Many travel to Mexico to get dental work done. They walk around reeking faintly of clove.
I had fillings done a number of years ago, very happy with the cost as is almost every tourist getting work done here.
This time my needs were more complex: root canals, post, crowns.
There are now so many dentists in Mazatlán catering to gringo teeth that I had trouble deciding which to visit. The Inn at Mazatlán concierge recommended English speaking Dr. Gilberto Cardenas Saucedo.
He did 2 root canals over 3 appointments. Saucedo’s work seems good to me. But ultimately I was disappointed.
As is so often the case in Mexico, there was confusion over the cost. I thought I was getting a post & crown as well. Later he informed me I was getting the root canals only. I paid about US$210 each for the root canal. A post & crown would cost about another US$300. This cost is not much less than I would pay in Canada. And you have absolutely no recourse in Mexico if the job goes wrong.
My mistake was not getting a stronger referral before choosing a dentist. My mistake was not getting a quote in writing before starting the job.
I still believe in Mexican Dental Vacationing. But next time I will do more homework first.
UPDATE: This price for a root canal turned out to be quite competitive. But other dentists are much more up front with total costs for their work than Dr. Gilberto Cardenas Saucedo.
Next travelogue on this trip >> Mazatlán old town.
Rick McCharles 
Hi Rick,
You have a link to our website at the top of your entry, yet you explain how you used another dentist and had a bad experience. I think it is misleading, and put our business in a bad light. I would appreciate an edit to the post, or an explanation. Thanks!
Sorry about that, Nick.
You are right.
I removed the link to your company to resolve the confusion.
As you probably know, I am one of your customers and have been there several times for work over the past few years. I have other blog posts about you on my site you could check out.
Thanks, Rick, good to hear that you are still traveling a lot!
We are still very much in business, and have moved to the Golden Zone, and are in walking distance for people staying in the Hotel Zone.
We have been making changes in our business, and have been constantly improving. Our office has 3 full-time dentists, and we are expanding our operation.
We will soon be implementing CEREC technology in our office, which will make your dental crowns, veneers, inlays, and onlays, in about 15 minutes. This will make your time in the dental chair significantly shorter, so that you can get back to the “vacation” part of your Mexican Dental Vacation, and will also give you MUCH better fitting dental work.
We have been busy helping many people, and can provide you with a list of happy customers.
As for the post by “Lynn”, a dissatisfied customer, she has been busy discrediting us on the Internet, but hasn’t told our side of the story. Suffice it to say that when it came time to do the final cementing for her bridges, she said she went with another dentist and wanted her money back.
That’s like putting a deposit down on a sculpture, and when it was completed, saying “Sorry, I had another artist do it, can you give me my money back?”
We now also provide you with a cell phone to use for the duration of your stay, so that you can stay in touch with friends and family back home, and not get nailed with outrageous roaming charges for using your US/Canadian cell phone.
And yes, all of our staff speak English.
I don’t think you will find another office in Mazatlan that compares in quality and customer service.
In some of the other posts, people were asking if we are still in business.
We are still very much in business, and are expanding our office. We are now in the Golden Zone and in walking distance from most of the hotels in the Hotel Zone.
We now employ 3 full time dentists, one that specializes in root canals, one that is an implantologist, and a cosmetic dentist.
We will soon be using CEREC technology, which builds the necessary dental work, (crowns, veneers, etc.) in about 12 minutes, compared to a dental lab, which can take a week. This means you will spend less time doing the “dental” part of your dental vacation, and more on the “vacation” part.
Also, the CEREC technology produces much more precise dental work than a lab can.