By the Board Certified Mexico Dentist Association
Before you jump on a plane to see a dentist in Mexico (or drive across the border) there's some important things to know about dentistry in Mexico and other developing nations.
Dental tourists from developed countries need to be aware that things are not always the same as back home when considering treatments by a dentist in Mexico or elsewhere offshore. General dentists with only basic dental education are permitted in many developing countries to attempt advanced dental procedures without proper training or credentialing.
This is the most problematic of all the issue regarding dental tourism. This practice is a clear violation of consumer protection laws in most developed countries - but legal in many (including Mexico) developing nations.
In many developing nations (Mexico included), a general dentist may call him or herself a specialist in implants or endodontics without having graduated from a dental specialist college. To be Board Certified, they have to pass another battery of tests after specialist college graduation. When you select a board certified dentist - you know that you are getting a dentist who has been properly trained to do your work.
Many foreign patients have unwittingly spent 1,000's of dollars on implants and makeovers by a general dentist only to have the work redone at a later date due to infections, misalignment and other problems.
Bottom line: Unless the dentist you select abroad is board certified for the procedures you need, you don't know what you will kind of work you will end up with. And to have the work redone is costly, often very difficult and not painless.
