Dental Work in the RD

mamielizabeth

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Feb 9, 2008
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I had a conversation today about dental work ,that left me wondering how working class people afford the dentist. I have a friend who has an infected tooth ,he was given a perscription each pill costing 180 pesos. He also said once the infection is gone he has to go back to the dentist and have a tooth pulled ( a front tooth ) and then have it replaced ,the procedure would take place in a hospital in Puerto Plata and will cost $30,000 pesos. Is this the going rate for dental services? It seems like so much money. Can anyone provide input on this???? Are there any options for paying such large mediacal bills?
 

Robert

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Jan 2, 1999
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That's what happens when you have no insurance.

If he needs the extraction done at a hospital, then I assume it's a complicated case.

If he is having an extraction and a crown or implant to replace it, then it's expensive.
Double or triple the RD$30K if you had the same work done in the USA.
 

MikeFisher

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Feb 28, 2006
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no,
it is not the going rate in DR and has not much to do with any insurance neither.
i have a front teeth on the top and 4 back teeth (sp??, sorry) on the top right fakes in my mounth, removeable.
to get all the bad ones out and to get the fake one done and all work to my success without any trouble of anything i paid on a dentist lab in Bayaguana 3 months ago around $100.- total.
clean work, absolutely painfree.
he used the 'icing spray' first, than put his needle in , then the teeths out, 2 weeks afterwards when the usual lil wound's swelling been back down on normal he did his 'print' and fabricated the fakes til the next day to be placed in and they still work perfectly.
i felt nothing and the finally finished job is great.
30.000.- for a single teeth job sounds like the typical ridiculous money maker of our tourist areas.
dentist jobs are not covered by the usual med insurances.
i have the platinum plan for myself from the ARS Humano insurance,
by the quote for the job of the doc recommende by a friend to me who has half of his mouth 'replaced' by the same doc since years ago, i did not even bother to ask if he accepts any insurance card.
Mike
 

Robert

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Jan 2, 1999
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Mike...

We have no idea what he really needs, so you cannot assume it's a rip off.
Maybe its a complicated case? Maybe he needs a root canal etc etc.

The going rate here for a root canal and crown by a dentist that knows what they are doing is between RD$20-35,000 without insurance. That price can be reduced by 40-50% with insurance. The RD$30-35K is 2-3 times less than the USA.

With ARS Humano you can take additional coverage for peanuts to cover dental work. They just saved me around RD$140,000, I had lots of work done. I use "Salud Bucal" and they have clinics and dentists all over the the DR. People in my office also use ARS Humano, and they have also saved a bundle on braces and dental work.

Sure, you can go to some dude that kind of has an idea, but I personally prefer to go to a clinic that has a great reputation and the dentists are top notch.

Bottom line. If you have insurance here, good dental work is cheap. If you don't and your poor, then it's going to be a struggle paying. No different to many other parts of the world.
 

El_Uruguayo

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Dec 7, 2006
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If he really can't afford it, he could check out the Sonrisas Clinic in Puerto Plata. It's non-profit, and they can do pretty much any work needed for a fraction of the price. I doubt it would run more than a couple thousand pesos. Its not the prettiest place, but the dentists are good, highly experienced, and they have a good reputation.

Clinicas Odontologicas Sonrisas

Calle Pedro Glisante
Tel: 809.586.3501
 
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jaguarbob

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I had a conversation today about dental work ,that left me wondering how working class people afford the dentist. I have a friend who has an infected tooth ,he was given a perscription each pill costing 180 pesos. He also said once the infection is gone he has to go back to the dentist and have a tooth pulled ( a front tooth ) and then have it replaced ,the procedure would take place in a hospital in Puerto Plata and will cost $30,000 pesos. Is this the going rate for dental services? It seems like so much money. Can anyone provide input on this???? Are there any options for paying such large mediacal bills?

dental school in SD charges nothing for all work done by students and faculty helping...even braces...
bob
 

MikeFisher

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that's right Robert,
without insurance and poor means everywhere to get a hard time on medics, specially dental works.
compared to the outside they are all cheap on rates, hey, i remember the rates for simple dental stuff in Germany!, ha ha.
i had overall within a few weeks more stuff done to my own damaged mouth.
if i get the right count together the total on all been 7.000-7500.- pesos, the Cubans don here in PC quoted 3K$US.
of course i have to mention that the clinics in PC look much nicer, look more professional, don't know if they work better b/c i did not use them finally, the doc in the mountains and his clinic i used throu recommendation of a austrian friend of mine who got big work done there some years back, without a good recommendation i would not even enter any dental lab/clinic, i hate the dentists stuff, i am a complete chicken on that, but the doc did it in the perfect way, means 'painless', lol.
Mike
 

MikeFisher

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what somebody names properly is always relative.
that's why some pay several K's in US and others some K's in pesos.
but the higher rate at a facility never guarantees the better service/caretaking aso.
last week we had at centro medico punta cana a patient with asthma, went to the hospital which is not on the cheap side of the list, respiration machines did not work properly, patient been taken on their ambulance to be brought to Plaza de Salud St Dgo, in La Otra Banda the ambulance broke down with a fu$$ed off transmission, patient arrived in st dgo in very poor condition and 2 days ago died as a result of the ridiculously poor treatment of that high paid hospital.
i know the affected family in person,
and i can assure ya that i trust my newly won dentist with everything 100 times more than the foreign doctors who took the cash on the hosp[ital and did a BS of what they should have done.
bad things always can happen everywhere of course,
but it shows again clearly that the higher rates with just 'visually' shown 'cleaner' services are not always worth a thing.
for me in case of the dentist it is the trust in the person known personally,
of course in case of an emergency we don't have the time to know a doc that way.
Mike
 

OU812

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Jun 15, 2009
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If he really can't afford it, he could check out the Sonrisas Clinic in Puerto Plata. It's non-profit, and they can do pretty much any work needed for a fraction of the price. I doubt it would run more than a couple thousand pesos. Its not the prettiest place, but the dentists are good, highly experienced, and they have a good reputation.

Clinicas Odontologicas Sonrisas

Calle Pedro Glisante
Tel: 809.586.3501

I was going to recommend something like this as well, but my Mother in-law had major issues with a student at one of these clinics. Of course its either free or a very small donation, but you just don't know what the outcome is going to be. Long story short, she needed an implant, it got all infected, I mean down to the bone. After about 4 weeks, they had to remove part of that infected bone. In and out of the hospital since the infection had spread through her body etc... She still has issues today and she started this process about 6 Months ago. Just be real careful who you seek help from! If a good dentist will take payments or if you can borrow the money, do that. I think teeth pain is the worst, especially if something is done the wrong way.

Jeez...Good luck!

Noel
 

Robert

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Jan 2, 1999
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30k is nothing, unless your earning 8k per month, then it's 4 months income.

Good dental work at good prices can be found here.
Just ask around, Dominicans, expats here at DR1 etc.

My nephew had 4 wisdom teeth removed, 2 of them impacted.
The total procedure took 15 mins and was painless.
Total cost: RD$12,000k, no insurance.

Just the other day, I noticed the same Dominican dentist that pulled his teeth on the front cover of a Colombian dental magazine. He was in Colombia teaching high-end dentists a new implant technology.
 

susan77

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Jan 19, 2008
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dental implants?

Hi Robert-
You wrote:
Just the other day, I noticed the same Dominican dentist that pulled his teeth on the front cover of a Colombian dental magazine. He was in Colombia teaching high-end dentists a new implant technology.

Could you please tell me the dentist's name and where his office is located?
I need to get dental implants next month; but have not yet made an appt.and it sounds like this dentist knows his stuff!
Thanks-
Susan
 

Yayow

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Sep 4, 2007
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Where are the offices

Tell them Robert from DR1 sent you, they will look after you.

Dental Cibao Centres for Smile Design - Dominican Republic

Thanks for the info Robert. But a quick question where can you look them up the yellow pages, or in this forum. Do they have offices in Santo Domingo? I ask because I want to get my daughter braces, and it would be helpful to check out a place that comes recommended. After I get her set there are a few minor things I may want to do for myself.

Never mind I see you can click on the name thank you.
 
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Robert

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Jan 2, 1999
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Thanks for the info Robert. But a quick question where can you look them up the yellow pages, or in this forum. Do they have offices in Santo Domingo? I ask because I want to get my daughter braces, and it would be helpful to check out a place that comes recommended. After I get her set there are a few minor things I may want to do for myself.

Never mind I see you can click on the name thank you.

They do not have an office is Santo Domingo.

The price to fit the most modern braces available (clear ceramic) are a fraction of the cost you would pay in the USA. If you have local insurance, even cheaper.
 

mgrnd

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Dec 31, 2008
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Mike...
The going rate here for a root canal and crown by a dentist that knows what they are doing is between RD$20-35,000 without insurance. That price can be reduced by 40-50% with insurance.
I use "Salud Bucal" and they have clinics and dentists all over the the DR.


RD$20-35,000 without insurance (reduced by 40-50% with insurance)???? Please explain your calculation. I have both Humano and Palic Salud brochures in front of me. The prices are much smaller. For example, Palic Salud brochure shows RD$2,990 for the root canal. The patient must pay RD$1,195 (40%). The most expensive dental work (endodoncia molar) is RD$4,550. Patient must pay 50% of this price. How you get RD$20-35K for root canal without insurance? Who will be willing to pay such fees in this country?
 

MikeFisher

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Feb 28, 2006
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there are enough patients in this country who can pay those fees easily.
on dentists there is like on other meds and any other thing of course the whole 9 yards available.
private top clinics ask for top rates for their services, such is on this planet usual.
Mike
 

bryan1258

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Dec 24, 2007
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30k pesos is nothing for a front tooth. not even in DR.

That's what I thought. What a bargain.



I need four fillings replaced as they've recently fallen out plus a root canal. I was quoted 10k CDN. HAHA... no way I'm not paying off that @ssholes Maui condo morgage. I think I'll leave it until I'm back in Puerto Plata.