May 22, 2013 by Paul C. McTaggart
Photo provided from: Blazersand2000
Waiting in line for hours to get back into the Unite States is crazy frustrating. I know because I’ve spent hours at the Mexico/US border waiting to get back to the United States on my quest to find the top dentists in Mexico.
Here are four tips I’ve learned over the years to avoid long Mexico border wait times:
- Ready Lane: Head over to the Ready Lane to get preferred entry for you and your vehicle. This lane lets you and your passengers who have Sentri, Global Entry, Fast (for truckers), the U.S. Passport Card; the Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL); the Enhanced Tribal Card (ETC); the new Enhanced Permanent Resident Card (PRC) or new Border Crossing Card (BCC) to jump to the front of the border lines. Here are the border crossings with Ready Lanes.
- Avoid peak hours: Avoid peak hours for the crossing to the United States. Avoid 7-10am and 4-8pm which are generally the peak wait times for Mexican residents to enter/exit the United States for work. Check the US Customs and Border Protection web site to get the latest Mexico border wait times
- Grab a Red Bus for San Ysidro: If you are entering the United States via the San Ysidro border crossing take the Red Bus run by MexiCoach to cut ahead of the lines. For only $3 the Red Bus will drop you off right at the border and you will be walked to the front of the lines for the pedestrian border entry.
- Ask for a Medical Lane pass: If you are in Tijuana or Mexicali you can ask you Mexico dentist or doctor for a Medical Lane pass. This Medical Lane pass is free to you and with a dedicated lane at the US border..you will breeze right through in no time!
Photo provided by: CC-BY-SA-3.0/Matt H. Wade at Wikipedia
Mexican border wait times can be a hassle after a long day in Mexico. I’ve had several times where I am completely exhausted from visiting Mexico dental clinics for 12 hours and the last thing I needed was a ridiculously long border wait time. These 4 tips have saved me the hot, draining experience of standing in line for hours at the Mexican border: I hope these tips help you avoid the same fate!
Categories: Medical Lane, Mexico, Mexico border wait times |
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May 16, 2013 by Paul C. McTaggart
My first trip to Mexicali was an eye opener to how little I knew about this town. First, Mexcali dentists pride themselves on the quality of their dental care and are so eager to show off their newly remodeled dental clinics and ultra-modern dental equipment.
I expected a dusty border town with small dental clinics and found a large city with prospering dental practices due to booming trade with the United States (under the NAFTA agreement). Second, with Mexicali’s close proximity to its sister city to the north (Calexico, California) I expected a bland town that you just pass through on your trip somewhere else. What I found was that Mexicali is rich in a history based on Chinese immigrants. Chinese buffets/restaurants are on every street and it isn’t surprising to meet Mexicali residents with the last name Wong, Fong, Yang or Wu. What blew me back in my chair was to be served limes and hot sauce with a traditional Chinese meal like egg drop soup or hot & sour soup!
The Mexicali dentists that I met with ranged from small two chair dental clinics like BC Dental Care Mexicali and RamLaz Dental to large 8 chair dental franchises like Continental Dental Care. Although the Mexicali clinics ranged in size, price and dental experience the one element that was consistent amongst all was their laser focus on the quality of dental care they provide. The quality started with the training and experience of their dental staff (dentists, hygienists, service staff), extended to the dental equipment used and ended with the dental labs they worked with to ensure dental quality from end-2-end.
The dentists of Mexicali were keen to establish Mexicali as a top destination for American and Canadian patients to visit for their dental care. The Mexicali dentists realize that the price savings were what attracted snowbird Canadian and American patients in the winter but they wanted to elevate the quality of dental care and support facilities to ensure the snowbirds kept coming back. Two areas that they were working to improve Mexicali’s visibility was 1) The number of modern and western-styled hotels to allow patients to rest comfortably between dental treatments like the Hotel Araiza and the Colonial Hotel 2) The medical tourism lane at the border which whisks patients within minutes through the US/Mexican border. All American and Canadians need is to ask for a Medical Lane pass from their dentist and their 30 minute wait at the border is reduced to minutes!
Image by: Jude Joffe-Block
Mexicali is really trying to make itself known as one of the top destinations for Americans and Canadians to visit a Mexico dentist. From all the conversations and observations I had on my stay in Mexicali: I can attest that Mexicali dentists are well on their way to create a long-lasting industry to deliver quality dental services to Canadian and American snowbirds.
Categories: Dentist, Mexicali |
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May 13, 2013 by Paul C. McTaggart
The first stop on my journey to travel the world to find the best dentists was Tijuana, Mexico. Tijuana dentists offer an amazing value for quality dental care. After meeting with dozens of dental clinics and their staff I found their commitment to quality dental care admirable.
Let’s start from the beginning: my family and I drove down highway 101 from Seattle to San Diego over 10 days. We had just sold off all our worldly possessions, rented out our house and now were traveling down the coast with one bag per person. Tijuana was the first stop on our two year journey around the world for me to find quality dentists.
Tijuana dentists are just a 20 minute drive from San Diego and a 2.5 hour drive from LA. There are two options to visit a Tijuana dentist: drive through the border or walk across. I chose to walk across the border and it was surprisingly easy: I parked right at the border for $5 and then walked through the newly built border crossing.
Once across the border I hailed a cab and made my way to dozens of Tijuana dental clinics. I spoke with dental clinic owners, dentists, hygienists and dental technicians all over Tijuana, Mexico. The Tijuana dentists were so eager to show me around their dental clinics: pointing out the new equipment they had purchased (intra-oral cameras, panoramic x-ray machines, dental laboratory) and the new renovations they had made to modernize the interior design of their clinics. I was pleasantly surprised to step out of a bustling Mexico street scene (street vendors, roadside taco stands etc.) into the serenity of a modern dental clinic that wouldn’t be out of place in Canada, United States or Australia.
The dentists in Tijuana go out of their way to make their San Diego & LA dental patients feel comfortable. There would be up-to-date American magazines in the patient waiting room (Time, In Style, National Geographic, People) and American top 40 music playing over the dental clinic’s sound system. I visited two of our top Tijuana dental clinics: Dental Spana, Tijuana Clinic for Cosmetic Dentistry and Clinica Dental Tijuana. These there Tijuana dental clinics were especially proud of the quality of their dental implants and showed me dozens of before & after photos of American patients who found their new smiles.
As I waited for my appointments in Tijuana I was taken aback by the number of American & even Canadian dental patients who had made the trip down to Tijuana for their dental care. For some of these patients it was their first time visiting a Tijuana dentists and for others this was part of a typical visit to their dentist every six to 12 months for a check-up. There were a large number of people from San Diego and LA who were here in Tijuana because their were unable to afford their dental treatment in the United States. After speaking with people in dental clinic waiting rooms across Tijuana their was a constant theme which kept appearing: people worked really hard but were finding it harder & harder to afford quality dental care at home. For some dental care in Tijuana was their only available dental option and for others they couldn’t justify spending $10,000 on dental care and sought out a less expensive solution.
Visiting dentists in Tijuana reaffirmed my belief that quality dental care is no longer just a local option. It took me getting out of my comfort zone (by leaving Seattle, Washington) to see with my own two eyes that Mexican dentists have the same passion & commitment to delivering quality dental care as the dentists in the United States & Canada.
Categories: Tijuana |
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May 5, 2013 by Paul C. McTaggart
Paul McTaggart is traveling the globe to find the best dentists
What does it take to find the best global dentist? The short answer – one piece of luggage and love of discovery!
I am now 7 months into traveling the globe to find world-class global dentists for Dental Departures. So far it has been a harrowing experience of extreme highs and lonesome lows for both myself and my family.
Let’s start at the beginning. I lived & worked in Seattle, Washington and had the idealic lifestyle: I had my health, amazing family, wonderful friends, beautiful home and a challenging, high paying corporate job. It was bliss and 95% of the planet aspires for this western lifestyle. In brief movements of truth on our deck with a drink in my hand it would hit me: ’what was I doing to put a dent in the universe?’, ‘was life’s adventures now relegated to annual 3 week vacations & weekend trips for the next 30 years?’. These questions first started out as a whisper in the back of my mind and then gradually built into an ever-present companion pushing me to answer.
How could I find adventure & put a dent in the universe from my basement office in Seattle?
My answer: quit my job, create a start-up to help people find more affordable dental care, rent out the house, sell off all our stuff and travel the globe to find world class dentists.
I took a leap of faith and like all leaps of faith the first step is the hardest. One bag for me, one bag for my amazing wife Autumn, one bag each for my two daughters Isabella (3 years) and Sophia (2 years). That first day driving down the west coast of the United States (to Mexico) was raw like never before: fleeting moments of pumping adrenaline from the adventures we knew lay ahead and then gut wrenching terror of what we just did.
There was a lot of detractors: people who thought taking 2 kids under 3 traveling the globe was crazy, people who thought quitting my safe/high paying corporate job was plain dumb, people who thought cashing in our savings to fund a start-up was foolish, people who thought global medical or dental care just cannot be as good as in Canada or the United States. The voices of these caring & smart family members, friends, colleagues played through my mind and fought battle with the voices of adventure & purposefulness on our drive down the west coast.
Over the past seven months I have found world class dentists and dental clinics in: Tijuana, Mexicali, Los Algodones, Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas and Cancun. I have met over a thousand Mexican dentists and their team and toured hundreds of dental clinics in Mexico. I can say with 100% confidence that the level of dental care I received is the same and even better than the dental treatment I received in Canada and the United States. I had no hesitation when I, my wife or my children received our dental care in Mexico. There were also dentists in Mexico that I chose not to do business with: there are bad dentists in Mexico just as there are bad dentists in Canada and the United States. Luckily, Dental Departures has put together systems & processes to promote high quality global dentists to our customers and quickly decline & remove bad dentists.
Along the way our family has experienced the highs & lows of global travel:
Lows:
- Missing family, friends & pets
- Being a ‘constant stranger’ in each city
- Flight delays & airport security screenings with 4 bags, 2 car seats, 2 laptops, 1 iPad, 1 iPod, 1 Nespresso coffee maker
- Unmarked street names & one way roads
- Keeping kids occupied without toys (they don’t fit in 1 bag)
- Taxi cab drivers that lie and try to rip you off
Highs:
- Everything is new: getting home, finding a grocery store, getting nails done, finding a barber shop
- The weather: we have seen & felt the sun for 7 months straight
- The food: nothing beats local, quality ingredients made with love
- The people: the Mexican people are friendly, family oriented and eager to help a lost gringo
- Getting to experience the city as a local (not a tourist)
- Less stuff: less stuff to buy, less stuff to fix, less space need to store it
- Spending more time with each other
I am ‘all in’ to find a global dentist. With one bag in hand, I have taken a leap of faith off the precipice. If the past 7 months serves as a guide: this path less travelled has indeed made the difference!
Categories: overseas dentistry |
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March 15, 2013 by Amanda Duffy
Free RV parking is a welcome bonus for our budget-conscious dental patients (and who isn’t these days?) who are trying to make those dollars stretch a little further. The Quechan Casino and Resort welcomes travelers in all vehicles – including 18 wheelers, RVs and trailers – and offers free parking to all.
The Advantages of Free RV Parking at the Quechan Casino and Resort
Snowbirds, retirees and other travelers heading south on the open roads for some warmer weather will find the Quechan Casino and Resort a convenient place to stop. Yuma is only 8 miles away and Los Algodones a mere two miles away. The Quechan can’t be beaten for its location to Los Algodones – which may be an important consideration if you need to be at a dentist in Los Algodones early in the morning.
Although there are plenty of opportunities for free camping and parking – or dispersed recreation camping – on public lands sometimes you need a few more facilities than just the stars and scenery.
While there aren’t the hook-ups available at Quechan Casino and Resort that would be at a campsite, travelers should be able to get around this somewhat by using the facilities at the resort. There are plenty of bars, dining facilities and an enormous pool. Cool off with a leisurely swim, drift around a lazy river or just relax on one of the poolside beds with a long, cool drink. All seem like a reasonable exchange for the lack of hook-ups. There is also late-night entertainment with bands and other artistes playing and, of course, the casino.
Free RV parking can reduce your daily costs substantially by not paying campsite fees. To ensure the continued provision of free RV parking please be considerate and remember to leave the area clean and tidy.
Clinica Integral Rubio
Categories: Algodones, algodones dentist, Mexico, Mexico Dentist, Near Yuma |
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March 11, 2013 by Amanda Duffy
Tax deductions for medical expenses allow patients to claim tax relief on expenses for medical and dental costs providing they meet a minimum threshold.
The good news is that tax relief for dental care costs is also included. For dental patients choosing to visit a dentist in Costa Rica, Mexico, or anywhere else for that matter, tax free allowances could reduce the costs of their dental treatment still further.
With tax returns due imminently, here’s a few pointers when calculating and claiming your tax deductions.
Claim Tax Deductions for Medical Expenses on expenditure above 7.5% of your AGI
Ultimately, for the 2012 tax year you are eligible to deduct any health care expenses which are equivalent to, or greater than, 7.5% of your adjusted gross income (AGI). If your expenditure is less than this you will not be able to claim it as tax deductible. However, there are a few perfectly legitimate ways in which to maximize your expenditure.
Qualifying expenses include your spouses and your dependents, as well as your own health care costs. It is not hard to see how these aggregated expenses can soon mount up. Furthermore, although it is generally advised to spread the cost of major treatments over a number of years, it may be more prudent from a tax relief perspective to do it all in one year. For patients having major dental work this is something to bear in mind.
Dental patients who go abroad for their treatment save even more
The IRS lists a comprehensive range of qualifying dental and medical conditions where tax deductions for medical expenses are allowable. These are updated regularly, but eligible claims may also include the costs of diagnosing, preventing disease, and prescription drug as well as the actual treatment costs.
However, more surprising and less well known is that travel and accommodation charges may be included as a qualifying expense – provided they are incurred primarily as a result of essential dental care. For patients traveling to other countries for dental treatment this could amount to a huge reduction on overall expenditure.
So, visiting a dentist in Costa Rica could not only save you up to 70% on comparable costs at home, but also reduce your tax bill. Now that is something to smile about.
Further information and advice regarding tax reductions for medical expenses is available from the IRS, or from your accountant.
GetTax Relief on Dental Treatment Abroad (Image by: Dennis Jarvis)
Categories: Dental Tourism, overseas dentistry |
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January 4, 2013 by Amanda Duffy
Boondocking is the freedom of traveling on the open roads in an RV, and setting up camp on any public land that takes your fancy. Savvy dental patients are finding they can save even more on their dental care in Mexico by reducing their flight and accommodation costs through boondocking in Quartzsite and other areas in Arizona.
The term technically means a rural, remote area of countryside filled with dense brush. The word was adopted by the RV community to describe camping in remote areas with no water or electric hook-ups. In particular, boondocking refers to camping on public lands (also known as dispersed or dispersed recreation camping). More recently, the term has also come to include camping in the car parks of shops or malls. However, the purists will argue that this is not the case – true boondocking is not just about free or cheap parking, but about parking out in the wilds.
Boondocking – The Fun and Economical Way to See the Country
A fun and economical way of seeing some remarkable countryside and meeting new people, the beauty of it is the relative lack of restrictions on where to stay (although there are some). The convenience of having your own sleeping, dining and bathroom facilities so you can enjoy the great outdoors with all the creature comforts of home can’t be under-estimated.
For some, boondocking is a lifestyle choice and outside of the city there are plenty of cheap, if not free places to park and set up camp in. Arizona has more than its fair share of terrific scenery with opportunities for state parks camping in the National Parks, as well as dispersed recreation camping on public lands.
Towns such as Quartzsite located at the cross roads of Highway 10 and Highway 95, have been welcoming travelers since the Gold Rush pioneers first came. Now over one million visitors, mainly snowbirds looking for some winter sun, descend here from November to March and set up camp. Famous for its swap meets there are tons of other activities to get involved in. Golf, bingo, dances, jam sessions, and other special events in the town means there is always something happening. January and February are particularly busy with the famous Pow Wow Gemstone Meet toward the end of January.
Be Part of the Boondocking Community
Quartzsite offers novice boondockers a chance to get to know people in this welcoming community and old-hands a chance to catch-up. At around 90 miles from Mexico’s Algodones, the Dental Capital of the World, Quartzsite is a great spot in which to pitch camp – either before or after visiting a dentist over the border.
Categories: algodones dentist, Mexico |
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November 29, 2012 by Paul C. McTaggart
Taking a bus to Los Algodones, Mexico is a great option for those who either don’t have a car or don’t want the hassle of driving several hours. Why not sit back in an air conditioned bus and leave the driving up to a trained professional to take you to Los Algodones.
When you take a bus back from Los Algodones Mexico to visit a Los Algodones dental clinic, pharmacy or optician you can relax after a long day in the dentists chair, shopping or sampling the wonderful local Mexican food.
There are three excellent options for bus transportation to Los Algodones.
1. Cardiff Limousine
Cardiff Limousine takes passengers from Palm Springs area to Los Algodones, Mexico once a month.
Departure Dates:
- Thursday, December 13, 2012
- Thursday, January 10, 2013
- Thursday, February 7, 2013
- Thursday, March 21, 2013
Cost: $35 per passenger (ask about their seniors discount)
Reservations: Call 760-404-1594
Cardiff Limousine
Photo courtesy of: Cardiff Limousine
2. Especially 4 U Tours
Especially 4 U Tours takes passengers from Mesa/Apache Junction and the Metro Phoenix areas to Los Algodones, Mexico once a month.
Departure Dates:
- Wednesday, December 12 2012
- Wednesday, January 23 2013
- Wednesday, February 20 2013
- Wednesday, March 13 2013
- Wednesday, April 17 2013
Cost: $79 per passenger
Reservations: Call 480-985-4200 or book online
Especially 4 U Tours
Photo Courtesy of: Especially 4 U Tours
3. Tour West America
Tour West America takes passengers from Mesa/Apache Junction and the Metro Phoenix areas to Los Algodones, Mexico once a month.
Departure Dates:
- Thursday, 12/13/2012
- Thursday, 01/22/2013
- Friday, 02/01/2013
- Friday, 03/08/2013
Cost: $79/passenger
Reservations: Call (800) 706-8687
Tour West America bus
Photo courtesy of: Tour West America
You can sit back and relax with either of these three bus transportations to Los Algodones, Mexico. Why spend several hours behind the wheel when you can sit back, read a novel and enjoy the ride in air conditioned comfort on your bus ride to Los Algodones.
If you need any help scheduling your bus transportation please reach out to the customer care team at Dental Departures anytime at 1 888 504-2671.
Categories: Algodones, algodones dentist |
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November 20, 2012 by Amanda Duffy
Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica (Image by: Quim)
Find reliable Costa Rica dentists reviews you can trust with Dental Departures. Your search for an overseas dentist is so much easier with us. Written by patients who have experienced a particular dentist you can now find hundreds of reviews all in one place.
We know it is time-consuming trawling the internet trying to piece information together. Our reviews, along with masses of other useful information, are all freely available on our website, saving you the time and stress of trying to gather the information yourself.
Over the years we have been researching dental clinics across the globe, including dentists in Costa Rica. Our background-checks on their qualifications and experience has resulted in us only having the very best dentists listed on our site. In fact, we are so certain of our dentists’ capabilities that we offer a no-quibble guarantee.
Read Our Costa Rica Dentists Reviews for Yourself
Check out our Costa Rica dentists reviews for yourself. Here is a typical one from Joaquin Ives, Miami, USA on his experience at DDS Dental:
“This is a top caliber clinic with outstanding experienced caring dentists who are specialists. They are US trained, their English is perfect, their clinic is state of the art. You can spend 200% more in the US and still get a lesser result.”
We have many more reviews like this from ordinary people, who took the plunge and had their dentistry overseas. Overwhelmingly, the vast majority of them are overjoyed with the dental treatment they received, and make plans to return.
Old banana barge, Black Beach, Costa Rica (Image by: Joi Ito)
Our website makes it easy for you to check our dentists, their facilities, reviews and prices. Clinic photos, price comparisons, and maps will give you a good feel for each clinic. We have dentists located throughout Costa Rica, including San Jose and Heredia. We also have loads more Costa Rica dentists reviews.
To book an appointment or get a free quote visit our website. Alternatively, we are only too happy to help if you have any specific questions, so please get in touch.
Categories: Costa Rica, Dental Tourism, Dentist Reviews, overseas dentistry |
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by Amanda Duffy
Dental Departures offers you trustworthy Phuket dentist reviews. Reviews from real patients on their dental experiences abroad are featured on our website, helping you get the real lowdown on your dentist.
Finding a good dentist at home is hard enough, but just how do you find a good dentist in Phuket? Checking out clinic reviews is one way of sorting the wheat from the chaff, but how do you know if they are authentic, or trustworthy? We can verify that all our reviews are from real patients about their experiences at our recommended dental clinics.
Our Phuket Dentist Reviews confirm the High Standards of Our Dentists
Although we have diligently checked and vetted our listed dental clinics for high standards and quality of care, a good patient review is proof that we are doing it right. We are proud to be able to recommend to you only those clinics that have passed our stringent background checks, and even prouder that our patients have received outstanding dental care. Many thousands of patients have received their exceptional dental care through our recommendations and are happy to relate their experiences.
We have received plenty of Phuket dentist reviews, as it is a particularly popular destination. Here is what Faye, a happy patient from Geelong, Australia said about her experience at the Sea Smile Dental Clinic, Patong Beach, Phuket:
‘I was very impressed with everything about Sea Smile and have already recommended you to my friends. I will definitely be back in the future if need be. Thank you for a great experience. Before having work done at Sea Smile I was very worried having work done because of previous bad work in Australia. Thanks for helping me.’
Visit the Dental Departures website for further information about our dentists, including costs, procedures undertaken and, of course, real Phuket dentist reviews. Our website gives you everything you need, so that you can find out about your dentist overseas before you visit them.
Categories: Phuket Dentists |
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