Best Decision I've Ever Made - Mexico, MX

After doing much online research and contacting former patients directly for feedback, I took the leap of faith and scheduled an upper All on 4 and lower crowns with Dr. German Arzate at Cancun Cosmetic Dentistry. I flew to Cancun and stayed at a wonderful apartment I rented on HomeAway for two weeks. I had my upper teeth extracted and the four implants placed under IV sedation at the clinic on Monday morning, May 23, 2016. Everything went smoothly and I was transported back to my rental condo. I know many people had no issues with this part and didn't experience any pain--I will say I did have several days of pain and swelling and discomfort. I had prescriptions for antibiotics and heavier doses of anti-inflammatories that definitely helped. I was given good instructions about aftercare and was in the clinic about every other day for follow/up check-ups. The staff at Cancun Cosmetic Dentistry are wonderful--they treat you like family and are so upbeat and kind. I admit I shed a few tears when it was time to say goodbye!
My process took about 12 days, but this is a little longer than what's typical. After several days of attempting to fit my new teeth into the wax mold of the upper arch, Dr. Arzate wasn't satisfied with the first wax. We started over by making a new impression for a second wax. My understanding is that this was due to the first impression being taken prior to my lower crowns being placed, which affected the final fitting. I was just grateful we did a new wax so that everything would fit and look great!On the 10th day post original surgery, I had a beautiful arch of teeth. Dr. Arzate is an artist--my smile is beautiful and I'm thrilled with my beautiful new smile! Unfortunately I take medications that caused me terrible dry mouth and as much as I tried to save my original upper teeth, they were goners. I had 5 upper abscesses and teeth that were practically crumbling in my mouth. It was embarrassing because I've always had a beautiful smile, and in three years' time my teeth went from white and pretty to dingy brown and a painful mess. The All on 4 was the best option and I'm beyond satisfied to have gone to Cancun and Dr. Arzate and staff to have the work done. I'm returning late October a little early for my 6-month follow up to have a lower implant placed, have my lower teeth cleaned, and have my arch checked and relined. Because your gums do recede a bit over time, your arch may not fit as well several months post surgery. This is very normal and relining the acrylic in the arch fixes that. I am currently being careful and eating a softer diet than normal because the extra room right now between my gums and my arch makes chewing firm foods a bit uncomfortable. I'm confident my visit late October will fix this issue and I will leave follow up reviews when I return home in November. If you are concerned about going out of the US to have dental work done, DON'T BE! Everyone at the clinic speaks great English and you'll feel like a rock star patient going to Dr. Arzate's clinic! You can go to their website and do a live chat with a patient representative. They also clearly list all their pricing, there are no hidden costs or surprises. I paid $11,453 for upper extractions, IV sedation and the complete All on 4 (implants and titanium arch with teeth). I paid an additional $4,400 for 12 lower crowns and the temporary crowns (which were only necessary for a few days). The prescriptions needed post extraction and implant placement cost less than $40. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Dr. Arzate and staff to anyone needing dental work. I saved a bundle but most importantly, I got quality dental care I am proud of and that will last a long time.

Busy busy weekend here, getting my laundry done and making my packing and to-do lists to fly to Cancun Monday night! Excited to see all my wonderful peeps at Cancun Cosmetic Dentistry...they make me feel like family. I'll be taking the red eye to Dallas/Fort Worth, then a 13-hour layover (going to head to Marriott to get some good quality shuteye) before flying to Cancun. Hey, I used some of my one million plus air miles to fly first class, so I don't mind the weird flying times so much. Lucky to be staying at the same dirt cheap...er, inexpensive...fabulous condo about a 15-minute cab ride from the dentist office. The owner of the condo is doing my grocery shopping for me since I'm not landing until 9:40 pm and is picking me up at the airport, so I'm extra calm preceding this trip as I know where I'm staying and how I get around while there! I'll have all day Wednesday to unpack and get settled, maybe enjoy some nice pool and sun time. Thursday morning I'll be picked up at the condo by the courtesy driver from Cancun Cosmetic Dentistry and will have an 8:30 appointment to have my upper All on 4 arch relined and adjusted, have my door upper implants checked, have a lower back implant placed where I had to have a tooth pulled on my last visit, and have my other lower teeth cleaned and checked, where they placed crowns my last visit. I did go ahead and set up IV sedation for all of this process, only because I am having an implant placed. I figured for the small amount of $450 to have it done by a qualified anesthesiologist, why not just have everything done under sedation?! It should be a very mild recovery compared to last time...where I had my remaining 9 upper teeth extracted and 4 implants placed, and the one lower molar extracted. This will all be a breeze in comparison! The only thing really up in the air is whether or not I'll get to go home with my arch relined, adjusted and in place on Thursday, or whether I'll have to leave my arch at the dentist office so that they can keep it to reline the acrylic. This isn't something they can tell you ahead of time because it depends on exactly how much relining they need to do and if the arch needs any other adjustments that may require a one- or two-day time period at their lab. I'm crossing my fingers that I can wait there and get my arch put back in place that day, but I'm also ok with going back to the condo and sleeping the day away after the work and sedation and returning Friday or Saturday to get my arch. Hey, I went without any upper teeth or arch for 10 days on my last visit, so a day or two doesn't freak me out at all! I remember being pretty freaked out by the notion of having no upper teeth in my mouth at ALL before I had my procedure done late May, but it just wasn't that big of a deal after all. My upper gums and lips were pretty swollen after having my teeth extracted and the four implants placed that you really couldn't even tell unless I smiled really big. Since I'm staying in the small, intimate complex I did last time, I know several of the condo owners and they're all so wonderful and friendly, not to mention understanding of the fact I'm there to have major dental work done. So if you're considering having this procedure and you're nervous or anxious about being without teeth for a few days, trust me when I tell you it's just not that noticeable or concerning when you're recovering from the extractions and implants. It's just not something anyone will be able to tell unless you pull your lip up and show them!
I'll post updates when I'm in Cancun to document my process of my six month checkup. Please, feel free to ask me questions. I know how helpful this website and patient reviews were to me when I was overwhelmed and trying to figure out my next steps last springtime. I'm happy to respond and offer any info or advice if you are thinking about moving forward with having All on 4! It's truly one of the best decisions I've ever made and I have zero regrets!