Save Hundreds or Thousands of Dollars By Having Dental Work Done In Tijuana
By Andy Lee
I have a very good dental plan, but it doesn’t cover gums, molar crowns, some root canals, bridges, etc. I recently cracked the porcelain of a 15-year old crown and it wasn’t covered under my dental insurance. I called a few San Diego dental offices and was quoted between $1,100 – $1,500 for a porcelain over metal crown.
I went online to look at dentist reviews, and found a dentist in Tijuana, Shirley Baker, D.D.S. She was advertising permanent porcelain crowns for $320. Her English-speaking receptionist convinced me that I should give it a try. The next morning I drove to the border, parked my car on the U.S. side, and walked across. It’s a bit of a walk and you should bring a friend. The dental office had a yellow taxi waiting for me (no charge). The driver spoke perfect English and in 5 minutes we arrived at the office. There was a coffee shop on the first floor lobby. The elevator attendant opened the elevator door for me. The elevator door opened, and across the hall, Dr. Baker’s office looked just as nice as any dental office in the U.S., and better than most, with all the latest equipment.
I filled out a detailed dental history form. There was a woman sitting next to me and told me her husband was getting a root canal and that they have been coming here for six years. They too live in San Diego. Dr. Baker and everyone there spoke perfect English and were very professional. After an X-ray the doctor and hygienist went to work. They gave me headphones to listen to music. After removing the cracked crown she took another X-ray because she found a large cavity below the gum line under the old crown. She proceeded to remove the decay, filled the cavity, took an impression for a new crown, and gave me a temporary crown. I returned in 10 days for the permanent crown, and it looks more natural than my other two crowns. Total cost was $320 plus $50 for the filling. I saved over $1,000. A taxi drove me back to the border (no charge). I saved over $1,000 and the experience was great. Tijuana Clinic for Cosmetic Dentistry – Dr. Shirley Baker (619) 270-2165.
