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Hi everybody. I've joined the board because I want to come to Ajijic, Lake Chapala, or Guadalajara in November/December 2020 and get permanent dentures. I've read some posts mentioning some dentists/oral surgeons. I like to talk with anybody who's had, or knows someone who's had this type of procedure locally. 

Looking forward to meeting some of you and spending some time in the area.😊

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Really think about this before you do it.... If dentures are a problem for you then go ahead do some research understand what you’re doing and go for it.  if dentures aren’t a problem for you then think hard and long about what you’re going to do and the risks involved.  Many will tell you implants are great.. one or two implants yes but a  mouthful.  It so sure.. I will say for many they are better than dentures..but for some not so good...

There are 2 dentists highly recommended on this board Dr Haro and Dr B who’s name slips my mind.. Both of these are really good but expensive, if cost isn’t a problem I would use Dr Haro..

 

 

 

 

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I know 1 lady that had both upper and lower dentures and has had nothing but problems and pain since Day One, she continues to this day to have problems.

Two factors are very important. One is the competence of the dental professional, and  the other is with your own physiology. If you don't have enough born to really secure the receiving receptacle, that will be a problem. the best dentist can only do their best with what they are given to work with, meaning as I said, your physiology and the quality of the material they use.  to date, the cost has been in the $300,000 range and continues to grow. in many cases, there is continuing maintenance and adjustments necessary depending on your age.

I suggest you avoid Dental Sandra like the plague, pun intended, but it is true.

 

 

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, mexpat60 said:

Ditto on Dr. Eloy Barrigan.

Ditto again. I have used him for 'minor' things for years but recently he and his office did some extensive work... some of which required a Periodontist which he regularly schedules in from Guadalajara. He and his wife/associate are both Endodontist and did my/wife's root canals with amazing care. Be aware that he himself does not do implants but rather has another associate from Guadalajara in his office weekly for this work. 

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3 hours ago, 777 said:

Dr. Haro, Dr. Barragan, Dr. Edgar Macias

All good choices.  Dr. Macias owns Dental Express and I and my wife have used him in the recent past for bridges and crowns as he uses leading edge equipment to 'produce' the bridge/crown right in his office. Perfect fit, "same day". No one else Lakeside has/uses this expensive equipment. He also advertises 'cosmetic dentistry' and dentures.  In his office, I would stick to his expertise only. 

 

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Thanks so much for your responses. So of the three, Haro, Barrigan, Macias, sounds like Haro is most expensive? Sounds like Barrigan brings in oral surgeon from Guadalajara. Does anybody know if Macias and Haro are oral surgeons; or do they also have someone they call in? Any comparisons between Barrigan and Macias? Sounds like Macias has state of the art equipment; although I'm not sure that's a factor with the full mouth implants because it's a two-stage process over 6 months or a year.

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As I understand it you are needing not just one implant but many.  It looks like you will be getting major work, a lot more than one or even several teeth.  I would consult with several and get details about how they would approach this and what the costs will be.  Whatever it is I can practically promise you it will be a fraction of the cost NOB.  To give you an example, Dr. Barrigan rebuilt a broken tooth of mine, including novocaine and some very painstaking work to work it so that it feels and works absolutely natural, for the whopping sum of 700 pesos.  And it was totally painless.

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Neither Haro nor Macias are dental surgeons so they 'have specialists' who come in from Guad.... not just any old specialist but specific ones that they have relationships with.  And in fact I don't know just how much Haro himself is seeing patients.... more it's just that Haro's Office is and always has been a very good dental choice.

I haven't been in Haro's office for a while so can't attest to just how high he might (still) be vs say Barrigan's office. Macias's Dental Express is always less expensive... but/and again I will only use Dr. Macias himself. Just me maybe. 

IMO, Barragan's office just seems 'more professional' than Macias' Dental Express. I use and respect both but mostly I have used Macias for his expertise and specialized equipment to provide crowns and bridges that are 1)precise w/respect to margins, etc, 2) quick, so available 'same day or next' and not a week or two if impressions have to be sent to Guad which is what everyone else has to do, and 3) cheaper. He also does cosmetic dentistry and implant supported dentures. 

 Barragan charges 7000 pesos for a crown and it takes about 2 weeks start to finish. Macias charges 4400 pesos for a crown and it is available 'immediately'.  Barragan's office charged me and my wife only 2300 pesos for a root canal which I think is a bargain AND the care with which it is done is unsurpassed. I have also had periodontal work in that office by a specialist from Guad. 

I echo the advice to talk to at least 2 of them about the work you feel you need. Check on 'availability' of appointments as they are very popular, especially in the winter season. 

 

 

 

 

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On 5/18/2020 at 9:27 PM, RickS said:

Neither Haro nor Macias are dental surgeons so they 'have specialists' who come in from Guad.... not just any old specialist but specific ones that they have relationships with.

I had a bridge replaced by Dr. Macias. First we tried a 4-unit bridge, larger than the previous one due to an extraction. It broke twice, after which I gave in and let them do implants and crowns. I should have just gone straight to implants. Dr. Macias drilled and inserted the implants in a fairly quick session. It was as pain-free as possible, which is saying a lot for me. I typically require 2-3 times the normal amount of lidocaine. Back in the states, I get the laughing gas as well. At Dental Express I get 'happy juice.' 

I returned in six months (January 2020) and an assistant inserted the 'healing' screws. We went whale watching in Cabo for a week, then returned and she took the 3D scans and printed the crowns. I returned later for the installs, some of which didn't work. A reprint was done, a final installation, and I was done. Finally.

The assistant (not sure of her actual title) was, it seemed, somewhat learning on the job, occasionally consulting with Dr. Macias. For any serious drilling I will always try to book directly with him, but his schedule is pretty full. In the end, my total bill was calculated, then they subtracted what I had originally paid for the bridge work. I paid the difference, because they didn't want to charge me for each procedure, but per tooth. Extremely fair! I've had no problems with the crowns and it's nice to be able to use both sides of my mouth after about a year with missing teeth.

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  • 1 year later...
On 5/19/2020 at 8:06 PM, dixonge said:

I returned in six months (January 2020) and an assistant inserted the 'healing' screws. We went whale watching in Cabo for a week, then returned and she took the 3D scans and printed the crowns. I returned later for the installs, some of which didn't work. A reprint was done, a final installation, and I was done. Finally.

The assistant (not sure of her actual title) was, it seemed, somewhat learning on the job, occasionally consulting with Dr. Macias. For any serious drilling I will always try to book directly with him, but his schedule is pretty full. In the end, my total bill was calculated, then they subtracted what I had originally paid for the bridge work. I paid the difference, because they didn't want to charge me for each procedure, but per tooth. Extremely fair! I've had no problems with the crowns and it's nice to be able to use both sides of my mouth after about a year with missing teeth.

Follow-up!

In Sept. of 2021, whilst chewing on some Triscuits, one of the crowns broke in half. In examining it it appears to have been created with a very shallow hole, not sitting all the way down on the 'shoulder' of the post. It was also, mostly due to the position and angle of the post, off-center, leaving the majority of the crown floating off of the front of the post. I suspect this left it structurally unsound for the pressures created by the human jaw when biting down on food.

I'm quite certain I could get it redone for either a discount or possibly free, but I'm beginning to suspect that there is a correlation between dentists who have CNC-milling tech and dentists who focus on cost-cutting and/or expansion. This is my unscientific opinion. But it's my fault for not insisting on a better fit. 

I stopped going to chain dentistry outfits back in the States a long time ago, mainly because they are little more than training school for recent graduates. It's probably time for me to invest in higher quality and integrity in Mexico as well...

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16 minutes ago, dixonge said:

Follow-up!

In Sept. of 2021, whilst chewing on some Triscuits, one of the crowns broke in half. In examining it it appears to have been created with a very shallow hole, not sitting all the way down on the 'shoulder' of the post. It was also, mostly due to the position and angle of the post, off-center, leaving the majority of the crown floating off of the front of the post. I suspect this left it structurally unsound for the pressures created by the human jaw when biting down on food.

I'm quite certain I could get it redone for either a discount or possibly free, but I'm beginning to suspect that there is a correlation between dentists who have CNC-milling tech and dentists who focus on cost-cutting and/or expansion. This is my unscientific opinion. But it's my fault for not insisting on a better fit. 

I stopped going to chain dentistry outfits back in the States a long time ago, mainly because they are little more than training school for recent graduates. It's probably time for me to invest in higher quality and integrity in Mexico as well...

Get an evaluation from Barrigan and/or Haro.

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