How to Choose a Destination for Your Dental Work in Mexico

Beyond Borders Dental has various locations to get your dental treatment in Mexico. Some are on the U.S. border and easily accessible from adjoining U.S. cities. Some are in vacation destinations where sightseeing and vacationing are desired.

Below are some essential tips to help you decide which destination is best for you. And remember: Beyond Borders Dental only works with a handful of dental offices that have been carefully vetted and have repeatedly provided highly satisfactory dental care for our referred patients. To learn more about how we select, approve, and vet our dental offices for our patients, take a few minutes to view this six-minute video on our vetting process; click this link.

Our current locations for dental treatment in Mexico are:

• Juarez/El Paso Texas *border-crossing
• Los Algodones/Yuma Arizona *border-crossing
• Mexicali/Baja California *border-crossing
• Tijuana/San Diego *border-crossing
• Cabo San Lucus, Mexico *international flight
• Cancun, Mexico *international flight
• Cozumel, Mexico *international flight
• Playa del Carmen, Mexico *international flight

If you live in the Southwest (California., Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Texas), you may be within driving distance of one of our dental offices on the U.S. border. Juarez is right on the border of El Paso, Texas.

Local transportation to and from the dental office is provided at no charge, so you’re not spending a lot of time on the Mexican side of the border. There is a 10-minute walk across the bridge back to the U.S. (you are dropped off at the border bridge and are picked up on the U.S. side), so be sure you are comfortable doing a modest amount of walking. You can be driven if you cannot walk, but going by vehicle usually takes longer. It may include delays in the vehicle border crossing, or the office will provide a motorized scooter. If you need assistance crossing the bridge, please inform the office before your arrival so they can make the appropriate arrangements.

Los Algodones (often referred to as “Algodones†or “Molar Cityâ€) is easily accessible from Yuma, AZ. The Yuma airport is primarily for regional traffic. Juarez may be better if you are not within reasonable driving distance from Yuma and want to use a U.S. border office. We can provide you with information on local transfers and lodging.

We also have a vetted office in Mexicali; 2.5 hours east of Tijuana, Mexico. In Mexicali, the dental office provides free ride services on the Mexico side from the border and back. The office is located about a mile from the border. In cases where patients cross the border into Mexico, the dental office provides a free Medical Lane Pass, to expedite returning to the U.S.

If you want to include vacation time or sightseeing, Cancun, Playa del Carmen, or Cozumel, located on the East coast of Mexico, may interest you. Many U.S. cities have direct flights to Cancun and Cozumel (there isn’t an international airport in Playa del Carmen). They are accessible from anywhere in the Eastern U.S. Cancun is much larger (with a population of about a million people); nearly 4 million Americans visit Cancun annually. Many U.S. restaurant franchises operate in Cancun and Playa del Carmen, and you are a short driving distance to the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza and Tulum. In addition, many tourist attractions such as the Xcaret Theme Park, zip lining, beautiful sandy beaches, snorkeling, and scuba diving are all available. Playa del Carmen is about a 45-minute drive down the coast and offers the tourist area of 5th Avenue, with outdoor restaurants, shops, and live music.

Cozumel is a small island not far from Cancun and Playa del Carmen. The island is much quieter and accommodates tourism, as it is the primary destination for cruise ships. A half-hour ferry ride from Cozumel can take you to Playa del Carmen and the 5th Avenue shopping and dining area (a cab ride is necessary), and there are excursions to Cancun and the Mayan Ruins. Cozumel is primarily known for exceptional scuba diving and charming beaches, and if you plan to stay in the area longer, it is a lovely place to get your dental treatment. There are many beach resorts close to the dental office.

If you choose either Cancun, Playa del Carmen, or Cozumel, keep in mind that you are in Mexico proper. You will most likely need to convert some U.S. currency into pesos for taxis and other small expenses. However, most pharmacies and restaurants do take U.S. credit cards. But fees for credit cards or ATMs can be expensive in Mexico. We’ll be happy to discuss this further if these locations interest you.

Regardless of the destination you choose, our Patient Care Coordinators in each area will assist you with suggestions and help regarding lodging, transportation, and tourist attractions. And of course, our Patient Administrator will also be helping to oversee your dental treatment and plans. So be sure to keep them abreast of any decisions you make.

Other Considerations

An important consideration is the specific dental procedures you need, based on your dental plan and a consultation with our Patient Care Coordinators. If the treatment necessitates several trips, keep that in mind. If driving, are you comfortable driving several times? If flying, is the trade-off of going to a tourist destination worth the extra cost of airfares? Of course, you are probably saving thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars, so keep that in mind and don’t be overwhelmed by travel expenses. Nevertheless, travel time and cost should be factored into the decision to get dental care in Mexico.

But thousands of our patients have found it more than worthwhile to spend a little time or money on travel because of the substantial overall savings in getting dental care in Mexico. The trend toward getting dental and medical treatment out of the country is growing at about 20% annually. If you haven’t seen the Forbes travel article on medical and dental tourism that features our company, here is the link for that article, click here. And as always, Beyond Borders Dental supports and advises you with every step of your process.

We hope this helps you with your decision as to where to get your treatment. Each of our carefully selected and approved offices will provide excellent dental treatment, so weigh the advantages of each destination and let us know how we can help.

If you have questions or would like a no-obligation, complimentary dental treatment estimate for your case, click this link to send us your inquiry, and we’ll get back to you.