[Dongeul Dongeul] Crossing the Border to Fill Cavities... Mexico Becomes a Dental Mecca

When I became an adult, I thought I would no longer be afraid of the dentist. I remember my back getting drenched in sweat every time I sat in the dental chair to treat a cavity. However, even now as an adult, I am just as scared of the dentist. Now, I worry more about the cost of treatment than the pain.

But what about the situation in North American countries, which are known for having more expensive medical costs than South Korea? The people living there are also struggling with dental bills that cost thousands of dollars. Ultimately, the alternative they have chosen is not their local dentist but traveling to Mexico. Why have Americans and Canadians crossed the border to get their cavities treated?

U.S. Charges $1,000 for Crown Treatment... 3 Million Head to Mexico for Affordable Dental Care

Recently, Bloomberg reported that up to 3 million North Americans cross the border to Mexico each year for dental treatment. The town of Molar City in Baja California, Mexico, which borders the United States, has started gaining a reputation as a dental treatment haven. Molar City is a small town with a population of only 5,000. However, despite its small population, it is home to as many as 350 dental clinics clustered together.

Dental clinics lined up within Molla City Photo by Molla City Homepage Screenshot

The dental treatment costs in Molar City are known to be affordable. Filling a cavity by removing the decayed part and applying resin costs $250 per tooth, which is about 330,000 KRW. Crown treatment costs around $500. This seems comparable to or slightly more expensive than dental fees in South Korea.

However, for Americans and Canadians who have to pay thousands of dollars for a single dental treatment, these prices are very reasonable. Bloomberg introduced the case of a man who traveled by truck from Saskatchewan, Canada, across the border to Molar City. He spent a total of 4,600 Canadian dollars to have a tooth extracted and replaced with an implant. His transportation cost to Molar City was about $200. Bloomberg noted that the same treatment in Canada would have cost him 9,000 Canadian dollars.

Even considering transportation costs, heading to Mexico is a rational choice. Americans have to bear a large expense for dental treatment each time. Medicare, the health insurance program for seniors aged 65 and older and people with disabilities, does not cover dental treatment costs. To get treatment, individuals must purchase private dental insurance, but as of 2020, about 69 million people, or 20% of the total population, were not enrolled in dental insurance.

[Image source=Getty Images]

Even those with insurance find it difficult to enjoy substantial coverage benefits. Among dental insurance plans from Delta Dental, the largest dental insurance company in the U.S., the 'Delta Dental Premium Plan,' which offers broad coverage, has an annual maximum benefit of $2,000. According to the American Dental Association, the average cost for crown treatment per tooth in the U.S. is $1,288. Compared to the high treatment costs, the coverage amount is woefully insufficient.

The situation is similar in Canada. Canada's Medicare also does not cover dental treatment.

Mexico Earns Over $3 Billion Annually from Medical Tourism

Mexico is making significant profits thanks to medical tourists from North America. The Mexican Ministry of Tourism announced that in 2021, it earned between $8 billion and $9.9 billion annually from medical tourism and the resulting job creation. Of this, medical tourism accounted for $2.7 billion to $3.5 billion.

Introducing Molla City as the World Capital of Dentistry on the Official Website
[Image Source: Screenshot of Molla City Official Website]

In Baja California, more than 10,000 jobs were created due to North Americans visiting for dental treatment, generating over $1.3 billion in annual revenue.

As competition to attract patients intensifies, the level of medical equipment in each dental clinic has greatly improved. Even small clinics in Molar City are equipped with CT machines and laboratories. Facilities for producing crowns and implants have been established in urban areas to increase efficiency. The Mexican government expects the number of medical tourists to continue growing and plans to develop medical personnel in certain cities in Baja California to turn the area into a medical tourism special zone.

The high medical costs and inadequate health insurance system, which cause people to cross borders just to visit the dentist, are chronic problems in American society. Most citizens who do not receive coverage from public insurance must bear treatment costs through private insurance. In response, the Joe Biden administration has been working to expand health insurance coverage by strengthening the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the foundation of 'Obamacare.' We look forward to seeing whether these efforts will gradually reduce the number of Americans crossing borders for treatment.