Fixing a dental tourism mistake
I had a crown done at a dentist in Los Algodones, Mexico, and I think the dentist made a mistake. I need some advice on getting him to fix it without overcharging me.
I’d seen this same dentist a few years ago and had some restorative work done on three molars, so I came back to him when I cracked my tooth biting into an olive pit. He suggested fixing the tooth with a crown, and that was fine. But a few days after I got home, the crown came off in my mouth while I was eating. I called the dentist in Mexico, and he told me I’d have to come back, so I did.
When I got there, he told me he couldn’t put the crown back on without doing a root canal on the tooth, so I let him do that. I did ask why he didn’t do the root canal to begin with, and he said that at the time it didn’t seem necessary. Then I went back home. It was obviously pretty quickly that something wasn’t right. The tooth was terribly sensitive. Even tapping on it hurt, as did drinking anything hot or cold. Well, I wasn’t about to make a third trip to Los Algodones, so I found someone locally and made an appointment.
The new local dentist thinks the tooth should be pulled because of the crack. Then it can be replaced with an implant or a bridge. She said that the crown that fell off is no good and wasn’t put on correctly.
How do I get the dentist in Mexico to extract the tooth and replace it with an implant at a reasonable cost? I think it would be fair for him to give me some kind of credit for the work I’ve paid for, given that it was poor quality.
Gwen in Gilbert
Dear Gwen,
I agree with you that this was poor quality work. Cementing a crown in place is basic dentistry that any dentist should be able to do well. Loose crowns suggest a real problem with this dentist’s standard of care. You’re right to be concerned.
It sounds like you weren’t in pain before the root canal. If that’s the case, I question if it was really necessary. There’s no need to do a root canal just to crown a tooth, and I’d be wary of a dentist who gave that excuse.
If I were you, I wouldn’t let the Los Algodones dentist do any other work on your teeth. There certainly are good dentists practicing there and in other dental tourism towns—the problem is you have no way of being sure of the quality you’re getting. Some border town practices have very flashy marketing. As you found out, the quality can be subpar.
As far as getting some financial fairness from the dentist, I think your options are limited. I’m not familiar with Mexican laws regarding malpractice and small claims. In the United States, there’s a system for patients who have received poor care. A big drawback of dental tourism is you don’t have much recourse if the work isn’t good.
I have some questions about the second dentist you saw too. The pain you described, from pressure and temperature, is due to a failed root canal. When completing a root canal, a dentist must carefully remove every trace of living tissue from inside the tooth. Any remaining root is a potential site of infection. When the dentist in Los Algodones did the root canal, he must have left some of the root inside the tooth. Not good. But I’m curious about why the local dentist you saw thought the tooth needed to be pulled. The more conservative and affordable treatment would be to redo the root canal.
Placing implants is a demanding area of dentistry, and a lot can go wrong if the dentist isn’t skilled. Implants need to be carefully placed to avoid penetrating nerves and sinuses in the face. Given that the dentist in Mexico has already given you a crown that fell off and did an incomplete (possibly unnecessary) root canal, I would find someone else. Don’t let him try to put an implant in your jaw, or your horror story might only get worse.
Most people cross the border for dental care because they are trying to save money. Unfortunately, when the work isn’t done well, it ends up being expensive and inconvenient. In worst-case scenarios, dental mistakes can trigger serious health problems. The standards of dental care aren’t the same in Mexico as they are in the U.S., which is one reason why dental tourism is a gamble.
What you need is a local affordable dentist with good reviews. Dr. Sutton would be happy to see you and evaluate your dental needs in our Mesa office.
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