Changes

One deterioration you may need to attend to is teeth. Even if you had excellent teeth your entire life, changes can occur. Your once rock-hard teeth may start to crumble or crack. Or, your gums may become swollen or bleed from gingivitis that can loosen your teeth. 

As a former dental hygienist, I had perfect teeth and then I turned 55. At first, one old, huge, silver filling fell out of a molar, leaving behind a half of a tooth: that is crown number 1 ($1200). Since that year, crowns, root canals, cavities, extractions along with a myriad of other complications have long begged for attention. Dentistry was at the top of my Dread List.

Dental tourism

Dental Tourism is following right behind Medical Tourism that has garnished a lot of attention lately. Since dentistry is still considered an adjunct to medicine and not all that important, few people have comprehensive dental insurance. And the cost can be prohibitive. But, savvy people are looking outside of our borders and comparing prices and dentists.

Options

With a bit of research, I contacted Servando Acuna, President of the Cancun Medical Travel Association, and requested some assistance. Mr. Acuna is serving as president of the newly formed Dental Association and invited me to visit some of the clinics.

Dentaris

Located only five minutes from the beach, entaris is committed to exceeding each patient's expectations. 

The staff genuinely gets real satisfaction when a patient is thrilled at the sight of his/her new smile. In the waiting room is a giant painting of Michelangelo's Creation of Adam bathed in a golden light. Upstairs are the separate operatories and work areas with the specialists and dentists.

Cancun Cosmetic Dentistry 

is located in a shopping mall where the interior resembles a brick townhouse in New York City. This clinic treats an average of 60 American patients a month. Catering to American tourists for ten years, they feel very comfortable knowing what the American public expects and wants and will accommodate each patient.

Zoetry

The dental clinic at Zoetry is an extension of the spa experience. Designed to appear as an operating room by mimicking the look of operating room lights. Each deep gold panel is the entry to an operatory for different treatments.

Details

The structure is quite different than an American clinic. 

First they have no dental hygienists. 

A clinic is composed of dental assistants, dentists and specialists. 

The dentists (who graduate dental school) do the job of hygienists as well as general dentistry. Clinics are open by appointment for the patient's convenience, until late at night. 

So, you could schedule your appointment from 7:00PM until 11:00PM and finish the prep work in one sitting. Usually whatever procedure you are doing is completed within a week. Another plus I discovered is, that x-rays, panoramic images and other extras that you are usually charged for in the U.S., are free.

Overall, I found the clinics to be hygienic with state-of-the- art equipment and highly trained dentists.

According to the Medical Tourism Association, almost 3 million American and Canadian patients travel to get dental treatments abroad. Dental Tourism is becoming a need due to the elevated costs of most dental treatments in the United

The States and Canada

Each clinic has its unique interior design and a theme that distinguishes its personality instead of every dental office being identically utilitarian as are most U.S. clinics.

Besides costing 70% less; procedures take a few days instead of weeks; work is usually guaranteed; the best reason to fly to Cancun for your dental work is you can loll on the beach until your next appointment. The Association of Medical Tourism is working together with hotels to offer special packages for Dental Tourism that will be available soon.

In the meantime, I discovered a new boutique hotel at the far end of the hotel zone called Le Blanc Spa Resort. Just as the name implies, it is a totally white chic luxury resort for adults only. Greeted with sleek designs accented in dark wood and cream-colored marble, opulence and sophistication soothed my sensibilities.

Award winning Executive Chef Antonio (who looks exactly like Antonio Banderas, with the accent) oversees five international restaurants speeding from one to the other greeting guests. 

Gourmet food is served in each restaurant with fresh ingredients to please Asian, Italian, French-fusion and Mediterranean palates. My favorite is the Blanc Italia for an elegant dinner beginning with an enormous wheel of cheddar cheese rolled to the table and grated onto whatever you like.

There is casual dining on the terrace, at the pools and on the beach and since they are all-inclusive, it feels free, no money exchange—just wear your resort bracelet.

I slowly morph into a sloth. Everything is done for me or brought to me before I even knew I wanted it. 

A super sleepy lounge chair is brought to the beach for me along with a sturdy umbrella stuck snugly in the sand, while I drift off to sleep for hours until I was awoken by the clatter of a bucket placed next to me with a bottle of ice-cold water in it. Just what I needed.

Only a spa treatment is left on the agenda before I leave Cancun and it is deliciously Swedish. What a wonderful way to have dental work done. It's a win-win situation: soak in the sunshine between appointments; treatments are completed in half the time; save 70%; and enjoy a vacation. Now, I look forward to visiting the dentist.

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