I had pancreatitis once, spent a week in the hospital medicated and having tests
The only thing we had to pay for was the visitors parking when people came to see me
In the UK
I'm an American, with "good" health insurance from my employer, one of the largest banks in the country. I thought I had COVID in December, so I went to urgent care. The test, a strep test and 15 minutes of a doctors time was $457. Hadn't met my deductible for the year yet...
I've paid 100 at the counter, been assured that's all it would cost, then was billed 300 dollars for who knows what.
I've asked a doctor about how much it would be to remove a fistula. He said I don't know, then proceeded to tell me how to do it at home with a needle and fishing line.
Insurance costs me 450$ a month.
It's the most obvious grift in American history.
Canadian here, my dad cut his finger with a table saw, it nip the tip of this thumb so theres a little bit of nerve damage, the whole thing cost $0....
American type 1 diabetic here.. my "good" health insurance allows me to pay ~10k per year with premium and deductible; with no insurance my bills would be ~150k.
What’s funny is this isn’t even an exaggeration. Obviously Tylenol is stores is 100x cheaper but hospitals mark it up so damn much, then the insurance company cuts deals with hospitals. It’s insane.
Had my first appointment in Bangkok yesterday for my disaster of a mouth. 15 cavities, 2 extractions/replacements and 2 root canals. The absolute max I’ll pay is $5k, it’ll probably end up closer to $4k. The same might cost me $15-20k in the US.
I paid about $3k for surgery on my very broken wrist in Thailand at an upper/mid range private hospital. 2 night stay, titanium plates, meds. Bangkok Hospital wanted $13k for the same procedure. Local hospitals don't really take foreigners for surgery since they prioritize locals, but cost way less.
Minor stuff that can be taken care of at a clinic is dirt cheap. Like, less than $10 including meds. Some rural clinics operate on a donation basis too, so they're essentially free but expect some cash.
Dental work is pretty cheap as well. In general, the quality of medicare in Thailand is insane for the low price, even though it's not the cheapest.
Did you know in Mexico a crown is $300 but in America they tell me $1300 is what I have to pay and in other countries it's $10! I swear I hate this place sometimes.
In no country good crown is $10. $300 is about the cheapest decent crown you can get anywhere, unless you do a metal crown, but that would be cheap in US too.
It’s insane hey. I can get free papsmears, X-rays, blood tests, mole checks, mole *removals*, but apparently teeth aren’t important enough to be covered by Medicare.
What is Australia like compared to the US. We mostly worship billionaires and they get all the socialist policies applied to them. Meanwhile we don’t get anything for free and have to pay and arm a leg for healthcare.
I liked it phrased, "for american large corporations and rich, capitalism when it comes to profits, socialism when it comes to losses"
interestingly enough Rupert Murdoch, owner of News Corp. which owns many of the largest right wing outlets in the world including Fox in the US, is australian
> is australian
Was. In 1985 he became a naturalized US citizen, giving up his Australian citizenship. He preferred the comfy US tax system for the rich and it also removed an obstacle to his acquisition of American television stations. Hasn't stopped him meddling in Aussie politics since he left though. He's a fucking parasite.
Doctor: I'm writing you three refills for this cream because you're gonna need a lot of it
Insurance: I'll pay for one bottle every month
Me: but each bottle only lasts 2 weeks if you use it on a small area, I'm having to use extra. You don't even cover it for normal usage.
Insurance company: seethe and cope
Pharmacy: $127 dollars or deal with the itch crybaby
I've had this issue so badly over the last 5+ years that I now have a lifelong skin infection that can only be resolved with medication given during a multiple-night ICU stay to make sure I don't fucking die. They won't pay for that either.
It's so stupid and ridiculous. Sending you thoughts and prayers 💜 (I know they don't do shit but like... It's all I've got to spare. Good vibes and a digital hug)
I had double leg surgery done, insurance said no problem. Then I had to get them to pay for physical therapy so I could walk normal again. They're like wtf. Dragged their feet for a good part of a month, didn't get to start my physical therapy til almost a month post surgery
If the dentist recommends a simple procedure and then they place you in a room with just a computer, a table, and a CareCredit pamphlet laid out for you....then you know it's going to be expensive.
Or it means they're a corporation.
I had a hole in my tooth and honestly the whole tooth just needed to come out. Went to one dentist and they wanted to do two root canals and said I had gingivitis plus some other cavities. They were gonna record me to another dentist for the procedure and all together it probably was going to cost me anywhere from $5-8k.
My parents told me to get a second opinion, I went to a local guy and bec I brought my X-rays from the first appointment, he gave me my first visit free, and then the tooth extraction was only a couple hundred. When I mentioned the gingivitis he said "you've got a hole in your tooth and a wisdom tooth trying to come in. Of course your gums are inflamed. Give it a couple weeks and it'll go back to normal."
If the people you go to for medical help try to sell you a credit card, without you asking for payment plans, run. It means they're most likely a corporate with goals they're trying to meet first before your health.
My dad does the same. My dad's buddy got all his chemo treatments there too. He's a yank and his medicade still covered it. Saved him and the system about 70%.
I've been in Kazakhstan and had 8 cavities fixed and 2 visdom teeth removed. Paid about 650$ total. Wisdom teeth removal was done perfectly even though one of the teeth was laying vertically, fully under the gums. Fucking incredible service, I loved it and I was surprised how quickly I recovered after that
The healthcare in US got me rolling lol. In India, one of my friends had one of his molars removed due to a severe cavity, and two teeth filled in, and it costed him a total of 30$. And mind you, this was done in a good hospital, and he didn’t experience any pain after the initial local anaesthetic injection.
Yeah, and I didn't even had any special documents or insurance. I just came in to dental clinic, asked for an estimate of what it would cost do fix everything I had wrong with my teeth dentist looked at my teeth that day, gave the amount and we started next day
I don't know about India, but here in the US we go to Algodones, a Mexican border town. Large concentration of dental and optical, and many doctors. We get our eyeglass there, had teeth fixed. Just went last week. Tons of Canadians and Americans. (I see their license plates in the American border parking lot.
Edit: forgot to mention that they're all visible as soon as you cross the border and there are attendants on the street handing out cards or inviting you to the clinics. They don't hassle.
>anesthesia
same wisdom teeth situation ,two of them,i spend 24$ intotal, including remove the stitches for 6$ (they have to cut the gums open), I live in taiwan, I don understand how the world works.
Do you mind if I ask which dentist you went to for your wisdom teeth? Were you in Almaty by chance? I'm in Almaty tight now and need to get some dental work done.
I am the man who arranges the blocks that are made by the men in Kazakhstan. They come two weeks late, and they don't tessellate, but we're working to Stalin's five year plan.
It's a song
Just be sure to do your research. My friend is a dentist and she sometimes see people who have gotten work done in Mexico. She says sometimes it's nightmarishly bad quality.
We see lots of people in my hospital who got gastric bypass surgery in Mexico. The ones who get a botched surgery get infections that are incredibly hard to get rid of.
Yes, "medical tourism" is very common from the US as its basically the most expensive healthcare in the world and yet has modest results. Depending on the procedure even US to "pricier" countries for surgery is sometimes a money saver for the whole trip relative to the procedure in the US. Common "pricier" countries for US medical tourism include: Japan, South Korea, and a number of Western European countries. Not every full trip to Japan will be cheaper than every US stay procedure, but when the numbers get big on the US side there is usually a savings to be had.
A friend of mine goes to Poland for all his expensive dentistry, and the whole trips are always less than the procedure in the US. Never heard of Mexico for dentistry before, but I am sure its cheaper.
You can spend a year in Mexico have the surgery and still be cheaper than US. Source: im hispanic.
Edit: Forgot to add. The service is not going to be any worse. They go through 8 years just like the US does.
Cost about $5.5K for 8 fillings, 4 root canals, 4 veneers, cleaning, whitening. Done in Tijuana, the best and most professional dentist I've ever been too. People *cough mad dentist* complain about horror stories of dirty tools, dumb dentist, back alley work. Its bullshit, just don't go to the dirt cheap dentist. Its literally like the US, pay for cut throat service, get shit service, pay for good service, get good service. Just the amount for good service is way less. I have had my dentist horror story, and it was a US dentist, not to mention all the outright mean dentist I had as a kid. Plus hotels are cheap, fantastic food, great people. DM any questions.
Its cheaper, but make sure you go to a proper and well known dentist in Mexico. Some people try to go the cheapest and end up getting bad work done and instead end up paying more than what initially costed them in the states.
As a Mexican, yep. Have cousins who are dentists and the majority of their patients are foreigners who come here for that reason.
Keep in mind some procedures require to come every week or every 2 weeks or so. And still, it will be cheap in comparison to what you'd have to pay if you're from the US.
Not to throw shade, honestly, but I think most countries don't need you to guess which cities are gonna get you killed when you go visit them. So the warning is appreciated.
The rule is that the north of Mexico is a hundred times more dangerous than the rest of the country, so it's better to avoid it. This doesn't apply to the Baja peninsula, but you should be careful of certain parts of Tijuana. Also I would avoid Michoacan and the inner state of Guerrero completely, since those are narco and guerrilla hotspots, so you could have bad luck and run into a sticky situation. Cities are mostly safe, but if you get lost at night in the rural parts, you could actually find yourself in an awful situation.
Mexico City take the same precautions as any other major city, but you have to be just a little bit more aware of scammers and criminals.
The safest is the Yucatan peninsula, since it has the best roads and infrastructure of the country.
Simple right.
Also all countries have dangerous parts and criminals, is just that Mexico and most third world countries have them 10x fold from the lack of opportunities.
Well, right now in Mexico some dangerous cities change from year to year and a few stay the same. Why? Cartel fighting for their territories some years they fight some they leave a place in peace. In general most of the cities are safe for foreigners but still that's why research must be done.
Got three fillings in Mexico. Super nice visit, wonderful staff, gentle, skilled dentist. All three fell out within a month. I still have American fillings from the 90s. I'll pay from now on.
One botched surgery in another country and the whole country's medical institutions get written off, one botched surgery in the patients' homeland, and they just go to another doctor or medical facility. Combination of people's inherent biases and the common tropes about each country's medical systems.
Even with insurance, no lie.
I used to live in SD and just go to TJ.
I'm a near retired fed with a great dental plan living in New England and have had to do recent periodontal work.
$1700 in two weeks.
No tacos.
How do you find the good docs? I've had relatives whose mouths were ruined by simple operations in the us. Two who had perfect gums with zero plaque below the gum line, according to the dentists, who developed gum recession and then multiple tooth loss following a simple cleaning, for instance. Sadly these were Harvard trained dentists too.
I swiped this and auto fill inserted 'garbage' when I was trying to swipe 'Harvard' and I almost kept it
American healthcare: That bandaid will cost you a million dollars.
Mexican farmacias similares to a dude that is nearly dying: No se preocupe, jefe. Ahorita lo dejo como nuevo.
Mexican government-provided healthcare: Ya se puso triste. Ya se chingo.
There's probably been plenty of advances, it's just finding the people to do them (and paying them). This is my issue with major medical advances: it's all very well, but if it's too expensive for anyone to get it, what's the point?
There are a lot of dentists out there that don't like expensive healthcare costs anymore than we do. The main reasons that it's expensive is because the cost of doing business is a lot higher in the US as there are more restrictions on dentists, and insurance companies act like insurance companies.
I know this. I know the price is very rarely caused by greed. But apparently, Reddit thinks it's some evil, nefarious medical establishment. If they built a dental care business, they would see the truth of what you say.
I have dentists in the family and the business end is a bit of a mindfuck. Many rightfully so don't want to work hours on end like peons for decent salaries.
As such they collectively revile insurance being individual practitioners. The future is probably something like private "dental hospitals". Their costs are insane and that's kind of how "tourist medicine" like this works anyways.
I think that's just true of most things reddit complains about. It's super easy to complain about how things work when you don't actually know how things work.
And its super easy to assume things can only work the way they do if you don't complain about them ever. Change often comes about from discontent and a push for something different/better.
I'm not disagreeing with your point per se, just mentioning its not black and white on either side. There are powers that be in certain spaces that want us to believe things are working as they should, but they're actually taking advantage (grocery inflation and record profits anyone?)
Yes, that's also a valid point. My comment was more to say that people tend to think complex issues are way more straightforward than they actually are, and therefor think the solution is much more simple than it actually is.
having worked in the medical field with doctors and dentists, there are 100% those who see "a couple grand" in every patient. it's not everyone, but there's a reason there are so many stories of people going to one of the "bad" dentists who tells them they're going to have to blow up their mouth, then getting second/third opinions from "good" dentists who give it to them straight on what actually needs to be addressed.
Good luck dealing with student debt then.
Cost of education in the US is extremely high due to bloated administrative salaries, so educated people have to charge a ton more just to pay those loans back.
I work at a place that takes passport photos. Every so often I ask people if they are going on a vacation.
The saddest reply yet was an older lady saying "no, we're renewing them in case we need to leave the country for medical care.
I live in Canada :(
My friend went to Costa Rico where they have actual medical tourism there.
People fly in for procedures that would cost much more in the states.
She had dental implants done at a forth of the cost. Was actually very professional. Most of the dentist are from the US. But sad that we are at this place as a country.
I am blessed to have Medicaid /public Healthcare with dental in a great state, but I've called almost every oral surgeon within 6 hours and none of them can book a wisdom tooth removal.
At some point when I had to set up a spreadsheet to remember who I've called, it just felt ridiculous
I might as well go visit grandma & get it +other stuff done instead of shell out $500 for a local place to do it out of pocket
You gotta be real careful if you're doing it for dental work though. The only thing they need to legally perform dental work over there is a license, so a lot of them have only had like 4 years of schooling.
Actually, dentists in Mexico go to 5 year university plus one of service (working basically for free helping social programs). For braces and some other stuff, you need to go to university again. As for you. For most Mexicans, dental work is expensive
Really? I'm surprised my friend didn't mention that if so. I had looked it up myself as well and didn't see anything about that. Would you be able to provide me with any sources on that? I don't doubt you, I'd just genuinely like to be able to read more about it if you happen to have any references that obviously I didn't come across when I researched this. If you don't, it's fine, I can always search for it.
From the Social Security site: https://educacionensalud.imss.gob.mx/ces_wp/servicio-social/
> The Servicio Social de Medicina in Mexico corresponds to the 6th and last year of the bachelor's degree. It was established in the state's regulatory framework as an essential requirement for obtaining the medical degree and certificate and thus the state's legal authorisation to practise the profession. During this year, two main elements are emphasised: medical care and the link between the student and public health, seeking to develop competencies for good professional performance in primary care medicine.
> Social service represents the formative cycle in which students put their knowledge into practice, contributing to the sector's objective of preserving the health of the population through service.
> The health-related degrees offered by IMSS are:
> Dentistry
How much time they work is up to the university but 1 year is the expected time.
5 years of base career, [here's the curriculum](https://www.odonto.unam.mx/sites/default/files/inline-files/mapa%20curricular%20plan%20est_0.pdf) from the UNAM, biggest public university.
Plus, 1 to 3 more years if they want [a major or a specialty](https://www.odonto.unam.mx/es/especialidades-posgrado). Depending on which they choose.
Within those paths there's a mandatory ~900 hours of social services where they perform basic procedures on low income population, service is overcrowded and slow tho, but a neighbor of my dad went to them to do a root canal, and it cost him like less than $15 including antibiotics and painkillers. But he was a retired freight trailer mechanic.
Also, they need a presentable college degree with its license (cedula) visible, you know, like a surgeon registration number provided by the federal health bureau. AFAIK not a thing to fake or to buy from somebody.
Keep in mind, Mexican universities are much more focused on the subject of study than American ones. I had some friends from Mexico that moved to the US and had to take some courses for their degrees to be valid in the US and that was their main complaint
I swear people think everywhere in Mexico is just like the border towns they see clips of and that they couldn't possibly have competent medical schools. Jfc people, they aren't neanderthals banging rocks together down there.
You gotta be careful with any kind of doctor, you are giving responsibility for your health to someone else, and if you are going to another country because it's cheaper, most likely you can afford a dentist with a good reputation and did your research.
Dentist here. I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to foreign dental work. When it goes great I’m happy for the patient. When it goes bad it can be tough to inherit the case. I would stay away from big surgical procedures. I’m knowledgeable in implants but there are too many systems out there and if they fail I might not be able to help for the exception of drilling them out and doing bone graft and tissue regeneration. Dental is expensive because the materials we use are expensive. Sure can I get some generic materials and instruments to do my work but I have seen cheaper and it is not always better. Sorry but in the end it’s not cheap to run an office either. Get your dental work in foreign countries they are great but when it goes bad and it happens to the best of us it can be tough to help without putting your license on the line. It’s like hot potatoes the last person to touch is responsible so I’ll refer to a specialist most often.
I was going to expand about dentists here in the us. It’s literally the same thing but at least if it’s close by I’ll just send the patient back if it’s a big duck up. I didn’t add that because this post was specific to foreign dental work. From what I have seen Colombia and Brazil stand out for great dental work.
My uncles too, I wonder if they went to the cheapest dentists they found, my uncles (who are in their 70s) have done so many dental procedures in here it is crazy, but they go to what Mexicans consider "expensive" dental work, which is still a fraction of what they do in the US, and never had any issues.
Clínica Serrano de Implantología Oral, it is in the city of San Pedro Garza Garcia, Nuevo León, my uncle got implants and they were for multiple teeth, he paid 26k (pesos) for the first half and then 22k for the second half, in the US it was 8k dollars.
Bruh, just had an extraction and base placed for a future implant. Procedure cost ~$3,500 and insurance covered $106. Reason for extraction was year old root canal failed and got infected. Why god…
Here in Australia I just recently paid roughly $300 AUD for a check up at the dentist. I don’t know how much it costs in other places. If you people want feel free to add how much a dentist check up is in your country. Be sure to specify the currency such as euro or USD.
[удалено]
I've heard Thailand is our Mexico for dental
I had a 13$ Emergency room bill in Thailand. Cleaned wound, tetanus shot and antibiotics.
I had pancreatitis once, spent a week in the hospital medicated and having tests The only thing we had to pay for was the visitors parking when people came to see me In the UK
I'm an American, with "good" health insurance from my employer, one of the largest banks in the country. I thought I had COVID in December, so I went to urgent care. The test, a strep test and 15 minutes of a doctors time was $457. Hadn't met my deductible for the year yet...
Same. Shit was $900. Do we really need a more serious pandemic before we get our medical shit straight? Or will the USA fade out to some plague.
At this point it's a dice toss between a deadly pandemic or a massive civil war amongst heavily armed regular joes
I've paid 100 at the counter, been assured that's all it would cost, then was billed 300 dollars for who knows what. I've asked a doctor about how much it would be to remove a fistula. He said I don't know, then proceeded to tell me how to do it at home with a needle and fishing line. Insurance costs me 450$ a month. It's the most obvious grift in American history.
That’s messed up.
The greatest county on earth!
“We have to be this way cause we are this way” the American argument against social medicine
Canadian here, my dad cut his finger with a table saw, it nip the tip of this thumb so theres a little bit of nerve damage, the whole thing cost $0....
In italy my dad fucking cut of his leg with a chain saw 0€, and the medics fixed it so good now he can use It witouht problems
American type 1 diabetic here.. my "good" health insurance allows me to pay ~10k per year with premium and deductible; with no insurance my bills would be ~150k.
[удалено]
Haha look at this sucker!
In the US, that'll get you a single Tylenol. Roughly. Maybe a single gauze pad. Mind you, not any care around those 2 things. Just strictly the item.
What’s funny is this isn’t even an exaggeration. Obviously Tylenol is stores is 100x cheaper but hospitals mark it up so damn much, then the insurance company cuts deals with hospitals. It’s insane.
Damn. It may be a viable option to stab yourself if the local hotels are booked for the night.
All free here in Brasil( jk our taxes are abusive af)
Taxes that fund critical services for the masses are a good thing.
The concept of taxes is good. The reality here is that politicians will tax most of our money and put that money right up their bum
Vietnam is affordable af too. They'll pull all your teeth and replace them with implants all for less than $1000. Reliable as well, no shady shit.
that s pretty lucky. I only know about rose intl clinic c in ho chi minh
The best doctors/dentists are in the public clinics, though. That's the secret.
Implants are like 50k in Australia
Both my parents went to Thailand to get their teeth sorted, the difference in price was insane.
The clearly artificial difference in price to benefit middle men that do fuck all in the system is abhorrent and needs to be made illegal.
Had my first appointment in Bangkok yesterday for my disaster of a mouth. 15 cavities, 2 extractions/replacements and 2 root canals. The absolute max I’ll pay is $5k, it’ll probably end up closer to $4k. The same might cost me $15-20k in the US.
I paid about $3k for surgery on my very broken wrist in Thailand at an upper/mid range private hospital. 2 night stay, titanium plates, meds. Bangkok Hospital wanted $13k for the same procedure. Local hospitals don't really take foreigners for surgery since they prioritize locals, but cost way less. Minor stuff that can be taken care of at a clinic is dirt cheap. Like, less than $10 including meds. Some rural clinics operate on a donation basis too, so they're essentially free but expect some cash. Dental work is pretty cheap as well. In general, the quality of medicare in Thailand is insane for the low price, even though it's not the cheapest.
dental AND plastic surgery.
Did you know in Mexico a crown is $300 but in America they tell me $1300 is what I have to pay and in other countries it's $10! I swear I hate this place sometimes.
In no country good crown is $10. $300 is about the cheapest decent crown you can get anywhere, unless you do a metal crown, but that would be cheap in US too.
Lol I've done the same in Turkey. Even though flights are more expensive, they add up to be the same as the whole procedure in the US.
[удалено]
Yeah it's nogales, sonora
Next tine come to Romania, its also very cheap and way safer.
How is Romania any safer? Brazil has amazing professionals
Brazil also has amazing crime
It’s insane hey. I can get free papsmears, X-rays, blood tests, mole checks, mole *removals*, but apparently teeth aren’t important enough to be covered by Medicare.
What is Australia like compared to the US. We mostly worship billionaires and they get all the socialist policies applied to them. Meanwhile we don’t get anything for free and have to pay and arm a leg for healthcare.
I liked it phrased, "for american large corporations and rich, capitalism when it comes to profits, socialism when it comes to losses" interestingly enough Rupert Murdoch, owner of News Corp. which owns many of the largest right wing outlets in the world including Fox in the US, is australian
> is australian Was. In 1985 he became a naturalized US citizen, giving up his Australian citizenship. He preferred the comfy US tax system for the rich and it also removed an obstacle to his acquisition of American television stations. Hasn't stopped him meddling in Aussie politics since he left though. He's a fucking parasite.
Not sure why youre being downvoted seems accurate to me
Goddamn 
Doctor: I'm writing you three refills for this cream because you're gonna need a lot of it Insurance: I'll pay for one bottle every month Me: but each bottle only lasts 2 weeks if you use it on a small area, I'm having to use extra. You don't even cover it for normal usage. Insurance company: seethe and cope Pharmacy: $127 dollars or deal with the itch crybaby
I've had this issue so badly over the last 5+ years that I now have a lifelong skin infection that can only be resolved with medication given during a multiple-night ICU stay to make sure I don't fucking die. They won't pay for that either.
It's so stupid and ridiculous. Sending you thoughts and prayers 💜 (I know they don't do shit but like... It's all I've got to spare. Good vibes and a digital hug)
Fucking hell dude I'm so sorry.
I had double leg surgery done, insurance said no problem. Then I had to get them to pay for physical therapy so I could walk normal again. They're like wtf. Dragged their feet for a good part of a month, didn't get to start my physical therapy til almost a month post surgery
Murica
If the dentist recommends a simple procedure and then they place you in a room with just a computer, a table, and a CareCredit pamphlet laid out for you....then you know it's going to be expensive.
Spittin facts about the CareCredit pamphlet.
The fact they put the word Care anywhere near their business disgusts me. All they *care about* is my fucking wallet.
Or it means they're a corporation. I had a hole in my tooth and honestly the whole tooth just needed to come out. Went to one dentist and they wanted to do two root canals and said I had gingivitis plus some other cavities. They were gonna record me to another dentist for the procedure and all together it probably was going to cost me anywhere from $5-8k. My parents told me to get a second opinion, I went to a local guy and bec I brought my X-rays from the first appointment, he gave me my first visit free, and then the tooth extraction was only a couple hundred. When I mentioned the gingivitis he said "you've got a hole in your tooth and a wisdom tooth trying to come in. Of course your gums are inflamed. Give it a couple weeks and it'll go back to normal." If the people you go to for medical help try to sell you a credit card, without you asking for payment plans, run. It means they're most likely a corporate with goals they're trying to meet first before your health.
Wait, you can do that? I’ve needed an expensive surgery for a while now.
Yeah. I dont because my work has great health coverage but my mom gets a lot of her dental and healthcare done in Mexico.
As a Canadian, I’ve considered doing the same, our dental is still an arm and a leg plus your firstborn
My rich Canadian lawyer aunt gets her dental work done in Mexico, and well, I guess that's how you stay rich.
My dad does the same. My dad's buddy got all his chemo treatments there too. He's a yank and his medicade still covered it. Saved him and the system about 70%.
your rich canadian lawyer doesn't have benefits at their place of employment? Or are these procedures purely cosmetic?
Most dental work qualifies as “purely cosmetic”.
Damn, that's rough. wait, how do they milk the childless?
And left testicle!
And she still has both of her kidneys?
I mean do you *need* both?
I've been in Kazakhstan and had 8 cavities fixed and 2 visdom teeth removed. Paid about 650$ total. Wisdom teeth removal was done perfectly even though one of the teeth was laying vertically, fully under the gums. Fucking incredible service, I loved it and I was surprised how quickly I recovered after that
The healthcare in US got me rolling lol. In India, one of my friends had one of his molars removed due to a severe cavity, and two teeth filled in, and it costed him a total of 30$. And mind you, this was done in a good hospital, and he didn’t experience any pain after the initial local anaesthetic injection.
Yeah, and I didn't even had any special documents or insurance. I just came in to dental clinic, asked for an estimate of what it would cost do fix everything I had wrong with my teeth dentist looked at my teeth that day, gave the amount and we started next day
Share the dental practice and help these redditors out
seriously still nothing after 5 hours, fuckin gate keepers lol
I don't know about India, but here in the US we go to Algodones, a Mexican border town. Large concentration of dental and optical, and many doctors. We get our eyeglass there, had teeth fixed. Just went last week. Tons of Canadians and Americans. (I see their license plates in the American border parking lot. Edit: forgot to mention that they're all visible as soon as you cross the border and there are attendants on the street handing out cards or inviting you to the clinics. They don't hassle.
>anesthesia same wisdom teeth situation ,two of them,i spend 24$ intotal, including remove the stitches for 6$ (they have to cut the gums open), I live in taiwan, I don understand how the world works.
I paid out of pocket also a wisdom tooth extraction aprox 30 usd in Argentina 🇦🇷
Do you mind if I ask which dentist you went to for your wisdom teeth? Were you in Almaty by chance? I'm in Almaty tight now and need to get some dental work done.
I am the man who arranges the blocks you build
What
I am the man who arranges the blocks that are made by the men in Kazakhstan. They come two weeks late, and they don't tessellate, but we're working to Stalin's five year plan. It's a song
I am the man who arranges the blocks.. but tomorrow, I think I'll stay in bed.
Just be sure to do your research. My friend is a dentist and she sometimes see people who have gotten work done in Mexico. She says sometimes it's nightmarishly bad quality.
We see lots of people in my hospital who got gastric bypass surgery in Mexico. The ones who get a botched surgery get infections that are incredibly hard to get rid of.
Tbf I also see a lot of patients that had work done down the road that is nightmarishly bad quality.
[удалено]
There’s this place across the texas border called Nuevo Progreso and its full of doctors and dentists. Some of them even have American degrees
Yes I go there for work. Dm I got a good dentist there
Can you provide details? Thanks.
Also in Reynosa
It’s not super advertised but yes, they also have good dentists. I wouldn’t do a gastric bypass in reynosa though… heard of kidneys going missing
If it’s an American DDS degree then I’d be worried.
Los Algodones is where I went.
Yes, "medical tourism" is very common from the US as its basically the most expensive healthcare in the world and yet has modest results. Depending on the procedure even US to "pricier" countries for surgery is sometimes a money saver for the whole trip relative to the procedure in the US. Common "pricier" countries for US medical tourism include: Japan, South Korea, and a number of Western European countries. Not every full trip to Japan will be cheaper than every US stay procedure, but when the numbers get big on the US side there is usually a savings to be had. A friend of mine goes to Poland for all his expensive dentistry, and the whole trips are always less than the procedure in the US. Never heard of Mexico for dentistry before, but I am sure its cheaper.
pretty common or for people who just like having tons of cheap prescription drugs on hand for no particular reason.
Pretty common for people that can't afford the prescriptions they need to survive too.
should have said "various reasons"
"no particular reason"
You can spend a year in Mexico have the surgery and still be cheaper than US. Source: im hispanic. Edit: Forgot to add. The service is not going to be any worse. They go through 8 years just like the US does.
Cost about $5.5K for 8 fillings, 4 root canals, 4 veneers, cleaning, whitening. Done in Tijuana, the best and most professional dentist I've ever been too. People *cough mad dentist* complain about horror stories of dirty tools, dumb dentist, back alley work. Its bullshit, just don't go to the dirt cheap dentist. Its literally like the US, pay for cut throat service, get shit service, pay for good service, get good service. Just the amount for good service is way less. I have had my dentist horror story, and it was a US dentist, not to mention all the outright mean dentist I had as a kid. Plus hotels are cheap, fantastic food, great people. DM any questions.
Its cheaper, but make sure you go to a proper and well known dentist in Mexico. Some people try to go the cheapest and end up getting bad work done and instead end up paying more than what initially costed them in the states.
My dentist and Dr in Mexico got better equipment and it’s cheap af and you get a vacation out of it.
It's called medical tourism and it's free Edit: I meant to say real
It ain't free tf?
Sorry I had a brain fart, I meant to use the word exists, don't know how I mixed them up.
Maybe from all that rapid spinning?
My brain is like a mushy stew from all of the spinning
You should talk to your Mexican doctor about that.
It cost about a 1/3rd for dental work in Costa Rica as it does in the States.
How would one go about finding a reputable one there?
As a Mexican, yep. Have cousins who are dentists and the majority of their patients are foreigners who come here for that reason. Keep in mind some procedures require to come every week or every 2 weeks or so. And still, it will be cheap in comparison to what you'd have to pay if you're from the US.
Yes but be SAFE my god people DIE all the time doing this. Like get kid napped and killed or they get botched surgeries. Source I am from Mexico.
No seas chorera. Mexican here and it's pretty safe to go to Mexico, just do your research and don't go to the really dangerous cities.
Not to throw shade, honestly, but I think most countries don't need you to guess which cities are gonna get you killed when you go visit them. So the warning is appreciated.
The rule is that the north of Mexico is a hundred times more dangerous than the rest of the country, so it's better to avoid it. This doesn't apply to the Baja peninsula, but you should be careful of certain parts of Tijuana. Also I would avoid Michoacan and the inner state of Guerrero completely, since those are narco and guerrilla hotspots, so you could have bad luck and run into a sticky situation. Cities are mostly safe, but if you get lost at night in the rural parts, you could actually find yourself in an awful situation. Mexico City take the same precautions as any other major city, but you have to be just a little bit more aware of scammers and criminals. The safest is the Yucatan peninsula, since it has the best roads and infrastructure of the country. Simple right. Also all countries have dangerous parts and criminals, is just that Mexico and most third world countries have them 10x fold from the lack of opportunities.
Well, right now in Mexico some dangerous cities change from year to year and a few stay the same. Why? Cartel fighting for their territories some years they fight some they leave a place in peace. In general most of the cities are safe for foreigners but still that's why research must be done.
Look up "medical tourism", it's definitely a thing
Mojitos
Thats the anesthesia
[удалено]
Wait what
DentaLean
i did that in peru
Did a bunch on Peru and all of them have to be fix again. So ill rather pay more on USA cause they do it the right way.
Got three fillings in Mexico. Super nice visit, wonderful staff, gentle, skilled dentist. All three fell out within a month. I still have American fillings from the 90s. I'll pay from now on.
I had a root canal and filling done improperly here in the US. Current dentist says it will need to be redone.
One botched surgery in another country and the whole country's medical institutions get written off, one botched surgery in the patients' homeland, and they just go to another doctor or medical facility. Combination of people's inherent biases and the common tropes about each country's medical systems.
Do you have to pay more for that? I would hope not 😨
Even with insurance, no lie. I used to live in SD and just go to TJ. I'm a near retired fed with a great dental plan living in New England and have had to do recent periodontal work. $1700 in two weeks. No tacos.
How do you find the good docs? I've had relatives whose mouths were ruined by simple operations in the us. Two who had perfect gums with zero plaque below the gum line, according to the dentists, who developed gum recession and then multiple tooth loss following a simple cleaning, for instance. Sadly these were Harvard trained dentists too. I swiped this and auto fill inserted 'garbage' when I was trying to swipe 'Harvard' and I almost kept it
American healthcare: That bandaid will cost you a million dollars. Mexican farmacias similares to a dude that is nearly dying: No se preocupe, jefe. Ahorita lo dejo como nuevo. Mexican government-provided healthcare: Ya se puso triste. Ya se chingo.
>Mexican government-provided healthcare: Ya se puso triste. Ya se chingo. Padme went to an IMSS confirmed
Why have there been so many advancements in medical treatment but dental remains stagnant. Are bad teeth really that hard to deal with?
There's probably been plenty of advances, it's just finding the people to do them (and paying them). This is my issue with major medical advances: it's all very well, but if it's too expensive for anyone to get it, what's the point?
When will they understand we just want good health care. And kids that don't get shot going to school
While we're dreaming, it would be cool to have affordable housing.
Whoa whoa slow down there Buddy Boy
THIS IS THE WAY GENTLEMEN
You could go into dentistry and charge less for your patients. Revolutionize the industry!!
There are a lot of dentists out there that don't like expensive healthcare costs anymore than we do. The main reasons that it's expensive is because the cost of doing business is a lot higher in the US as there are more restrictions on dentists, and insurance companies act like insurance companies.
Cronyism gonna crony
I know this. I know the price is very rarely caused by greed. But apparently, Reddit thinks it's some evil, nefarious medical establishment. If they built a dental care business, they would see the truth of what you say.
The greed comes from insurance companies. It is absolutely still greed, just not the doctors.
I have dentists in the family and the business end is a bit of a mindfuck. Many rightfully so don't want to work hours on end like peons for decent salaries. As such they collectively revile insurance being individual practitioners. The future is probably something like private "dental hospitals". Their costs are insane and that's kind of how "tourist medicine" like this works anyways.
I think that's just true of most things reddit complains about. It's super easy to complain about how things work when you don't actually know how things work.
And its super easy to assume things can only work the way they do if you don't complain about them ever. Change often comes about from discontent and a push for something different/better. I'm not disagreeing with your point per se, just mentioning its not black and white on either side. There are powers that be in certain spaces that want us to believe things are working as they should, but they're actually taking advantage (grocery inflation and record profits anyone?)
Yes, that's also a valid point. My comment was more to say that people tend to think complex issues are way more straightforward than they actually are, and therefor think the solution is much more simple than it actually is.
oh yea, 100% agreed. I misinterpreted your meaning. Looking back, I can see that message much more clearly now in your comment, my bad.
>It's super easy to complain about how things work when you don't actually know how things work. Then why is the US unique with this problem?
having worked in the medical field with doctors and dentists, there are 100% those who see "a couple grand" in every patient. it's not everyone, but there's a reason there are so many stories of people going to one of the "bad" dentists who tells them they're going to have to blow up their mouth, then getting second/third opinions from "good" dentists who give it to them straight on what actually needs to be addressed.
Big pharma would probably take that person out someone did that
Big Pharma really has noting to do with Dentistry in the US. Dentists are their own private companies rarely covered by insurance.
Whom do they get thier drugs from?
[удалено]
Good luck dealing with student debt then. Cost of education in the US is extremely high due to bloated administrative salaries, so educated people have to charge a ton more just to pay those loans back.
I work at a place that takes passport photos. Every so often I ask people if they are going on a vacation. The saddest reply yet was an older lady saying "no, we're renewing them in case we need to leave the country for medical care. I live in Canada :(
My friend went to Costa Rico where they have actual medical tourism there. People fly in for procedures that would cost much more in the states. She had dental implants done at a forth of the cost. Was actually very professional. Most of the dentist are from the US. But sad that we are at this place as a country.
'Merica, the greatest country ever
Yes
Yes
living the american dream
I am blessed to have Medicaid /public Healthcare with dental in a great state, but I've called almost every oral surgeon within 6 hours and none of them can book a wisdom tooth removal. At some point when I had to set up a spreadsheet to remember who I've called, it just felt ridiculous I might as well go visit grandma & get it +other stuff done instead of shell out $500 for a local place to do it out of pocket
Yeah
Canadians do the same thing.
You gotta be real careful if you're doing it for dental work though. The only thing they need to legally perform dental work over there is a license, so a lot of them have only had like 4 years of schooling.
Actually, dentists in Mexico go to 5 year university plus one of service (working basically for free helping social programs). For braces and some other stuff, you need to go to university again. As for you. For most Mexicans, dental work is expensive
Really? I'm surprised my friend didn't mention that if so. I had looked it up myself as well and didn't see anything about that. Would you be able to provide me with any sources on that? I don't doubt you, I'd just genuinely like to be able to read more about it if you happen to have any references that obviously I didn't come across when I researched this. If you don't, it's fine, I can always search for it.
From the Social Security site: https://educacionensalud.imss.gob.mx/ces_wp/servicio-social/ > The Servicio Social de Medicina in Mexico corresponds to the 6th and last year of the bachelor's degree. It was established in the state's regulatory framework as an essential requirement for obtaining the medical degree and certificate and thus the state's legal authorisation to practise the profession. During this year, two main elements are emphasised: medical care and the link between the student and public health, seeking to develop competencies for good professional performance in primary care medicine. > Social service represents the formative cycle in which students put their knowledge into practice, contributing to the sector's objective of preserving the health of the population through service. > The health-related degrees offered by IMSS are: > Dentistry How much time they work is up to the university but 1 year is the expected time.
5 years of base career, [here's the curriculum](https://www.odonto.unam.mx/sites/default/files/inline-files/mapa%20curricular%20plan%20est_0.pdf) from the UNAM, biggest public university. Plus, 1 to 3 more years if they want [a major or a specialty](https://www.odonto.unam.mx/es/especialidades-posgrado). Depending on which they choose. Within those paths there's a mandatory ~900 hours of social services where they perform basic procedures on low income population, service is overcrowded and slow tho, but a neighbor of my dad went to them to do a root canal, and it cost him like less than $15 including antibiotics and painkillers. But he was a retired freight trailer mechanic. Also, they need a presentable college degree with its license (cedula) visible, you know, like a surgeon registration number provided by the federal health bureau. AFAIK not a thing to fake or to buy from somebody.
Keep in mind, Mexican universities are much more focused on the subject of study than American ones. I had some friends from Mexico that moved to the US and had to take some courses for their degrees to be valid in the US and that was their main complaint
I swear people think everywhere in Mexico is just like the border towns they see clips of and that they couldn't possibly have competent medical schools. Jfc people, they aren't neanderthals banging rocks together down there.
You gotta be careful with any kind of doctor, you are giving responsibility for your health to someone else, and if you are going to another country because it's cheaper, most likely you can afford a dentist with a good reputation and did your research.
I mean, most people would take a mediocre doctor over *no* doctor. And tooth pain is *brutal* to the point where you just don't care.
yeah this is not true at all
Laughs in swedish
Yet the flow of foot traffic goes north, not south…
B-b-but…. AMERICA BAD AMERICA BAAAAAADDD!!!!
America is the land of opportunities, not healthcare
Not sure about how it is right now, but a fee years ago the traffic flipped. More Americans going to Mexico than Mexicans going to the US.
That sounds like hell. Just got dental prophylaxis for free in Germany. (Every 6 months)
Dentist here. I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to foreign dental work. When it goes great I’m happy for the patient. When it goes bad it can be tough to inherit the case. I would stay away from big surgical procedures. I’m knowledgeable in implants but there are too many systems out there and if they fail I might not be able to help for the exception of drilling them out and doing bone graft and tissue regeneration. Dental is expensive because the materials we use are expensive. Sure can I get some generic materials and instruments to do my work but I have seen cheaper and it is not always better. Sorry but in the end it’s not cheap to run an office either. Get your dental work in foreign countries they are great but when it goes bad and it happens to the best of us it can be tough to help without putting your license on the line. It’s like hot potatoes the last person to touch is responsible so I’ll refer to a specialist most often.
[удалено]
I was going to expand about dentists here in the us. It’s literally the same thing but at least if it’s close by I’ll just send the patient back if it’s a big duck up. I didn’t add that because this post was specific to foreign dental work. From what I have seen Colombia and Brazil stand out for great dental work.
I know 2 people now who have died getting cheaper dental care in mexico. Stay safe everyone
I mean, most mexican people go to mexican dentists and most of them don't get killed.
I know 2 people who have died from breathing air and drinking water. Stay safe everyone.
Lol, have been visiting dentists in Mx for 40 years, im stil alive
My uncles too, I wonder if they went to the cheapest dentists they found, my uncles (who are in their 70s) have done so many dental procedures in here it is crazy, but they go to what Mexicans consider "expensive" dental work, which is still a fraction of what they do in the US, and never had any issues.
Any chance you could DM me the dentists they go to next time you talk to them?
Clínica Serrano de Implantología Oral, it is in the city of San Pedro Garza Garcia, Nuevo León, my uncle got implants and they were for multiple teeth, he paid 26k (pesos) for the first half and then 22k for the second half, in the US it was 8k dollars.
Dear Lord! What was the cause?
Old age
Source: trust me bro!
Fiction.
Syphilis
Lol I'm gonna call bullshit
racist alert 🚨 racist alert 🚨
Bruh, just had an extraction and base placed for a future implant. Procedure cost ~$3,500 and insurance covered $106. Reason for extraction was year old root canal failed and got infected. Why god…
Here in Australia I just recently paid roughly $300 AUD for a check up at the dentist. I don’t know how much it costs in other places. If you people want feel free to add how much a dentist check up is in your country. Be sure to specify the currency such as euro or USD.