My adventures in medical tourism continue! After enjoying my experiences with a dentist in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Mérida, México I expanded my repertoire to another part of México: Puerto Vallarta!
If you’re curious about those previous experiences, reviews of those are below, but the TL;DR is that I’m having way better medical experiences abroad than I did in the US and the cherry on top is that they’re way less expensive while being the same caliber of care if not better.
- Medical Tourism: A $22 Dental Exam & Cleaning in Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Medical Tourism: A $32 Dental Cleaning in Mérida, México
The Research
The first part of any medical adventure inside or outside the US is research! I always want to make sure that I’m going to a reputable place where others have had good experiences. That is actually one of the reasons I write these exact reviews and reviews in general.
Previously, I was able to find my global dentists through a reader recommendation (Mérida) and the US embassy website medical recommendations (Buenos Aires). However this time when I explored those routes, I wasn’t able to find anything.
So I turned to patient reviews, which led me to this site on What Clinic. It listed prices and an abundance of positive reviews for this dentist in Puerto Vallarta. So I dug a little deeper and confirmed that they were raved about all over the internet.
I also discovered through these reviews that they often speak English, which was a bonus for me. I speak Spanish, but I have trouble with medical terms since they can get complicated, as I discovered during my dentist adventure in Argentina. So I’d found a possible dentist! Next up was seeing if I could get an appointment, which I knew could be challenging given the long wait times in the US.
The Booking
I was originally planning to email them with an email address I found on their Facebook page, but when I was doing my last bit of research looking over their website, a Live Chat option popped up asking if it could help me. I thought it would be a bot, but decided to see what they could do.
The chat had started in English so I continued that way and was surprised to realize that I was talking to a real person. They asked for my contact info and appointment date/time preferences and then said they would email or text me to confirm an appointment soon. This was on a Sunday.
The next day (Monday), I was sent a WhatsApp message in English (I had mentioned that I preferred that method of text communication) as well as an email saying that a dentist is available any day and that a cleaning is 700 pesos ($38.78 USD at the time of my appointment).
I responded to the WhatsApp and said “How about tomorrow?” and they wrote back immediately with 3 available times the next day that were free. I chose one that worked best with my busy pool and beach schedule 😉 and then asked if they take credit cards or only cash. They said that they accept credit cards, but charge 5% more ($2 USD in this case). All good to know and at that moment I was booked less than 24 hours after starting this interaction. Sweet!
Check In
I arrived a few minutes before my appointment. On their website and Facebook page it mentions that their street is under construction with a very clear and helpful map showing how to get there by car through alternate routes.
DentalEstetic
Benemérito de las Américas 168-B
Col. Valentin Gómez Farías
Phone Number: +5213224038986
https://dentalestetic.dentist/
I walked over on foot and there was wire in front of the door like they were about to pour concrete, so I gestured to the construction worker asking if I could walk on the wire to get to the building and he said it was fine. So I walked over the wire and went to open the door when an employee opened it for me. So kind 🙂 .
They might have thought I was going to pull the door when it said push in Spanish, but I’ll never forget the word for push (empuje) after watching Jurassic Park in Spanish so they didn’t have to worry about that 😉 .
Anyway, I’m getting off topic. After I got inside the building, the receptionist introduced herself as Erika, the woman I had been texting with. We spoke in Spanish until I said my name and she switched to English (I guess my language preference was listed on my appointment).
She then handed me a form to fill out in English and asked if I wanted water, which I obviously said yes to. It was a hot day 🙂 . I filled out my form easily, gave it back to her and then was told to sit and that the dentist would be with me shortly. Then I was called in right at my appointment time. Perfect 🙂 .
Exam & Cleaning
My cleaning was done by the dentist (Dra. Adriana Rios Aguirre) instead of a hygienist. She also examined my teeth. She spoke a little English and said things in English and Spanish after asking if I spoke Spanish.
However, the dentist did have an assistant there the whole time to hold the water suction device while the dentist cleaned my teeth. I was given goggles, which has happened before, but this one had smudges on it, which was a first for me. I assumed this wasn’t a cleanliness issue though because everything was very clean in the building and the dentist and assistant were wearing masks.
Anyway, soon the cleaning was underway and I flinched one time while she was going at it. This was understandable though because I hadn’t had a cleaning since Argentina a year ago unfortunately.
I try to go every 6 months, but a series of unfortunate events meant that my dentist canceled in Seattle the day before I was leaving the city…possibly forever, so it didn’t happen. The only bad dental experience I’ve had in retirement happened within my own country – interesting 🙂 .
Anyway, after I flinched a little, the dentist stopped and asked if I was in pain. I said a little (un poco). It was a normal amount in my eyes, but after I said that, she was more gentle, but still made sure those bad boys were clean. Very nice.
Everything proceeded like all the other dozens of cleanings I’ve had in my life until the end when instead of buffing my teeth with a paste like I’ve seen before, she used a water/air device, which I’d never seen before. It felt a little ticklish, but I enjoyed the new experience. And then I was done!
Check Out
I went back to the receptionist and the dentist talked to her about my exam. She then translated the medical lingo for me and the gist was that I was all good to go! During this entire appointment, I was only tripped up once and hilariously it was while speaking English.
The receptionist asked if I had teeth “feelings” and I thought she meant pain during the cleaning, but she was actually saying “fillings” – Oops 🙂 . I guess we should have been speaking in Spanish 😉 (I’m totally joking – I have no idea what fillings are in Spanish).
Anyway, after we sorted that out, she reminded me of the price of the exam and cleaning (700 pesos as previously quoted). I handed her cash and she went to get change. Seconds later she gave me my change and a receipt and then asked if I wanted to schedule another appt in 6 months. I told her that sadly I wouldn’t still be here, but that I’d definitely come back when I’m in the area again.
And then I walked out the door, 35 minutes after my appointment time. Fantastic 🙂 .
Conclusion
I walked away from my first dental experience in Puerto Vallarta a happy customer. My teeth were wonderfully clean, the service was wonderful and despite not getting the fully English speaking dentist I was expecting, the staff was efficient and accommodating to make sure I knew everything that was going on. In essence, I had a fantastic experience and I will be returning when I’m back in PV.
Have you ever used dental care outside your home country?
Just went to visit my parents who live in central Mexico and my brother and I both scheduled dental cleanings while we were there. It’s so much better than my dentist in the states.
I’m so glad you had a great experience!
I saw a video on TikTok about a woman who flew to Turkey for dental work. Even with the cost of the flight and hotel, it was less than she would have paid in the U.S., for treatment of the same or better quality. Plus she turned the trip into a mini-vacation.
I’d definitely consider it if I need anything expensive done. The U.S. health care industry is such a ripoff.
The only thing that gives me pause is that I wouldn’t want to get medical care in a country where I didn’t speak the language. It must make things go a lot smoother that you know Spanish, even without knowing all the technical terms.
Yeah the price differences and how much better the care can be in another country is wild. I love making a vacation out of getting medical care 🙂 .
As for language, knowing Spanish obviously makes it easier, but places that specialize in expat care in my experience always have someone who is fluent in English. I got my teeth done in México last year before I started learning Spanish and had no problem communicating with the staff.
Have you considered getting x-rays in your appointments? I know typically with my dental insurance I get 1 set of x-rays every year.
I don’t currently need more x-rays since I had them done recently, but I could get them done at any of these dentists if needed. I just looked around and it seems like x-rays cost $0-$9 USD here without insurance. At the dentist I visited in Mérida I just emailed them my latest x-rays so they had all my latest info.
$38 without insurance? Ugh lol. I pay double that on my appointments with insurance! Just another thing to look forward to in the future. Really appreciate the breakdown you give of the process too, it’s much easier than I expected!
Yep 🙂 . I’m happy the breakdown was helpful – I’ve found a lot of these new experiences to be easier than I thought they would be.
Ohhh dentist appointment, my favorite types of post! 😄 (PS: Hello from The Netherlands!)
Haha I’m glad I’m giving you the types of posts you want 😉 . And HI!!! I’m going to be there next fall and we need to hang out again! I hope you’re settling in well.
Yes absolutely! It will be so much fun. 😄