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I viewed 10 hours of websites and recommendations regarding dentists in Puerta Vallarta Mexico, and found crown prices ranging from $1500 peso to $4000 peso for the same proceedure. Listen, all the work is done to make the porcelain crown by the same lab in Puerta Vallarta. You will hear well that one is a metal/porcelain or solid metal crown, all to through you off the fact that they are the different, indeed they are. I ended up with a composite crown with a metal base and solid porcelain upper crown. Do your homework, I had dentists calling me back, emails back and forth but these dentists charged 100-200% more than what I found. What it comes down to is the good feeling you get from the dentist or their fancy stainless steel, Plasma screen, glossy reception and high priced office. This is what you are paying for and is reflected by price of your crowns or dental work.

So, after getting 7 quotes (3 call backs, 3 email responses), I decided to do some more deep reading on the Puerta Vallarta forums and other non-paid for websites for real user information about dental services in Puerta Vallarta. I ended up reading about the service at a local dentist in Old Puerta Vallarta. I did not receive back a phone call or a email to my requests, however, this does not surprise me in this day and age anymore. I Googled them, I ran the dentists names, I seen where they schooled, and I saw the store front on Google maps, I had all the info I needed, but no confirmation if they could fit me in while I was down there for the one week vacation.

This trip was exclusively for the purpose of getting my crowns made and fitted, as I have been running on my Canadian made temps for 3 years!!! So dental work first, sun secound was the plan.

I landed in Puerta Vallarta and checked into my hotel (All travel, taxes, transfers, all inclusive from Toronto $800 CAD, beat that one Fractional Ownership or Timeshare People), and walked 4 beachfront blocks and 3 city blocks to the dentist office, a nice 15 minute stroll while catching some fun in the sun along the way!
I was greeted by Alberto who spoke perfect English and explained to him what I needed. He brought me into the dental room and the female dentist examined my teeth and asked through Alberto to me what I wanted done. Alberto answered all my questions that I had (and I did have) and gave me a quote for the teeth and all the work scheduling that was needed.

It turned out to be 2 hours in the chair for grinding out the temps, fixing the surface for sealing, take moulds of top and bottom teeth, make crown temps, grind temps to fit in mouth comfortably, and install them. “Do you want freezing”? Us Canadians are a custom to the ‘no pain thing’, and obviously the Mexican grin and bear it, but not me… “Freeze me up”, and by the way it was no extra charge for me. That was day one done. Next visit for final fitting, booked for the 4th day of my trip. I decided since I was there and this was a teeth trip, that I might as well get my teeth whitened, witch I did on day 3. The teeth whitening procedure was standard, they gave me all the information in advance about the cements, peroxides etc, so that I could do my own research on the web at my hotel, and I did. I was very satisfied with the procedure, the tools, the personnel and the Dentist.

A word of warning to those expecting the shine and pristine of a new dental office, this ones not. This is the bare-bones real deal and maybe you feel more comfortable in the new shiny dentist office, fair enough, to each his own.

I have been around the block and had many dentist is Toronto and know the difference of a steady experienced hand in my mouth, and this is exactly what I got in Old Puerta Vallarta, I noticed that they have expanded to 2 other locations around the bay, so you don’t have to stay in Old Puerta Vallarta to be walking distance close, as I was.

The staff are wonderful, experienced and able to handle last minute, walk in dental work, so no need to worry about the calls, emails, and hype of the other high price dentists that operate in Mexico. Do your soul searching due diligence and some web work and if you are like me, you may walk away with a white smile on your face and money in your pocket too.. And oh, the cost in Canada, after reviewing numerous dentist quotes, the lowest price I found was $850 CAD per crown!!! Well worth the trip to Puerta Vallarta and all the dental work!!!!

Trip Date: Nov. 2011 – Exchange price = 12.78 pso to 1 CAD therfore 1278 Peso to $100 CAD. Crowns were $1500 peso each which is $117 CAD a piece…. Even for one crown plus $800 CAD (travel all inclusive) equals the cost of many Toronto crowns (1). You do the math.

More information: ColinintheCloud@gmail.com

Keep on smiling.