When I open my eyes, two pretty, brown eyes peer into my mouth through magnifiers. Dr. Carol is removing a half porcelain, half-metal crown that has lost its seal. She is going to replace it with a full porcelain crown for $380. Contemporary music plays. All pictures and x-ray images are on the computer, which is placed in front of us for easy viewing. Everything they see, I see at the same time.

My US based dentist, hereafter known as Dr. S, had quoted me the special price of $1,125 to repair this same crown.

International Living Magazine encouraged me to think about options to my US based dentist. We were taking a trip to Tulum and Cozumel so I did a search for dentists in Cancun. Ocean Dental Cancun  rose to the top of the list with 67 five star ratings. I read the reviews and was satisfied.

Benny was my contact at the clinic. He answered all my questions and set up the appointment. He offered to have me picked at the airport or my hotel. Reminders arrived every two weeks then the day before our trip. I responded to each one that I was looking forward to the appointment. Chris picked me up from the Holiday Inn Express Cancun in a big BMW and took me to the clinic. Chris has full orthodontia and her teeth look great.

Dr. S told me there was another tooth that needed a crown but Dr. Carol couldn’t figure out which one it was. She took a couple x-rays of the area but nothing showed up. She called in Dr. Irma Gavaldon, the owner of Ocean Dental Cancun for a consultation. Dr Irma, who is on the faculty of the University of Michigan dental school, agreed that no other teeth needed a crown.

Instead of x-rays of the rest of my mouth, Dr. Carol and Dr. Alex took digital pictures using a mirror to photograph the upper regions.

I had several front teeth that were transparent at the edges due to grinding and, since the second crown wasn’t necessary, I asked for her to make them stronger. Dr. S had quoted me $180 per tooth to do this. Ocean Dental charged $60 per tooth. Both consider this procedure a filling. Dr. Carol did a beautiful job! The color is right and the teeth look strong and straight. I’m the most pleased with this result.

The deep cleaning, along with the usual scraping of plac, included treatment that felt like a water pick on steroids with a little fiber thrown in.

I returned to Ocean Dental after our week in Tulum, to have my permanent crown glued in. I have had no trouble with it. My new mouth guard fits perfectly and the old whitening tray I had been using has been discarded.

Why go to Cancun for dental care? The difference in cost is $2,570.

The issue of safety in Mexico needs to be addressed. The powers in charge of the Yucatan Peninsula know where their wealth comes from; it comes from the millions of tourists who flock to the beaches and resorts each year.

The new government of Mexico requires police to be educated and have a degree in psychology. Police are also paid enough that they aren’t tempted by bribes…and they are everywhere. They are positioned every 100km on main roads and crossroads. There is no way a “bad guy” can go cross-country to evade the law in state of Quintana Roo. There is too much jungle for that.

Also, I’ve been told that the cartels are compensated for staying out.

At no time did I feel afraid. Owen and I don’t act like fools and didn’t go looking for trouble in bad neighborhoods.

I recommend Ocean Dental Cancun for three reasons:

1. Quality of treatment and care
2. Cost savings
3. Location

I’m going to the review site and add my five star rating to the reviews. Their contact information is in the image in this post. Please tell them I sent you. Full disclosure: I will get no compensation from the referral.

If you have any questions I haven’t addressed, please leave a comment.

Ocean Dental Card