, I began taking action to do something about those teeth.
Finding a Dentist
Los Algodones, the Mexican dental town on the USA- Mexican border a few miles from Yuma, Arizona, is dedicated to dental care. Wait what? Is it safe? Is it good care? Is it cheap?
Having no referral source, since Judy’s dentist had retired, I found what looked like a decent Dental Clinic, “Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry Center,” contacted them via the Internet and began a journey to get new front teeth.
A Reno, Nevada, dentist quoted me 16,000 dollars for this work. “Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry Center” quoted 5500 dollars. I chose my dentist based on his website, good looks, training in the USA, and a family history of dentists (his father was a dentist). Picking my dentist this way was no better or worse than going to a dentist my health insurance had selected for me for previous procedures in Reno. Health insurance companies often choose the provider who charges the least.
“Cosmetic& Implant Dentistry Center” (One of several in Los Algodones)
Dr. Jose Valenzuela, Jr., Owner
Sixteen thousand dollars is a little less than the amount I live on for a year. I live well, as I have discovered after having had an old stone farmhouse on fifty acres of land in years gone by, that if you don’t want to be my friend because I don’t own a pricey house, I can’t afford, I don’t want to be your friend anyway. Since many of my friends are artists (actors, musicians, writers), I discovered long ago that peace of mind and personal freedom are more important than having extra bedrooms.
A medical/dental vacation is usually something considered by lower middle-class struggling citizens or by those who like a good bargain. There is no need to suffer with terrible dentures or poor dental care for cavities or other dental issues. There is no need to go into enormous credit card debt to pay exorbitant dental care prices in the USA. I do not have a credit card, so I had to pay for my care with cash savings, budgeting for fewer luxuries.
If you are an older reader living on a fixed income, as I do, I discovered a subculture of folks who know about cost-effective, exciting ways to have an excellent quality of life without becoming a prisoner of credit card debt. Initially, this required me to rethink where I shopped and what I needed instead of what I wanted. Finding bargains is enjoyable for me. When I owned my business, I furnished the three large offices entirely from the Goodwill. This all was born from necessity. As well as a desire to own my life as much as possible in the culture which we inhabit. My daughter is my opposite; bigger
and glitzier is better. A stay-at-home mother of three (with a master’s degree from a collegiate East Coast university), my choices upset her.
Los Algodones, the sleepy, friendly Mexican Border town, doesn’t offer only inexpensive dental care but an opportunity to maintain a sense of well-being for citizens of the US who otherwise would face embarrassing age-related or lack of good dental insurance, humiliations.
Applying for a passport
I applied for a passport a few months before the trip. If you are a divorced woman, be prepared, as getting a passport gets complicated. It would be best to verify your birth name with a birth certificate, your married name, and marriage and divorce dates.
Getting a copy of my birth certificate from Baltimore, Maryland, involved three attempts, each I paid for separately until I finally got the correct one. Because I’ve been married and divorced twice (I know lousy judgment sometimes), I had to obtain proof of marriage to an ex-husband I married in 1967, as well as proof of divorce from him and the second husband. You don’t need to do this if you didn’t change your birth (maiden) name.
My local post office offered specific hours when I might make an appointment to apply for a passport. The passport takes a long time (perhaps months), so begin that process before you set up clinic appointments.
I recommend getting everything lined up before making your appointment with your dentist in Los Algodones. Take your time; you’ve probably gone a while with lousy dentures or just poor dentition, so you can have an enjoyable vacation-type experience if you prepare slowly. Did I say enjoyable vacation? I did. Go to the website for the Dept. of State for the USA; it has dropdowns that guide you on several questions, including how to get a passport (with a video as well), be safe in a foreign country, and locations of US Embassies in foreign cities.
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel.html
Travelers entering Mexico by land should have a valid passport book or card. Enter Mexico by land and plan to travel beyond the immediate border area (approximately 12 miles or 20 kilometers into Mexico). You must stop at an INM office to obtain an entry permit (Forma Migratoria Multiple or FMM), even if not explicitly directed by Mexican officials. INM may opt to allow tourists entry of up to 180 days without a visa or limit authorized stays to shorter periods at their discretion; visitors should confirm the specific length of authorized stay written on the entry permit (FMM) or by the stamp in their passport. Mexican immigration authorities could ask you to present your passport and entry permit, if applicable, at any point. They may detain you while they review your immigration status if you are not carrying your passport and proof of legal status in Mexico or if you have overstayed your authorized stay. Immigration checkpoints are joint in the interior of Mexico, including in popular tourist areas far from the border.
You will also need a temporary import permit to bring a U.S.-registered vehicle beyond the border zone. These permits are processed through Banjercito and require a deposit that will be refunded once the vehicle leaves Mexico. For more information, visit the Banjercito website (Spanish only).
Baja California, Baja California Sur, and Sonora have a “hassle-free” zone that allows cars to travel within the zone without an entry permit or car registration. A travel permit is not needed to visit Los Algodones
Traveling to Los Algodones
My first visit to Los Algodones was set up via computer. I drove my motorhome from Reno, Nevada, to Yuma, Arizona, stopping overnight in Las.Vegas, as the trip was too much for one-day travel. A male friend went with me because I was uncertain about what awaited me in a Mexican Border town.
We parked the motorhome in a parking lot owned by a Native American Tribe across the street from the border between the USA and Mexico.
The US side of the Los Algodones Mexico border is located on Quechan Tribal land. Parking for the day costs six dollars for a car and eight dollars for a motorhome. Overnight parking is also provided.
We brought my dog along on the trip, thus reducing the cost of boarding her, so we left the air conditioner on in the RV. The initial trip was made in July, the temperature was 92 degrees with very high humidity. You can bring your dog across the border for the day; the rules for bringing your dog are on the US State Dept site. I wouldn’t recommend this, as the streets are narrow, the sidewalks are bustling with vendors and potential dental patients, and I didn’t notice any dog-friendly parks or areas to toilet a dog.
The parking lot on the USA side was considered very safe and inexpensive. I checked all the information on the internet to view videos other patrons had made. There wasn’t a single complaint or issue posted.
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel.html
The Border Crossing
The border between the USA and Los Algodones is open from six AM to ten PM. ( Los Algodones businesses comply with the Arizona time zone).
Walking into Mexico is easy; you don’t need to show a passport to get into Mexico and get back to the USA which requires a passport.
Los Algodones has close, narrow streets with very little automobile traffic. People began soliciting us as soon as we crossed the border, handing out pamphlets regarding dental clinics. “Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry Center” had arranged for a driver in a van to pick us up at the border. It wasn’t necessary, as the clinic was two blocks from the border crossing. Still, this clinic was nicely set up, ensuring we didn’t get sideswiped by another dental clinic, as there are dozens all over the small downtown area.
The clinic was immaculate; the staff was professional perfection. Although they had no shortage of patients, my wait was brief. I paid the 5500 dollars with a debit card in US dollars (I believe they prefer dollars to pesos). After the x-rays were complete, the staff recommended I have lunch as I was going to have Novocaine and wouldn’t be able to eat for a while.
We stumbled upon a restaurant with a sign outside that read, “If you don’t like the food, you don’t have to pay.” The restaurant was three blocks down along narrow sidewalks lined with people selling wallets, jewelry, and other lovely, colorful items. Originally from New York City, my adrenaline was way up. Bargaining is in my blood, and one is expected to negotiate the price in Los Algodones. Don, my man companion, had to drag me away to get lunch. Don doesn’t enjoy shopping or bargaining (what type of childhood did he have?)
Where to eat
Accidentally, we stumbled upon “Los Molcas,” a casual, busy restaurant with no posted prices; their menu was painted on the brightly coloredwalls. Plastic tablecloths, eating utensils, and plates added to the vibe of relaxation.
Enjoying a meal in Los Algodones, photo compliments of Don Alexander
I ordered Chili relleno, and oh my goodness, I’m still having flashbacks. It was so good. Chips, dips, rice, beans, and all types of side salads, in such abundance, I felt guilty. This was not a Taco Bell. I drank bottled diet soda, uncertain if the water might cause problems for my gut. The cost per person was ten dollars. Speedy service meant no long wait. I have been told that going during the week is best as the town gets hectic on weekends.
A man stood by the front window playing a guitar while singing in Spanish; local vendors wandered in with jewelry and more small items, moving from table to table trying to make sales. I didn’t mind; it felt part of the vibe. I was aware that Mexican people are often poorer than we are, so I went out of my way to be polite while speaking in Spanish, which is their native language, and I was in their homeland.
Everyone we encountered was friendly. The difference in appearance between the USA and Los Algodones made me pleasantly aware that I was in a foreign country. The lack of pretense was a pleasant relief, adding to the feeling of a vacation unfettered by formality, which is my preferred style.
Upscale Mexican resorts appeal to some folks; a friend attends one yearly. Los Algodones is so relaxed, nonformal, and inexpensive that I wanted to stay longer. Unfortunately, Canadians and other US citizens feel the same way. I eventually tried to rent a hotel room, apartment, or hacienda for a month during winter, but no rooms were available anywhere in Los Algodones. It was July when I tried to find a winter rental.
Los Molcas Restaurant, photos by Carol Schaye
I’ve only briefly traveled out of the USA in 1969 for three days to Istanbul, Turkey (A story for another time) and Mexico to Ensenada
and Rosarito about twenty years ago. Vacations have been limited to Pyramid Lake, a Native American Paiute Reservation about twenty minutes
outside Reno, where I park my motorhome on a beach during weekdays in the summer. The overnight stay is approximately eleven dollars per night,
and I usually stay two nights twice a month during the summer months. Otherwise, it had been over twenty years since I had had a vacation. I’m not
complaining; the nice thing about Reno is there are places about thirty minutes in any direction where tourists visit, so I live in a vacation spot.
Besides, I couldn’t afford a vacation anywhere else, but it wasn’t a problem. I had paid cash for the small motorhome years before, expecting I would always have a place to live if I went broke, using it for short vacations like Pyramid Lake for years (I still have it).
Having finished the terrific lunch at “Los Molcas,” Don and I returned to the clinic to begin my dental care.
The noticeable police cars assured me that this city was an essential area for commerce and presented as safe.
My Dental Care
My dentist and his staff wore masks during the procedure. That said, I did notice that the “Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry Center” staff were good-looking. Whether this was an intentional hiring practice, I can’t say.
A dental assistant gave me Novocain, the best injections of Novocain I’ve ever had. My dentist in Reno gave me Novocain, and the injection hurt. I got to choose if I wanted mild sedation before the Novocain, but I deferred (It was at extra cost, but I didn’t think I needed it, or I would have paid the few extra dollars). I had taken two milligrams of valium before arriving at the clinic, and given that I rarely drink or take sedative-hypnotics, I felt relaxed enough already. “I’m from Brooklyn,” I joked, then realized no one got my joke; I was in Mexico.
My face was numb from my chin to my nose. It remained that way for hours after. I felt no pain ever. Although my dentist spoke in Spanish to his assistants, it was so rapid that I was lost. Finally, I was on the journey to get dental implants, something I had wanted for several years. Because I had waited, the dentist needed to do a bone graft where the bone in my mouth had receded. So, if you have the funds now, try not to postpone. I didn’t have the funds, so I had to wait.
It’s OK; we are all doing the best we can. No one intentionally ends up toothless or with awful loose dentures. That is why I’m writing this article.
It took hours for the numbness to resolve. My goodness, these folks weren’t going to let me have any pain.
Who are these folks anyway? They had given me prescriptions for amoxicillin (penicillin) and anti-inflamatories—no opiate pain medication. I didn’t need any since after the Novocain wore off, I had no pain; I mean no pain. The post-operative prescriptions were filled at one of several pharmacies in Los Algodones (my dentist referred me to one), and the price was significantly reduced compared to the States. The cost of the penicillin was less than my copay would have been back in Reno.
I was told I had two screws in my upper palate, so don’t be alarmed. My mistake was that I didn’t ask what procedure was being done. Because my dentist was in another country, I couldn’t drop in for a checkup, so instead of making jokes about Brooklyn, I suggest you ask about all the procedures. It’s good patient advocacy wherever you are.
There are some times and days of the week when crossing the border back to the US can be at least an hour-long wait in line. My trips were set up, so I never waited in a line, perhaps because I was crossing relatively early and on a weekday. There are rules regarding what items and the amount of each item (primarily prescriptions and alcohol) you can bring back to the United States. My suitcase, filled with silver earrings and leather wallets for friends, was x-rayed by the US border guards. My passport was briefly looked at, and with a few steps, I was back in the United States. The USA/Mexico Border at Los Algodones is open between.
I began singing “Born in the USA” as I reentered. My only concern in Mexico was that I could be subjected to different laws and rights than I had in the USA.
My second trip was scheduled for a month after the initial visit.
There were a few emails where the front desk person at the clinic confused me with another patient or which procedure I had completed, which initially scared me.
Aware my dentist was in Mexico and unfamiliar with any recourse I might have, I was calm and respectful when dealing with this mildly scary confusion.I contacted the clinic to mention that, eventually, the two screws had fallen out. I was at a loss since I hadn’t inquired what they were for. So, I recommend asking the dentist what he is doing each visit. It turned out OK, and the screws were not a problem.
I was still able to wear my removable dentures after my initial visit.
A month later, I flew to Yuma, Arizona, and arranged to have a driver pick me up at the Yuma airport (my dentist’s staff gave me the driver’s
information). I paid him thirty dollars to drive to the Mexican border, about thirty minutes away by car. The driver was delightful, as was just about
everyone I encountered on my journey for new, affordable front teeth.
Buchanan’s Transportation 928.6278700 cell 928 920.4477
Again, I walked across the border, was greeted by the clinic’s driver, and began the second step toward dental implants. Alone this time, I felt safe, returning to that same restaurant and having lunch before my procedure. The clinic driver waited outside.
The airfare cost was approximately four hundred dollars roundtrip. I recommend booking all flights far in advance as airfares increase closer to your flight date. A website link below shows other ways to get to Los Algodones from Yuma, Arizona, including a bus ride. I could afford a few extra dollars to have a car pick me up and return me to the Yuma airport, but if you are tight on funds (we all are, but I mean tight), there are alternatives. Again, plan and write everything down.
https://www.rome2rio.com/s/Yuma/Los-Algodones
My second procedure was lengthy. A different dentist tackled it, and occasionally, the dentist who owned the clinic came in to discuss the procedure in Spanish with him. I suspected I was having a bone graft performed since, as I mentioned above, my bone had receded over the years. Two and a half hours later, I was finished. During those two and a half hours, the dentist asked me frequently how I was doing and if I was comfortable. My prevailing emotion was one of gratitude.
In recent years, I have experienced a verbal assault from a scheduling person at the Outpatient Medical Center Clinic, where I have my primary care physician. Scheduling a test for me had been mistakenly dropped; rather than apologize, the woman who worked scheduling informed me, “Just because you are a registered nurse doesn’t mean you are smarter than me.” Well, I’ll say out loud that I think I’m smarter than her. Regardless of my feelings about smart versus smarter, I was the patient. I was terrified, but the woman in scheduling did not care. There is a noticeable difference in attitude toward patient care in Los Algodones (at least at the dental clinic I chose). Mexican dental care reminded me of care in the USA before health insurance company executives earned 260 million dollars a year, and cost savings at patients’ expense became the norm.
In Los Algodones, the staff was very self-contained, doing their jobs, not saying much else, allowing the Dentist to do most of the speaking and patient interaction.
Two and a half hours of dental work on my mouth later, I was again numb from Novocain. My mouth was filled with sutures; I couldn’t put my dentures in this time, and Vincent, the driver for the clinic, took me to a local pharmacy to again fill prescriptions for anti-inflammatories and cleansing gels. Vincent told me his story along the way. He had a son in the US and was looking forward to returning. He looked relatively young and easy to converse with. As was the case with the staff at the clinic, he was friendly, he was respectful, and he was looking out for me.
Where to stay
I had been careful to bring cash, but it was hidden. I did not leave money or valuables in my hotel room. I had booked a night at” California Comfort and Suites” in downtown Los Algodones. Again, the dental clinic recommended that hotel (I asked them for a recommendation). Situated on a dirt road a few blocks from the main street, the front desk woman was pleasant, professional, and helpful, as were all the staff I encountered along my journey. Coming from Reno, I had gotten used to sometimes irritable service and what I perceived as lacking courtesy toward the customer. Los Algodones has a theme going on; the folks who were employed around town dealing with dental patients seem to understand that they were building a medical tourism center, which provided not just dental, ophthalmic, and pharmaceutical treatment but a vacation of sorts for middle-class US and Canadian citizens who were not able to afford health care in their home countries. My room was spotless. The shower door didn’t close properly, and I didn’t realize I had to ask for a blow dryer at the front desk. A deposit of twenty dollars was required for the three remotes I was given for the television. With my mouth numb again and drooling, I asked the woman at the front desk where I might purchase a bottle of white wine. Mostly, I wanted the wine to go to sleep. I’d been traveling from Reno since three AM, and although I tried to return to strolling and shopping, I was exhausted. The young woman at the front desk sent me to my room, set up my television, and purchased a bottle of wine for me herself. Again, much like the lunch at “Los Molcas,” the wine was inexpensive but an excellent quality. It didn’t take long for me to fall asleep feeling safe. The hotel had a small swimming pool. Los Algodones in the summer is very hot, but I slept great in the air-conditioned room with my bottle of wine near my bedside. Later in the evening, I woke up hungry. I ordered a soup from the small restaurant downstairs in the hotel. Again, continuing with this almost hard-to-believe theme that soup was amazingly delicious. Service was swift and courteous.
I had gotten so used to relatively poor or indifferent care back in Reno (that care isn’t inexpensive either) that I was shocked at the ‘You are the customer ‘attitude. ‘We would be grateful if you could return and speak well of our service in Los Algodones.’
When I checked out of the hotel in the morning, I paid a five-dollar fee because I had bled a bit from my mouth on the pillowcase during the night. I was generous (twenty dollars) with an extra tip for the same young woman who had gotten me the wine the evening before I had also tipped her then. I returned my television remotes, checked out of my room, and pulled my small suitcase, which was on wheels, behind me. Los Algodones is an informal place. My small suitcase was packed lightly.
Presentation Matters
I dressed casually, wearing clothing that allowed me to blend in. There is no reason to draw attention to oneself in a small border town in a foreign country. This is good advice while visiting Mexico and to be considered wherever one travels outside the USA. I had purchased a leather pocketbook in one of the small shops; all my debit cards and some of my cash were in that bag, which hung across my chest, not over a shoulder. I never hung my bag on the back of a chair. I recommend not opening cash-filled wallets; compartmentalize where you keep your cash. Nothing negative happened to me in Los Algodones, but perhaps because I was unobtrusive in dress and jewelry. A friend told me about having his and his companion’s knapsacks stolen from their backs while vacationing in Italy. The theft involved two men who were well-coordinated. In their backpacks were, amongst other things, their passports, which caused them a trip to the US embassy.
I headed for a tiny coffee shop with one young fellow serving several customers wearing scrubs (probably getting their coffee before beginning their workdays). Again, this coffee shop had been recommended by Mexican citizens. My ride back to the Yuma airport wasn’t for three more hours, so I was anxious to get coffee and explore shopping. Sitting on a lovely tiled plaza with a fountain and tables and chairs under umbrellas, the café mocha was about all my slightly tender mouth could handle.
I was so grateful for the respectful service I was receiving.
Sitting sipping my café mocha, which was excellent, I basked in the early morning sun, enjoying my dental vacation. I could not replace my old dentures. This didn’t attract attention since Los Algodones is a “Dental City,” and they are probably used to this.
Three hours before my flight from Yuma, Arizona airport back to Reno, I walked across the Mexican-USA border without any wait. Again, it was mid-day during the week. The US Border Guards briefly viewed my pack and passport. The car service I had used to bring me from the airport to Mexico’s Border was waiting for me right outside the USA border. A different but equally engaging driver, who owned the car service, drove me to the Yuma airport. I paid him cash for the trip with a ten-dollar tip.
There are no direct flights from Reno, Nevada, to Yuma, Arizona, probably because Yuma is such a small airport. I always plan my air trips with enough time between flights, so I don’t miss a flight (this happened to me once on a trip to New York City), leaving me on standby and therefore throwing off any appointments I have scheduled in my destination.
My upper lip went from red, slightly irritated, to shockingly purple and somewhat swollen. Aware I had sutures in my mouth, I could not fit my dentures in for my four front teeth. I spent the next six weeks explaining (I felt I needed to, but I live in a city where it’s not such a big deal to be toothless) that I was in the middle of dental surgery. The swelling resided, and the color returned to normal. I was also careful about what I ate; I had to be cautious since I never put my dentures back in place.
I am returning to Los Algodones on November 30th to have a fitting mold and then my new implants screwed into place. This process takes two days as after the mold is made, the dentist has the actual teeth made, and then I’ll return the next day for them to be placed. I am staying in Los Algodones for four days since I wanted to be available in case of any delays or problems. Also, the town is very welcoming, and the weather is pleasant, allowing me a short, inexpensive vacation while completing dental work.
Below is a link to check what weather to expect for your trips (or trip) to Los Algodones.
Returning to Los Algodones
on November 30th, the dental x-ray revealed that an abutment had fallen out, requiring me to have a new one placed. This involved sutures again. This did not prolong my stay or delay my getting my permanent dentures. The procedure was painless due to adequate numbing.
I was in amazingly good humor as I neared the end of an enjoyable dental vacation in a country where the people were lively, welcoming, and friendly.
Returning to my hotel approximately an hour after the dentists fitted my mouth for the mold for my new teeth, I was struck with pain so severe I could barely speak. Luckily for me, a worker at the hotel gave me a pain medication that knocked me out, and when I awoke the next day, the pain was gone.
The following day, I discovered still another terrific restaurant, “La Parrilla,” near my hotel. They had a woman singing while a man played the piano.
La Parrilla Restaurant photo by Carol Schaye
The weather was balmy, the mood again relaxed, and the food was terrific.
I would recommend contacting your dentist for pain medication, as my dentist asked the next day if I needed a prescription, but by then, the pain had resolved. Years ago, I was a registered nurse, and we make notoriously poor patients. My dentist would have given me pain medication had I asked.
The dentists did ask me if I drank alcohol that evening, and I lied and said no (I had a margarita), so I got the pain I asked for, didn’t I?
Drink with a straw or better yet don’t drink and don’t lie to your dentists
The following day my new teeth were screwed into my mouth without any pain, with an instruction if I did drink alcohol (Ah, my dentist was hip to me, wasn’t he?) drink through a stray so as not to damage tender tissue.
Leaving Los Algodones was difficult for me. The staff at “Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry” were so supportive and competent that I wanted to be friends with them. I tried to explain to them how awful some of the care I had gotten in the USA was, but they seemed focused on giving me quality care in Mexico.
Shop around and price shop if you want; there certainly is enough competition for dental care in Los Algodones, Mexico, but for me, I want to say thank you to Dr. Valenzuela and his staff at “Cosmetic Implants and Dental.” for restoring my smile in more ways than one.
Carol Schaye has had several short stories published by McFadden’s Women’s Group, Sierra Nevada Ally and other publications. Carol has written for two west coast newspapers and has worked extensively in television. A fan of Flannery O’Connor, Carol studied acting with Lee Strasberg and Austin Pendleton and writing with Salem Ludwig. She attended Marymount College majoring in theater.
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