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Dentist recommendations.


Sunwonder

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With any dentist or dentista I would use, appointments would be necessary unless just for something simple like a cleaning. All can be contacted from the US. I just did that to two different dentists.

Add Dr. Barragan’s office to your list but don’t expect to just walk in without an appointment, as stated above. 

You have been given about the top four dentists in town (yes, I know others could be added to the list but how many choices does one need!).

 

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  • 3 years later...

I have one of the top recommended dentists here and am wondering what a reasonable cost is for the following treatments (and excuse the amounts listed in dollars ) - i have had two fillings  - 45 dollars each - a crown - 550 - and a deep cleaning 80 - I am very satisfied with the work and know that it would have been far more expensive for any of that work to have been done in the states.  I don't want a comparison of the costs between there and here - just what is considered a reasonable charge for good work done in this area.  

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Well, a crown Lakeside has NEVER cost me 11,000 pesos!  I can't find the receipt but in 2021... the last time I had a crown done.... by Dr. Edgar Macias at DE it was about 4000 pesos... $200US. With CAD machine done in one day.

In March 2022 I had a cleaning at Barragan's office for, I think, 700 pesos ($35) and two fillings done that cost 1400 pesos total... so $35US each. Both fillings were 'minor'.

Dr. Barragan's office is considered top notch by everyone. Dental Express... these days.... not so hot. But I 'required' that Dr. Macias do the work.

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not only did the crown cost 550 BUT i had to go back three times - two temporaries were put in which caused me a lot of discomfort because they didn't fit correctly - - thank god when the regular crown finally got in, it fit perfectly but those first two were miserable - - granted i didn't pay for all those visits but it was a huge waste of time and I knew of noone else who had more than two visits - after my deep cleaning today, he wants me back in two months,for another one I guess- he was not totally fluent in english and i am not at all conversant with dental needs in spanish.    In portland I only went for a deep cleaning twice a year and twice for a simple cleaning - for some reason i think i am being "taken for a ride" by this "top notch" dental office - hence my query.  

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I only know of 2 dental offices Lakeside that most would call "top notch".... based on years of observations here. Those would be Dr. Haro and Dr. Barragan offices. Now I'm sure someone, and maybe rightfully so, will speak up and add another office(s), but....

I have had everything from simple cleaning to fillings, root canals, gum surgery and crowns done at Dr. Barragan's office at Bougamvilias #139 in Mirasol. Never once did I have a reason to suggest that any of those services were less than 'perfect'.  

I have had crowns and a 3-tooth bridge done at Dental Express in the past.... and then ONLY by Dr. Edgar Macias the owner. But recent visits there by me and my wife for crowns were subpar unless Dr. Carlos did the work... which I required. Now he is at his own office elsewhere. I'll not return to DE. We only used them because of the ability to get a crown 'next day' with their CAD machine. 

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26 minutes ago, dottiejane said:

okay rick since you are a coloradon and i am  a long time denver person - grandson just greaduated from csu - and kids are in denver - would you continue to go to one of them and pay the amount asked --just askin d

DJ, if you went to Haro himself, that is maybe the cost. I think with Barragan, maybe the cost would be a little less. I would only use the head dentist in those offices. I would never use another office, those are the only two "top dentists" Lakeside. BTW, Harro speaks excellent English, but don't use his assistant dentist. Have used Haro since 1997.

 

 

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because ididn't want to besmirch the names of the dentist i went to with my own misgivings,  , I will say I did go to Dr. B but  never got him - or met him = personallyl nor did I know I could have asked for him. I figured a patient was just sent to whomever in the office did the required work.    One of his dentists worked onthe crown and another on the deep cleaning.  As I said, after three visits, the crown is fine but did I really need three visits at the cost I quoted - 550 dollars.  I haven't had a crown in years so ha ve no idea howlong it takes or how much it should cost.  The fillings were also done well but took a lot of drilling and only one was done per day.  - again, I haven't had a cavity in years so same situation - I have had deep cleanings twice a year for years  since I do have a lot of bone loss followed by two regular cleanings but I have never been asked to come back for another one in two months. 

 

 I appreciate the responses =  the folks on this site  are a  patient and valuable resource for those of us who are new and trying to find our way around.  thanks- 

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8 hours ago, dottiejane said:

because ididn't want to besmirch the names of the dentist i went to with my own misgivings,  , I will say I did go to Dr. B but  never got him - or met him = personallyl nor did I know I could have asked for him. I figured a patient was just sent to whomever in the office did the required work.    One of his dentists worked onthe crown and another on the deep cleaning.  As I said, after three visits, the crown is fine but did I really need three visits at the cost I quoted - 550 dollars.  I haven't had a crown in years so ha ve no idea howlong it takes or how much it should cost.  The fillings were also done well but took a lot of drilling and only one was done per day.  - again, I haven't had a cavity in years so same situation - I have had deep cleanings twice a year for years  since I do have a lot of bone loss followed by two regular cleanings but I have never been asked to come back for another one in two months. 

 

 I appreciate the responses =  the folks on this site  are a  patient and valuable resource for those of us who are new and trying to find our way around.  thanks- 

The only thing is that getting the main man sometimes takes a little longer, but I have always thought it was worth the short wait.

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Dr Barragan's reputation at Lakeside.... I have been going to him for many years, since he had an office in Chapala town... is beyond good. Getting an appointment and/or follow-up appointments with 'him', especially in the Gringo high season, takes patience. But I concur with Jim Bowie's assessment about waiting IF one is local and has the time.

So, yes, getting an appointment with him is doable by asking. Having said that, I have also used other dentistas in the office, including Endodontist Dra. Cynthia Berny (who is incidentally Dr. Barragan's wife), Dra. Consuela for cleaning and two other Dentista specialists who come to the office each week. One of those performed minor gum surgery for me in 2021, prior to a crown.

I might also add that, from my US and Lakeside dental experiences, it is not that unusual for a crown fitment to take more than one try, especially if the Dentist(a) is a perfectionist and has the patient's care as the primary concern. The ancient use of laboratory molds to form a crown can be fraught with imperfections and if bad enough the only solution is another mold.

But again, $550 US for a crown at Lakeside is beyond my experiences. Way beyond. But to be honest, I have not had Dr. Barragan do more a crown 'prep' lately. I have chosen to use only CAD/CAM technology to actually produce the tooth... aanddid that for a couple of crowns and a 3-tooth bridge in the last few years. Unfortunately (for me) Barragan's  office does not have that capability. Sigh. 

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thanks again Rick - as I said, this whole crown cad thing was not known to me or else I would used that instead of the mold business - evdiently cad also does bridges if I understand your email correctly = I am looking into jjust a one tooth one - where did you go for that

 

do you remember hos much Dr. consuela charges for a cleaning -  I got Dr. Edgar who is a perio I from GDL - may be why I am paying top dollar ---- live and learn and i am learning something new every day - exhausting to be frank.  - 

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Sorry, but I don't remember her charge but others there, including Dr. Barragan, have done mine the last two times. As I said I'm pretty sure that his charge was 700 pesos in March. 

You suggested that you had a 'deep cleaning'. Not too sure what that might entail vs a general cleaning. Also, you said that Dr. Edgar is a Periodontist. Why you 'had' to use him I don't know but a Periodontist is a higher-level dentist.... a specialist in gum disease and gum surgery. One would expect to pay a higher fee but the question remains 'why did you get assigned a Periodontist'?

Two things... it is perfectly OK in my book to ask the office what services cost... a cleaning, a crown  etc.  Secondly I know for sure it is OK to ask for a specific dentist; one may have to wait until that person's schedule has an opening, but that is what I have always done for anything other than a cleaning.

As I suggested in an earlier Post, my CAD/CAM work 3-4 years ago...a 3-tooth bridge and another crown... were done by Dr. Edgar Macias, the owner of Dental Express. BUT, Dr. Edgar has been pretty much 'missing in action' from DE for a couple of years... been in Houston a great deal of the time doing something. This past March I did have two crowns done there with CAD/CAM by Dr. Carlos... recommended by a friend... and that was fine. BUT he is no longer there and has his own practice with a co-hart Dr.    I cannot recommend anyone at DE to do CAD/CCAMany more and, based on my wife's experience with crowns there with another dentist, I will not recommend DE as a go-to office. Just my opinion, but I'm entitled to that.

I am recalling that there may be (at least) 1 other dental office in Ajijic that does CAD/CAM.... a dentista maybe..... at Ajijic Dental Clinic but I don't know for sure. That office has been around for many years.  

 

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