This is Dr. Stephen F. Mackey, my dentist in Mazatlán.
UPDATE – Dr. Mackey wrote to say: “I am no longer affiliated with Mexican Dental Vacation and do not reccomend them.” Also, they’ve moved to the Golden Zone and, last I heard, do not have a full-time dentist on staff.
The rest of the original post below:
He practiced for over 40 years in the Seattle, Washington area. Finally, after some minor heart trouble, the doctor decided to leave the rainy Pacific N.W. and head for the sun.
Mexican Dental Vacation, the business, was founded by a Canadian Nick Konev from Alberta. Nick recognized the opportunity to sell dental work at 50% the cost or less than what it costs in Canada and the USA.
This was my third time visiting a dentist in Mexico, but the first to have MAJOR work done.
My trip was precipitated when a big chunk of one of my front teeth fell out. I took that as a sign that I had put off major work for too long. I booked a trip to Mexico immediately.
I had done some research and the buzz on-line was generally very good for a company called Mexican Dental Vacation that caters almost exclusively to Gringos. I like that they are up front with the cost of work, posting it on-line, and stick to those prices.
On arrival Dr. Mackey drove me over to get a panoramic X-ray as I brought none with me from Canada. No appointment. No referral. Imagenes Diagnosticas de Mazatlan $18 was a brilliant beginning.
I was in and out of X-ray in 15min while the Doctor popped into Home Depot for building supplies. (In Mexico only 3 months, he was still making himself at home here.)
That same morning the doctor laid out his recommendations. He feels I need bigtime work.
We decided I would get 7 root canals, have four teeth extracted, and do some minor repairs this trip. Then, in future, as time and cash permit, put in 3 bridges and as many as 10 crowns. He did not feel I needed any implants.
To keep costs down, as much work as possible is farmed out to local Mexican dentists. I was sent to get my root canals done by Dr. Ernesto Bertrand Morales. He was excellent, doing 7 in 4 appointments over 5 days. Only one caused me any pain. The doctor recommended a pain killer called Flanex. I didn’t need it.
I like the personal attention you get here. None of that sitting in a chair waiting for someone jumping from patient-to-patient to finally attend you.
My cleaning was well done by the office of Dr. Roberto Coppel Azcona, the most posh dental office I have ever seen. It was a little too “Western” for me.
I had a couple of days recovery, then went to get 4 teeth extracted by Dr. Mackey in one appointment. Though that is a lot of freezing, this was supposed to be the least of my worries.
People ask me, “Rick — what if something goes WRONG when you are getting medical attention in a foreign country?”
That is a good question. My extractions went very, very WRONG.
Though my teeth have been poor my entire life, for some reason they do not want to be removed from my body. I was one of the most difficult patients Dr. Mackey could recall.
Finally, he decided to sent me to a dental surgeon. He and the dental assistant both drove me while I was still frozen.
The Mexican surgeon saw me immediately, but also had mucho problemas despite having a full surgical set-up. I was also one of his most difficult patients ever.
I don’t think anyone counted how many sutures I had in my mouth. Plenty.
On to antibiotics (Dalacin C / Clindamincina), an anti-inflamatory and yet more rest.
Dr. Mackey decided to do just one post / repair and save everything else for the future. I plan to return late January 2008.
All in all, I was very happy with Mexican Dental Vacation. There was no language barrier at any office. The city of Mazatlán is clean and modern. And certainly safer than Calgary or Seattle.
My COSTS aside from airfare:
$50 / day total – hotel, food, etc.
$18 – X-rays at Imagenes Diagnosticas de Mazatlan
free – quotation on work
$290 / root canal
$60 / extraction
$70 – cleaning
They guarantee their work for a period of 2 years.
Dr. Mackey drove me to the airport. When is the last time your dentist did anything like that for you?
Next time you get a quotation for work from your dentist, check this chart:
Mexican Dental Vacation – official website
Contact me if you have any specific questions.
Rick McCharles 
I love that you did this. The prices are right; the only question is do they do a good job. Except for the extractions, it sounds like it went well for you. My only concern is their reliance on bridges, a technology that I thought has come and gone. Is this because they were not up to snuff on implants? Would a Canadian dentist have made the same recommendation? I wonder if you went to one here what he or she would say.
I asked a couple of times about implants. The dentist was clear he didn’t think I needed any.
Another patient from California was getting an implant while I was there.
Dr. Mackey was one of the first doing implants in Seattle, I understand.
I use this package from Placidway.com to go in Mexico, the trip was okay the service better, it’s a little bit difficult to go without information:
Hi Rick–
Good to read about your experience with Mexican Dental Vacations in Mazatlan. I am also a previous patient, and although I didn’t have as good an experience – it did lead me down the path to getting the work done. I had their previous dentist, and there were problems, that according to the owner, they will refund me for (still waiting on that.)– but I think they, (MDV,) are going in the right direction in at least sending patients to other specialists when needed. I too needed a difficult extraction and found a great oral surgeon there, ($150… crazy, I think it would have been at least 5 times that here in the states.)
I also ended up with three bridges, done from another office there in Mazatlan and have been amazed with the fit. My dentist explained that bridges can often be just as effective for people as implants– although implants are the latest in technology. Since I was not keen into having my bones drilled into–at least not yet, I went with the bridge option to a very good result.
I often refer people down to Mexico that are seeking dental treatment, and it is good to hear positive stories such as yours. (Although I am not quite sold on this particular office, I’m still giving them a while to come through on their customer service.)
Dr. Mackey has only been there for about 3 months. No doubt that makes a difference in how the treatment plan unfolds.
I hope you get your refund.
Dear Rick- Yes, I am hoping the new Doc is helping to get things on track for “Mexican Dental Vacations”. Nick, the owner, checks in every few months in response to my request– to affirm the refund is coming — but it will be a year in January, so I have stopped holding my breath. Instead I am trying to look at the positive of the situation. –Such as stumbling upon your blog! If I ever do get the refund back ($3K !,) it will fund my travel that I had to postpone this year due to the funds issue. Your site is giving me many ideas of trails to undertake!!! So rather than focus on the fact that dental work is the pits to begin with, and to pay double is the most painful — I am encouraged by discovering your site and am enjoying exploring it. Not just the travel roads that are unveiled, but the philosophy that I’ve often felt and am encouraged to study and incorporate. It will always be tough for me to walk past a good junk shop or auction…. but simplicity will be my guide!
Lynn
PS– Happy belated birthday…. ohhh, All Souls Day — a very lucky day to be born! I try to celebrate it every year with good friends, in remembrance.
Happy Trails.
I am a different Brian than your first comment response in October. We (me and my wife) have been seriously considering going to Mexico to get some dental work, of which we both need a ton. I have been doing quite a bit of research into Mexican Dental Vacation and Dr. Mackey. It seems like a good outfit, but it is always hard to evaluate a business being so far away, which is why I appreciate your evaluation. I had a bridge and three caps done around 1992 and then had to have them redone in around 2000 and now am being told that I have to have them redone again. As you can see, I am a little leery about any dentist… even here in the US.
Did you find out anything about the materials they use (caps, implants, ect.). You can have the greatest service in the world, but if the materials they use are not of good quality… you will find yourself in the chair again to get the same work done. We have already mailed our x-rays down to Dr. Mackey and are seriously considering going down in February 2008. I will be egger to hear how your appointment this month goes.
Please let me know if you have any information on the quality of materials they use and let me know how your January appointment goes… if that is still your plan.
Be safe out there.
I may see you down there. Planning on January or February for my 2nd of three scheduled visits.
I have been very happy with Dr. Mackey and this company.
Brian- I believe they do provide a certification of the gold used under the bridges. Although my final bridges were prepared by another dentist, there is a good chance they all use the same lab. So far- so good for me. (one year out) One of mine was a replacement as well. Also as an update…. I have still not received my promised refund, however I did get to talk to Dr. Mackey directly – and must say that he sure seems to be a good addition to the company. He seemed very sincere about trying to improve overall operations, and probably has excellent dental skills. If he can keep the original founder, (Nick Konev) out of the picture, I am sure he can be successful, because he appears to be much more competent with both business and dental knowledge. –It did sound like he would not hesitate to refer you out to another specialist if needed. Perhaps you could just call down and chat with him about the materials and how they may or may not differ from those used in Canada or US. I think he would give you a very honest opinion. Good luck, and enjoy Old Mazatlan.
Dr. Mackey has resigned and returned to the States, they tell me.
Due to health reasons, they tell me.
Too bad.
I am no longer affiliated with Mexican Dental Vacation and do not reccomend them.
Hello Dr. Mackey,
Just curious, where are you practicing now? That was quite an experience in Mazatlan for you, it sounds..
Are you back in Seattle now?
Sorry to hear Dr. Mackey is no longer affiliated with Mexican Dental Vacations, but for his sake, I am sure it is a good move. I know when we last spoke he was continuing to have concerns and problems with the owners. The office and concept that Nick Konev set up was a good one, unfortunately his business practices and ethics were probably too much to overcome – even with a good dentist such as Dr. Mackey.
For anyone reading this though, Mazatlan does have some wonderful well trained dentists. If you go with the experts there you will most likely receive as good or better service than in the US or Canada, and at a fraction of the cost.
I always thought the Mazatlan Dental Vacation operation was run by an opportunistic Russian emigre (from Canada I hear) especially after seeing him copy web copy writing from other similar sites when he put his together. He belittled his Mexican doctors with statements inferring that because of him his dentists attended dental conventions etc.
I suspect his dentists don’t even speak English as he mentioned he had interpreters present to assist.
Cabo San Lucas is more geared to the foreign tourist and I’ve been getting great dental care at Cabo Cosmetic Dental for decades. Doctor Arciga at CCD is Baja’s only Certified Cosmetic Oral Rehabilitation dentist and does everything from roots canals and crowns to implants.
He has been in Cabo for 30 years and speaks perfect English. He has been written up in many travel magazines and newspapers and is one of the most respected dentists in the community who has treated Americans and Canadians since he began his practice.
Thanks Fred. I might just try Cabo next. MDV has moved to the Golden Zone and has no fulltime dentist any longer.
Hi Fred,
This is Nick Konev, owner of Mexican Dental Vacation. Our dentists do indeed speak English, and our dentist s do attend continuing education courses and conventions that I pay for, so that they can be on top of the new techniques and materials being used in dentistry.
I do not belittle other Mexican dentists, but I do point out that there are some good ones and some bad ones. How do I know? Because I went through the whole thing myself. I went to Mexico for dental work myself over the years, and have had some good dental work, and some so bad that it had to be redone back home, and actually cost me more than if I had it done in the US in the first place.
I got so fed up, that I decided to just build my own dental office that consistently does good work, so that people don’t have to go through the same thing I did. That was 6 years ago, and we now have a ton of happy customers.
We own several websites, and do not copy from other Mexican dental sites, and we are there is no other business like ours in Mexico.
As for me being an “opportunistic Russian émigré from Canada” what kind of statement is that? I was born in the US, and started Mexican Dental Vacation not as an opportunity, but as a service to others so that they don’t go through the same thing as I did, and swear off Mexican dentists all together.
There are forums where dentist talk to each other that are not open to the general public, and you should see how they talk about their patients. It would surprise you.
Many of them love Mexican dentists because they see so much bad dentistry from Mexico, that they make a ton of money correcting it. Once someone gets bad dental work in a foreign country and wants their US or Canadian dentist to correct it, they can charge whatever they want, and the patient gladly pays. That’s not me saying this, it is other US and Canadian dentists. As you can see, this business was not just started on a whim, there were years of research before we were open for business.
In other news, we are just finishing setting up our CEREC machine, which is a computer aided method to make crowns, veneers, inlays and onlays in minutes instead of days. CEREC is made by Sirona of Germany. What this means to the patient, is that we can do a lot of dental work in 1 day, where it would take a week or more for the lab to get the work completed. This means that if you need a few crowns, we can get you in and out the same day, and you can get back to enjoying your vacation.
The materials used with the CEREC system are the most advanced in dentistry, and provide long-lasting restorations that look beautiful. Also, since a computer is designing and milling the material, the result is a much better fit, which only the best labs in the world can duplicate by hand.
We should be set up to use our CEREC by the end of April. We welcome you to come in and take a look. We are the only dental office on the west coast of Mexico to use this technology, and may be the only one in Mexico. It has cost us a lot of money to buy and set up, but you will be very pleased with the results.
As a customer of Nick’s company, Mexican Dental Vacation, let me back up what he says. I’ve been very happy with their service over a number of years.
The website is crystal clear as to cost, rare for any dentist, anywhere.
Hi Rick-
Sounds like you are finally satisfied with Mexican Dental Vacation. I wish I was. I did get a rather interesting email from Nick last Christmas. He once again dangled the idea of sending me back some of my prepayment that I made. He offered 2/3 of what he previously said was” in the mail” and and this time offered it in two parts… but– only after I promised to remove or retract forum posts such as this one.
It is interesting to read his post above and compare it to the email he sent me.
So An Open Note To Mr. Konev: Gee Nick I’m glad to see that you are continuing to add to your office and techniques. However, I do believe that following through with your customer service and honoring your word would be a better “investment”. It doesn’t matter how much advanced equipment you acquire if you don’t provide follow through on your word to your customers. I hope the training pays off for your dentists. However right now I will have to agree with Dr. Mackey and simply state that I will not be able to recommend Mexican Dental Vacation.
I was told that non-Mexican dentists are not allowed to practice in Mexico. The government says it takes jobs away from Mexicans.
OOOOHH MEXICAN DENTAL DRAMA!
Lotsa back story here. Love it!
Sorry for all the grief you are reading in these comments.
To be clear, I recommend MDV over any and all dentists in my home city of Calgary, Canada. It’s crazy to go to a dentist in Canada or the USA, unless you have insurance paying for a good percentage of it.
Why should dentists be wealthy?
Isn’t that job something like an auto mechanics?
Dentists are one of the most overpaid professions in Canada and the USA, in my opinion. I’ve been super happy with several much less expensive dentists in Mexico and Nepal.
I had a very different experience with stetic dental and implant with 3 locations. There are multiple complaints about them but the worst thing is the way you are treated by the owner manny Huerta payan. Deep Down his hatred for gringos comes to the surface when it’s time to act like a professional.
I hope you get your money back. Going to a Mexican dentist is a real crapshoot. I have never encou tered such unprofessionalism in a medical situation. These places should be shut down. Stetic Implant and dental, and all these dental tourism places . Or at least least we should know we have palace to turn when we are cheated and lied to.
Sorry for your problems people.
I’ve had very good experiences with the company.
“$50 / day total – hotel, food, etc.
$18 – X-rays at Imagenes Diagnosticas de Mazatlan
free – quotation on work
$290 / root canal
$60 / extraction
$70 – cleaning”
=======
How much would it cost in Canada?
2-3 times as much, I’d guesstimate.
I paid $750 for my daughters root canal in Canada last January (2013) and the dentist did it at half price. Original price was $1450.
Dentists in Cancun or Cancun Cosmetic Dentistry is a dental clinic located
in Cancun Mexico specialized in Dental Implants,Cosmetic Dentistry,Snap On
Dentures as well as any General dentistry procedures you may have.
Dentist in Cabo San Lucas
Dentist Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas Dentist
You might want to look up complaints regarding the suggestion of Cancun Cosmetic Dentistry. That clinic goes by at least 4 other names and has been in a heap of trouble. Including being removed from the Canadian Consulate in Mexico’s dental referral line. Global Canada television network profiled the clinic and head dentist (German Arzate) after he injured some dental tourists from Canada. And from what I have read about that clinic you would be taking a risk for sure if you ended up there.
Mexico is a good alternative for dental work and I am happy it works out for some people but unfortunately sometimes its a bad experience. It would be great if Mexican dentists could create a government agency so people could really check these clinics out.
You are being asked to login because sweepy1900@hotmail.com is used by an account you are not logged into now.
By logging in you’ll post the following comment to my Mexican Dental Vacation:
Great article Rick. I am from the US and had been researching for dentists and came across this article. I was looking for a reliable dentist for cheap in Puerta Vallarta in Mexico and came across Dental Departures. I phoned them and their customer service was great. They helped me find a great dentist helped answer all my concerns. I am now back from the trip and it was so smooth. I think this perfectly relates to your story and would like to recommend this company:
http://www.dentaldepartures.com/
http://www.dentaldepartures.com/dentists/mexico/puerto-vallarta/
Thanks.
I’m currently with a dentist in La Paz, Baja. But if I ever need work in PV, I’ll feel confident making an appointment with them.
Thanks for sharing information