My daughter had no health insurance when she was in Mexico and stepped a sea urchin. She suffered for days before going to a hospital in the middle of the night for help. The bill was less than ten dollars.
I lost a crown (cap on my tooth) in Cuzco. ISA found the least expensive yet competent dentist.
For the first appointment, I wrote out the essential details in Spanish and had the ISA staffer who took me to my first appointment check to make sure it made sense. She made a couple small corrections and I told her to leave once I met the doctor.
The dentist doesn’t speak as much English as they’d thought, but it’s a familiar environment, he has visual aids, and my Spanish has progressed enough to communicate with him on my own. He works alone and has only one patient at a time—a much more tranquil atmosphere than the usual large office. His competence was immediately evident and, since there were no distractions, he was completely focused on the work he was doing. I decided to have him do less urgent work as well, since I don’t have dental insurance in the States. Compared to what I’d have paid for the same work, I’ve saved almost enough to cover the cost of my plane ticket down here.
I’m going to get his email. If I ever need major dental work again, I may come back here for it!
