Dental Tourism in Tunja?
One of the first things I noticed when I started exploring Expat groups was that there was a lot of discussion of medical and dental care, not just for those expats who had put down roots in Colombia, but for their friends, family, and even casual internet acquaintances who were looking for ways to save money while receiving quality care. And perhaps nowhere was that desire more frequently expressed than in the area of dental care. With most Americans not having dental insurance, and most dental insurance being extremely limited, the out of pocket cost of dental treatment in the United States has skyrocketed. When my son needed a crown on an emergent basis he was quoted prices from $600 to $1800 and wait time from a week to a month.
Since he was planning a trip to Tunja anyway, he decided to have his procedure done here. And although my dentist had laid out a four figure treatment plan that he wanted to put into action for my mouth, I was far more reluctant. In Medellin, there is an industry that caters to dental tourists. You can see some of their prices on their website. They coordinate care in many large cities and promise “fluent English.” You won’t find them in Tunja.
But you also won’t find their prices. Don’t get me wrong. Their prices are much lower than the United States, but they aren’t what Colombians pay. Not even close.
My research began with searches for dental clinics in higher estrato neighborhoods of Tunja. Positive reviews, good location, professional websites, and good communication were the factors I looked at. I was still going to be shooting in the dark, but at least I would have some idea of what level of professionalism was involved. This led me to the office of Dr. Javier Moreno. Using Whatsapp from the United States, I quickly established that they did not speak English. I also discovered that they were very responsive, responded very openly and thoroughly to questions, and were eager to help. The fact that they were a ten minute walk from my apartment didn’t hurt either. My son quickly declared them “too expensive” based on his brother’s research and went to a dentist in the center of town.
For me, spending 125000 COP (about $27.50) for an exam and cleaning was a good deal. In Colombia – at least in the local practices – the cleanings are actually done by a dentist. I had Dr. Marco Polo (his real name) do my cleaning and exam.
A little sidebar here: I had a terrible dental experience the first time I went to my “own dentist” as an adult. Although I had no pain, and had seen my regular dentist through childhood twice a year, when I went for the first time after college, this dentist told me I had eight cavities. I was mortified. I went back to my childhood dentist who laughed, said I needed one filling, and to watch out for scam artists. How the heck do you not trust your dentist? So I didn’t go again for 30 years. It wasn’t until I needed a crown that I went back. No other complaints but that dentist insisted I needed three other crowns and had a $10,000 treatment plan. My next dentist was much more restrained but still wanted a couple thousand plus for fillings and a “deep cleaning.”
So with my innate suspicions of all things dental, I was quite pleased that Dr. Polo also found the same cavities my US dentist had, did not try to sell me crowns, and even wanted to replace old amalgam fillings like my US dentist has proposed. (I am leaving that bit of work with my US dentist because we’ve already replaced the first one). I would also mention that just as I’d never heard of a “deep cleaning” from childhood into adulthood, this is not something Dr. Moreno’s office tries to sell either – although the dental tourist practices will.
So I made an appointment and had my cleaning. It was essentially the same as I experience in modern US dentist offices, only the dentist himself does the cleaning. It was thorough. used the same equipment as my regular dentist, and as I noted above had similar findings as my last exam in the US. Some of the modern comforts like earphones and television to watch during the cleaning are not part of the Tunja dental experience, but overall it was no different than what I expect in the United States. Dr. Polo knew a few words in English, enough to tell me to open and my Spanish was passable enough to cover the rest of any questions. We only had one miscommunication, and it was about rinsing and spitting. No big deal.
But what about the fillings? It’s one thing to have your teeth cleaned. It’s another to have your teeth drilled and filled. The estimate for the two fillings was 250,000 COP (about $55 at the exchange rates). I was offered a next day appointment, but chose to schedule a week later. When I returned, my appointment was with Dr. Moreno. Dr. Moreno appeared to be in his early 40s and also knew only a few words in English, but he inspired confidence with his manner.
One very important note for the American patient: novocaine is not administered upfront for these fillings. If you are at all squeamish about that, ask for it up front! (I am sure in the dental tourist practices, this is automatic — with a local dentist, it isn’t.) My first tooth was completed with no anesthetic at all. On the second tooth, I experienced irritation almost right away, and Dr. Moreno promptly administered the novocaine and finished up with no problems. The filling process, right down to assuring my bite was correct, was exactly as my own dentist does it in the US. I had a couple of days of sensitivity, but as I finish this article six weeks after the filling everything is perfect.
For the expat, Tunja is not a dental tourism destination. If there is an English speaking dentist in Tunja, I haven’t found them. But that isn’t necessary. I highly recommend Dr. Moreno’s practice, and in the general area of Mesopotamia and Unicentro, there appear to be a number of high end dental practices. The savings are extreme over US prices and noticeably lower than dental tourism practices.
Neither the author of this article nor this website have not been compensated in any fashion for this review.
