What My Mexican Dental Work Revealed About Dubious Dentistry In The United States
In April 2015, I guided a group of travelers through Oaxaca city and state.
Since 2000 I have done business in Oaxaca and over time learned I could get Mexican dental service at steeply discounted rates.
Last Spring, I flew to Oaxaca ten days before my group arrived to "catch
up" on backlogged dental work which my top-tier Chapel Hill
dentist said would cost between $3000.00 and $4000.00 dollars.
After spending six hours in Dr. Luis' chair (over the course of five separate appointments), I was trepidatious over the final bill.
But when I sat down with Luis to settle the account, I was shocked - and delighted - that the bottom line was $124.75 (U.S.).
No typo.
What's going on here?
A little background...
It is not well known that American dentists comprise one of the nation's most conservative political constituencies.
Not long ago, dentists and physicians were the backbone of The John Birch Society. an organization that,until the 1980s, was America's standard bearer for ultra-conservatism. (In Dr. Strangelove, the John Birch Society is parodied in the person of fluoride-fearing Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper.)
In recent years, American physicians - increasingly aware that pay-as-you-go-healthcare is America's Death Panel par excellence -- have migrated "to the left" in an increasingly concerted effort to provide universal healthcare (and evidence-based medicine) under government supervision.
Even so, the chief reason for choosing a career in medicine has long been "financial security" although changes in American medical practice are undermining this motivator.
The cornerstone cleavage now separating medicine from dentistry is that most Americans use medical insurance to pay for care, whereas relatively few Americans enjoy the luxury of dental insurance.
Consequently, most physicians are guaranteed payment by a vast clientele that pays little out-of-pocket whereas most Americans must pay dentists "cash on the barrelhead" even though few have the wherewithal to do so.
The result is that many Americans - perhaps most - "put up" with poor dental health and when "push comes to shove" they often resort to tooth extraction.
The Final Solution.
Here's the nub.
American dentists realize that most of their patients are insured although their overall pool of patients is much smaller than the corresponding pool of American medical patients.
Consequently -- and whether consciously or unconsciously -- dentists recommend unnecessary but very expensive procedures.
Crowns come to mind immediately.
Crowns are represented as a "final solution" when in fact they often break down in "hidden" ways and are then even more expensive to "fix" than the cost of the original crown.
Since the population of the United States is aging -- and losing one's teeth induces more fear than losing bits of one's invisible innards -- dentists, whether consciously or unconsciously, know they can capitalize on fear by telling patients that a crown is necessary to "save the tooth."
When my Chapel Hill dentist told me I needed 3 or 4 crowns - and that the cost would run between $3000 and $4000 - I immediately contacted my cirujano-dentista in Oaxaca to schedule a week's worth of work during my upcoming business trip to Mexico.
Settling into Dr. Luis' treatment-chair, he poked around for several minutes and then, before taking a full set of x-rays and while pointing out my problem teeth on a human jawbone, said that three of my most "challenged" teeth could be nicely repaired with new fillings, and that we would test a two-day temporary filling with the fourth to see if it too might be saved with an "empaste."
In the end, Dr. Luis repaired all four teeth with new fillings and now, seven months letter, I experience none of my former pain or discomfort and have reason to believe these repaired teeth will be in my jaw when they bury my bones 15 to 20 years hence.
Primero Dios...
If my surmise is accurate, American dentists participate in a normalized scam that milks (bilks?) dubious profit from their limited pool of insured patients, a disproportionate number of whom are older people fearful of losing their teeth.
By "recommending" needlessly expensive dental work than their older patients actually need, American dentists compensate for the decisive majority of Americans who delay dental work until, finally, they resort to relatively inexpensive extraction as an alternative to "breaking the bank."
In the interest of full disclosure, I will mention my discovery that as human beings age the central nerve in each tooth recedes so that, incredible as it seems, novocaine (or analagous anesthesia) is not necessary. During six hours of treatment by Dr. Luis I used neither analgesia nor anesthetic and experienced a total of 2-3 minutes of actual pain, all of it quite bearable.
A little background...
It is not well known that American dentists comprise one of the nation's most conservative political constituencies.
Not long ago, dentists and physicians were the backbone of The John Birch Society. an organization that,until the 1980s, was America's standard bearer for ultra-conservatism. (In Dr. Strangelove, the John Birch Society is parodied in the person of fluoride-fearing Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper.)
In recent years, American physicians - increasingly aware that pay-as-you-go-healthcare is America's Death Panel par excellence -- have migrated "to the left" in an increasingly concerted effort to provide universal healthcare (and evidence-based medicine) under government supervision.
Even so, the chief reason for choosing a career in medicine has long been "financial security" although changes in American medical practice are undermining this motivator.
The cornerstone cleavage now separating medicine from dentistry is that most Americans use medical insurance to pay for care, whereas relatively few Americans enjoy the luxury of dental insurance.
Consequently, most physicians are guaranteed payment by a vast clientele that pays little out-of-pocket whereas most Americans must pay dentists "cash on the barrelhead" even though few have the wherewithal to do so.
The result is that many Americans - perhaps most - "put up" with poor dental health and when "push comes to shove" they often resort to tooth extraction.
The Final Solution.
Here's the nub.
American dentists realize that most of their patients are insured although their overall pool of patients is much smaller than the corresponding pool of American medical patients.
Consequently -- and whether consciously or unconsciously -- dentists recommend unnecessary but very expensive procedures.
Crowns come to mind immediately.
Crowns are represented as a "final solution" when in fact they often break down in "hidden" ways and are then even more expensive to "fix" than the cost of the original crown.
Since the population of the United States is aging -- and losing one's teeth induces more fear than losing bits of one's invisible innards -- dentists, whether consciously or unconsciously, know they can capitalize on fear by telling patients that a crown is necessary to "save the tooth."
When my Chapel Hill dentist told me I needed 3 or 4 crowns - and that the cost would run between $3000 and $4000 - I immediately contacted my cirujano-dentista in Oaxaca to schedule a week's worth of work during my upcoming business trip to Mexico.
Settling into Dr. Luis' treatment-chair, he poked around for several minutes and then, before taking a full set of x-rays and while pointing out my problem teeth on a human jawbone, said that three of my most "challenged" teeth could be nicely repaired with new fillings, and that we would test a two-day temporary filling with the fourth to see if it too might be saved with an "empaste."
In the end, Dr. Luis repaired all four teeth with new fillings and now, seven months letter, I experience none of my former pain or discomfort and have reason to believe these repaired teeth will be in my jaw when they bury my bones 15 to 20 years hence.
Primero Dios...
If my surmise is accurate, American dentists participate in a normalized scam that milks (bilks?) dubious profit from their limited pool of insured patients, a disproportionate number of whom are older people fearful of losing their teeth.
By "recommending" needlessly expensive dental work than their older patients actually need, American dentists compensate for the decisive majority of Americans who delay dental work until, finally, they resort to relatively inexpensive extraction as an alternative to "breaking the bank."
***
In the interest of full disclosure, I will mention my discovery that as human beings age the central nerve in each tooth recedes so that, incredible as it seems, novocaine (or analagous anesthesia) is not necessary. During six hours of treatment by Dr. Luis I used neither analgesia nor anesthetic and experienced a total of 2-3 minutes of actual pain, all of it quite bearable.
***
I can arrange "dental tourism" for interested parties although you must know in advance that I am neither a dentist nor do I have any credential that certifies me to supply dental advice that is consistent with standard dental practice in the United States.
In addition to making arrangements with Dr. Luis, I can arrange comfy home-stay accommodation in the northwest corner of Oaxaca's extraordinary Historic District less than half a mile from Dr. Luis' office.
In addition to making arrangements with Dr. Luis, I can arrange comfy home-stay accommodation in the northwest corner of Oaxaca's extraordinary Historic District less than half a mile from Dr. Luis' office.
The cost of accommodation - including full breakfast and freshly squeezed juice - is $35.00 a day.
My service as intermediary costs $300.00 U.S.
The following webpage was created to supplement my educational travel business in Oaxaca and the Yucatan. It will provide useful insight to life in Oaxaca.
Oaxaca Adventure
Sample Itinerary
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2015/04/pax-on-both-houses-to-limit-new-posts.html
Alan Archibald
alanarchibaldo@gmail.com
Alan Archibald
alanarchibaldo@gmail.com
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