Scary Mexican Dentist Stories - Don't Let Your Dental Vacation Become a Horror Show

Call it a Mexican Dental Vacation, Dental Travel or Dental Holiday.. Whatever you call it...  

If not planned properly - dental tourism can be your worst nightmare come true.  

By David de Los Angeles

Here's how to avoid starring in your own dental vacation horror story:

 1.  Always get estimates from board certified dentists who are accredited for your procedures. Board certified dentists in most developing countries cost the same as less trained general dentists. And many general dentists would love to learn advanced dentistry at your expense. Board Certified Dentists Internationale' Association will get 1-3 estimates for you without any additional cost or obligation.

2.  Choose dentists who speak your language.  So you won't need to know how to say “Take it easy doc!”  in  Spanish, Thai or Mandarin. Most foreign board certified dentists speak English fairly well as they often use English language textbooks and  many do graduate study in the US & UK.

3.  Avoid commercial dental broker agencies like WhatEva Dentist, Tooth Fairy-a-GoGo, DentureAdvetures etc. who list any dentists who pay their fees and who cannot possibly vet the 1,000’s of dentists they feature. Properly vetting each dentist can often take weeks contacting and recontacting local authorities and colleges. Best go direct to the specialist associations to avoid the non-certified dentists who make up the majority of the listings on those sites. The specialist associations do a good job keeping the riff-raff off their rosters. And by going direct you avoid the agency fees. 

DENTAL IMPLANTS IN MEXICO, Prices, Cosmetic Dentistry, Oral Restoration - Board Certified Mexico Dentist Assn.

How to Find The Best Dental Implants, Cosmetic Dentistry, Oral Restoration & Cosmetic Dentistry in Mexico 

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.