Looking for quality affordable dentistry in Mexico

Hi. I need some extensive dental work done. I have priced some local dentists and the costs are outrageous. Now I want to explore my options out of the U.S. Since Mexico is relatively close, I am starting there. How can I get quality dentistry there that I can afford? Thanks in advance. T.M.

T.M. – We do not at all recommend that you seek dental treatment in Mexico. You can get dental treatment at a lower cost there, but there are reasons for it.

Mexico has far fewer regulations on dentistry than the United States. Cleanliness, sterilization, malpractice insurance, and materials are left to the discretion of the dentist. There is no way to discern the quality of materials used in your mouth, nor is there a way to determine if proper sanitation is practiced to keep you free of unwanted germs and infection.

If there is a complaint, you will be able to file one through the government, but there is nothing in place to ensure that the work is corrected or that you are refunded.

We recommend that you speak with qualified dentists in the U.S. who offer financing or payment plans, or who make the work affordable for you by doing it in phases to spread out your payments. The limitations of your budget will be respected, and you will receive quality, regulated dentistry.

This post is sponsored by Plano dentist Dr. Miranda Lacy.

Accidentally dropped upper Invisalign in my bird’s cage

I have 2 pet parrots. I was goofing around in the den and teasing the birds and taking my Invisalign on and off my teeth. I know I shouldn’t have been doing it because they should stay on unless I’m eating or I am cleaning my teeth. It was funny how the birds were looking at me when I took the aligners off. Any way I was laughing and dangling the top aligner over the cage and one of the birds startled me and I dropped the aligner in the bird cage. It was too gross in the cage for me to ever get them clean enough to put them back in my mouth. I just can’t do it. I was only 3 days into these aligners. Can I put the new set on early? – M.T.

M.T. – You should not put the new set of Invisalign on early. Call your dentist for a replacement set. If you have the former set of aligners, you can wear them for now. Your next set of aligners is based on the new position of your teeth that would result from the set that you dropped.

Premature placement will interfere with your treatment plan. Call your dentist immediately.

This post is sponsored by Plano dentist Dr. Miranda Lacy.

The dentist’s drill chipped my tooth

I had 3 cavities filled on Tuesday. Everything seemed to be going fine. I didn’t feel any pain with the drilling, and I was quite pleased. But then the drill hit one of my front teeth! I know that I must have looked alarmed, because the dentist kept saying everything is okay. This is not the dentist I would normally go to. This one is less expensive than my regular dentist, so I decided to give him a try for a cleaning. I liked him so I decided that I would let him fill my cavities. This was just my second visit. When I got home and really looked at my teeth, I saw I small chip on a left front tooth! I am torn about what to do. It’s not difficult to see the chip. If this dentist didn’t tell me that he chipped my tooth can I trust him to fix it, or will he just say that he fixed it? – Noel T.

Noel – You do have a big decision to make. You should let the new dentist know about the chipped tooth right away. It may be wise to schedule an appointment to speak with him in person about it.

After you speak with the dentist, if you don’t want him to restore your tooth, you can ask if he will pay for the cost of having it restored. You can then return to your usual dentist or go to a cosmetic dentist for the restoration. Dental bonding can be made to match the color of your natural tooth. The bonding will be applied to the tooth, shaped, hardened, shaped again, and polished. If it’s done by a cosmetic dentist, people won’t be able to tell where your tooth was chipped.

This post is sponsored by Plano dentist Dr. Miranda Lacy.