Report on Dental Cleaning

Preface

Dr. Oscar Salas de Ramirez recently opened his practice in Pantla. He has a promotion until the beginning of May 2012 for teeth cleaning. M$100. Yes, less than US$10 for teeth cleaning.

Main Report

My wife, Glenna, and I are staying at our house in Troncones for a month and we decided to try out a dentist for cleaning. We learned of a dentist who has just opened his practice in Pantla, about a 20 minute drive from our house on the way to Zihuatanejo. This is our report of the experience.

Dr. Oscar Salas, grew up in Pantla. He graduated from dentistry school in Morelia in 2010. He practiced for one year in Michoacan, then returned to school for advanced education in endodentistry and dental prosthetics. He returned to Pantla in 2012 and has opened practice there. His office at the corner of Calle Lazaro Cardenas (also known as Calle Principal) and Calle Ortiz de Domingez , next door to Miscelenia Daniela. It is easy to get to by micro bus from Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo because the clinic is a half-block from the end of the bus line in Pantla.

His phone number is 755-108-3169. His office hours are 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Monday to Friday and 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Saturday. He does not currently take appointments, but I suggest you phone before going to his clinic. I have a few photos of the interior and exterior of the clinic. I'll see if I can figure out how to post them here.

Before the cleaning, Dr Salas gave us a brief description of his training and practice. I speak a little Spanish, although it is only what I have picked up in Mexico and through some other feeble efforts. He speaks some English, so together we were able to figure everything out without any problems. I think that even if a person spoke little or no Spanish they would be able to have effective service.

His equipment such as the chair, etc. was all new and appeared to be in good order. He showed us that the equipment he was using was new (e.g., the cleaning "bits" were wrapped in their original packaging).

The cleaning was a two-stage procedure, similar to what we would have in Canada. He told us what he was going to do before each step. The first stage was with an ultrasound device. This is the one that makes the screechy kind of sound. The second stage was with the dentists' paste and the slower moving rotary brush device. There was no stage of "going under the gums with a pick".

I have a couple of sensitive spots during teeth cleaning. The same spots had the same level of sensitivity with Dr Salas as they have when my teeth are cleaned in Canada. Glenna had a bit more sensitivity, but nothing remarkable.

The usual cost for this cleaning is M$300. As he has just opened his practice, he has been providing cleaning for M$100 in February, March and April.

Dr Salas' pointed out that I have three small cavities. These are the same ones that my dentist in Canada has pointed out. The cost for filling each cavity would be M$300 for amalgam filling (the metal stuff) or M$500 for resina (the white stuff). Glenna was proud that she had no cavities.