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View Full Version : Visit to dentist in Mexico went well!



Packratona!
11-24-16, 10:26pm
Back from trip to Merida, Yucatan for dental work. It went very well, better than I expected.The rundown on costs:

$350 for dental work, this included first visit and consultation, one crown, cleaning, and panoramic x-rays. It took two visits. The estimate for what I needed from my dentist back home was over $5,500. However, the dentist in Merida said I did not need 3 crowns, just one, as the other ones were in good shape. Also did not need to root planing cleaning, he said, as there was only mild dental disease. I had two ladies work on my teeth, after his consult. All the work was excellent, they were very gentle and thorough. I got a gold on the inside, porcelain on the outside crown.

Hotel was $35 a night including hot buffet breakfast.

Food out at restaurants was typically anywhere from under $1 (delicious tamales at the local market) to $10 per person. Once you find out where the good restaurants are, you can eat for around $4 per person.

Taxis were generally $2.50 to $4 depending on where you went and were picked up.

Local city buses were 7 pesos, so maybe 35 cents U.S. at most. We took those when we did not have a lot of luggage to carry or were lazy. Mostly we walked everywhere.

Fruit drinks, bottled water, pop etc. were from 50 cents to a dollar or slightly more in the higher end restaurants.

First class bus from Cancun to Merida was $30 each way. You can just fly into Merida and skip the bus ride, but I used Southwest which flies in to Cancun, and only paid around $50 for taxes and fees, because I have the Southwest Credit card so earn points to pay for the ticket.

Tips for services were anywhere from 10-40 pesos depending on what they did. That is 50 cents to $2.

For entertainment, we took a couple tours to fantastic ruins, and underground river inside caves. They cost about $25 for the basic tour, plus some inexpensive entrance fees and tips.

Also there was a lot of free music and folkloric dancing in town several evenings each week in the plazas, free. Went to one symphony concert that was $7.50 and was fantastic.

Tons of ancient buildings (like back to year 1540), churches, mansions, etc. which can be toured. Some free, some with small entrance fee.

I highly recommend visiting this city for dental care. Very nice people, safest city in Mexico and lots of interesting things to do, at a bargain price! Medical and dental care is excellent.

Let me know if you have an questions! I plan to go back, I fell in love with the city.

sweetana3
11-25-16, 5:50am
Excellent information. How long were you there for the crowns to be made? (We really liked Mexico when we went this year.)

Packratona!
11-25-16, 10:44am
Excellent information. How long were you there for the crowns to be made? (We really liked Mexico when we went this year.)
I went to the dentist on a Tuesday, then went in on the following Tuesday to get the crown put in that had been ordered the previous week. You should allow for a full work week for the two days of appointments, plus a couple extra days for travel to get there and go home. Merida is the best city in Mexico! We went for two week to allow time for tours, day trips, entertainment near our hotel, and lots of shopping. That was the perfect amount of time for us. I have the dentist info. if anyone would like it, just pm me.

Selah
11-25-16, 7:26pm
I have pm'd you! Thanks so much for sharing this incredibly valuable information. Such a trip could also save me thousands of dollars on my dental work. I'm so glad it went so well for you.

19Sandy
11-25-16, 8:22pm
Some of these low costs of living is why many Americans are retiring to Mexico. Not to mention no snow or ice.

Packratona!
11-26-16, 2:22pm
No snow or ice but I would not want to live there during the hot months from April to October. That only leave five months from November to March when it is bearable.

Gardenarian
11-28-16, 12:28am
Thank you! I'm seriously considering doing this.

I would need more work (at least 6 crowns replaced.) Do you think I would need two weeks for that?

Dou you speak Spanish?

Thanks again for this great report back!

Packratona!
11-28-16, 7:33am
You are welcome!

I sent you a pm with lots of info; I can guide you through this, I highly recommend! I can't wait to go back again!


Thank you! I'm seriously considering doing this.

I would need more work (at least 6 crowns replaced.) Do you think I would need two weeks for that?

Dou you speak Spanish?


Thanks again for this great report back!

Packratona!
11-28-16, 12:55pm
Typed up my budget for the trip, in case anyone is interested, for a two week trip:
Total for basic trip expenses was $746.28, plus the cost of the dentist

$56.83, Round trip airfare taxes and fees, after paying with points from my Southwest credit card
59.90 Round trip luxury bus trip, Cancun to Merida
236.47 for 13 nights in hotel with buffet breakfast, ($35 a night split with relative who went with me)
53.08 traveler's insurance (optional)
140.00 for meals and drinks, @$10 a day; would be more if you eat a lot, buy at the most expensive restaurants or don't fill up on the included hotel breakfast)
100. taxis, local buses
100. misc. tips for taxi, bus porters, room delivery, hotel maid, etc. etc.

What I spent over and above, was for souvenirs, ( bought a lot) extra day tours (about $35 each including tips and extra admission costs), and a symphony orquestra ($7.50)

Float On
11-28-16, 1:42pm
Printing out this thread and filing it. Very useful info. Especially the bus between the cities. I know we usually have a good rate to Cancun from a local airport.
How far in advance did you book your dental appointment? Would love to have your info on dentist, hotel, etc.
Maybe you could plan a future group trip and guide us all around!

razz
11-28-16, 2:06pm
Printing out this thread and filing it. Very useful info. Especially the bus between the cities. I know we usually have a good rate to Cancun from a local airport.
How far in advance did you book your dental appointment? Would love to have your info on dentist, hotel, etc.
Maybe you could plan a future group trip and guide us all around!
Count me in to this group tour to Mexico. :D The C$ is struggling with travel to the US these days

Packratona!
11-28-16, 6:19pm
That would be fun! I would want to plan for 2017 I think, in early December, since I just got back. I could just meet everyone at airport either in Cancun or Merida! Get your passports up to date everyone! I booked my dentist, flight and hotel 5 weeks in advance so as to get cheap airfare, hotel and to give dentist enough time to schedule me in. But I researched for a few weeks before that, so I knew where I wanted to get a hotel (Centro area!), the dentist that I wanted, and how I wanted to get there (through Cancun, to make it a bit cheaper as I can use Southwest airlines credit card points and then I just take the luxury bus over). I also researched ahead of time what day tours I wanted to go on, and what free activities I wanted to do while in the city. I did research the restaurants also, but it worked out better to just speak to locals after I got there, which ones were good and cheap. Merida is a more traditional, much safer city than Cancun. It is not so Americanized as is the Cancun area. It is also less expensive. Quite a number of the people are Mayan descent, so speak a Mayan dialect as a native language. I have tentative plans to visit Chiapas next time; Spanish not very useful there as it is not much used in the villages up in the mountains.
I would advise those going for first time, who are not familiar with travel to Mexico, to fly into the airport in Merida rather than Cancun. Because the whole bus thing could be nerve-racking if you don't speak Spanish and/or are not experienced with traveling in Mexico. Then just get a taxi to your hotel.