Another day, another box checked off our list of health maintenance issues to deal with– we visited the dentist in Merida, Mexico! We thought that our readers might find value in a report on our experience since there isn’t a lot of information out there about dental tourism in this city.
So let’s look at what we did, how we did it, and how things turned out.
Why Did We Need a Dentist?
No particular reason.
We were just due for a cleaning and, more importantly, overdue for a complete dental health examination.
The last time we got our teeth cleaned was in Quito, Ecuador in early February 2023 and the last time we were professionally scrutinized by a dentist was in April 2022 back in the USA.
So really, it was just time.
How Did We Find an English Speaking Dentist in Merida?
We asked for advice in expat Facebook groups. Finding these groups is easy. Just search “expat [enter city name here]” from within Facebook, and request to become a group member.
We searched on Google Maps. We scoured the reviews, focusing on those with high scores, had English-speaking expat input, and a large amount of feedback.
We researched dentists at Doctoralia. On this site, you can verify language skills, customer satisfaction, education, and lots of other things.
I reached out to dentists and asked questions. Contact info for email and WhatsApp was easy to find through Google Maps and Doctoralia.
After all of this, we settled on making an appointment with Dr. Guillermo Trujillo Losa at WHITELINE Clinica Dental. The provided link takes you to their website, where they describe their services.
Making Our Dentist Appointment
The process for setting up our appointment was straightforward and fast.
We just texted WHITELINE Clinica Dental using their WhatsApp number, which is found on their webpage. And within one hour I received a quote for a dental exam and deep cleaning, as well as secured an appointment for Rhonda and me. We were scheduled for the following week on the same day and time.
Easy.
And they seamlessly rescheduled us when we both came down with head colds leading up to our appointment, to give us time to recover.
Our WHITELINE Clinica Dental Experience
When the day of our appointment came, we originally planned on taking a Va-y-Ven bus to WHITELINE Clinica Dental.
But the weather was so nice we decided to leave early and just walk! It took us about 50 minutes to get there.
The reception area was clean and inviting. And even the reception staff spoke proficient English! So although we may have gotten by with our intermediate-level Spanish, we prefer English to minimize the chance of any medical miscommunications.
At the time of our appointment, we were greeted warmly by Dr. Trujillo Losa, who introduced us to his colleague (Dr. David), and reception staff.
He explained that he and Dr. David would work on us at the same time, meaning that one of us would be examined while the other got a cleaning, and then swap places.
No problem!
Our examinations were extremely thorough.
Dr. Trujillo Losa took his time with us and explained what he observed. He even showed us what he was seeing by allowing us to use mirrors to see our teeth. We’ve never had a dentist do that before!
He reviewed all of our potential areas of concern, which thankfully were minor and we were already aware of. He said our dental health was good, and the small spot cavities he saw (which we already knew about) were manageable.
He said he could perform various procedures to fix these problems if we wished. But much to our surprise he suggested that a better approach was to continue to practice good dental hygiene and monitor the potential trouble spots over time because once you disrupt the tooth enamel layer you can’t get it back.
So if the small cavities appear stable when we are reexamined, we should do nothing and continue to monitor the situation. If they worsen, however, that will be the time to consider fillings, or whatever else may be needed. So it was good news for us both.
Our cleanings were very thorough as well.
By USA standards, they were technically deep cleanings where scalers were used to clear plaque and debris, followed by a polish, and fluoride wash. Dr. David was quite dexterous, worked methodically, and checked on us regularly to make sure we didn’t experience pain or sensitivity.
And as far as the conditions of the dental theater were concerned, it was as modern as any we have experienced in the USA. The equipment and working space all appeared quite new, at least to our eyes.
And the amount they charged was reasonable. Each dental exam cost us $800 MEX ($46.13 USD) and each deep cleaning cost us $950 MEX ($54.77 USD), for a total bill of $3500 MEX ($201.80 USD).
It’s a good value for 2 people, especially considering that the scaling procedure costs extra in the USA.
Our teeth are all shiny and clean! Dr. Trujillo Losa is on the far left, next to Dr. David.
Final Thoughts About Our Dental Experience
We were very happy with our experience at WHITELINE Clinica Dental!
The entire staff was warm and welcoming and you got the sense that our overall dental wellbeing was the priority, rather than pushing costly superfluous procedures.
This was a nice departure from our experience with most of our dentists in Atlanta, Georgia when we lived there a long time ago. Those dentists caused more harm than good, at our expense, with dental health ramifications we now have to live with.
Admittedly, we might have been able to shop around more for a slightly better price in Merida. But the reviews and feedback about WHITELINE Clinica Dental were so universally positive that we didn’t worry about it.
Highly recommended. We’d happily go back!
Until next time…
Thanks for reading!
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4 thoughts on “Our Visit to the Dentist in Merida Mexico”
Thanks to your review my husband and I made appointments for a dental exam and teeth cleaning at Whiteline. Our experience was like yours. We were so impressed, our cleanings were equal to what we receive in the states and the staff was incredibly friendly. We experienced everything you mentioned in your post. For one exam and two cleanings the cost was $148 USD. As a reference, last July I returned to our long time dental office which I hadn’t gone to since 2019. They made me first schedule an appointment with the dentist, then they let me schedule a cleaning and insisted I needed regular and panoramic x-rays. All to end with them telling me my teeth are in great shape and it cost over $600!
If you are traveling too. Mérida and need dental work I’d highly recommend them.
We are so happy you had a great experience! Amazing how much less complicated dental and medical issues are resolved in Mexico, assuming you do your due diligence of course! 🙂
Your dentist visit was very interesting and I am happy that everything turned out so well for you. It was even impressive how friendly and informative the staff. Congratulations on finding such a good place!
4 thoughts on “Our Visit to the Dentist in Merida Mexico”
Thanks to your review my husband and I made appointments for a dental exam and teeth cleaning at Whiteline. Our experience was like yours. We were so impressed, our cleanings were equal to what we receive in the states and the staff was incredibly friendly. We experienced everything you mentioned in your post. For one exam and two cleanings the cost was $148 USD. As a reference, last July I returned to our long time dental office which I hadn’t gone to since 2019. They made me first schedule an appointment with the dentist, then they let me schedule a cleaning and insisted I needed regular and panoramic x-rays. All to end with them telling me my teeth are in great shape and it cost over $600!
If you are traveling too. Mérida and need dental work I’d highly recommend them.
We are so happy you had a great experience! Amazing how much less complicated dental and medical issues are resolved in Mexico, assuming you do your due diligence of course! 🙂
Your dentist visit was very interesting and I am happy that everything turned out so well for you. It was even impressive how friendly and informative the staff. Congratulations on finding such a good place!
Thank you! We were very happy with how everything turned out.