Dentaris, Cancun: The Rock-Star Treatment

Fantasy!    

A long, black limousine arrives at the passenger ferry terminal and slides to a silent stop beside me. 

The uniformed driver exits the vehicle and sweeps open the rear door, indicating that I should enter the cool interior of the car. 

As I settle myself, his gloved hand passes me a tall glass of cold champagne. Ah, the life of a celebrity!

Lynda & Marcos - more fun than a limo.

Okay, I admit it. It’s a fantasy. But if I squint one eye at the gray mini-van stopped ten feet away and the smiling man beckoning me to hop into the front seat, it could almost qualify as a limousine ride. 

The temperature inside the vehicle is cooler than the stifling heat outside, but alas there is no offer of a frosty glass of bubbly.

My driver, Marcos, works for Dentaris in Cancun. It’s a company that specializes in dental vacations. You can get your dental work done, in between tanning and quaffing margaritas. 

Marcos shuttles patients from their hotels, the airport, or at any of the passenger ferry docks to their clinic on Bonampak Avenue in Cancun.

Antony de Sousa & Alejandra Moreno 

My journey to Dentaris started a few days back with a raging pain in my jaw that spiked through one eye and into my brain, making coherent thought impossible. I posted on the Isla Mujeres Residents Facebook page asking for recommendations for a dentist and received at least ten replies, the majority listing Dentaris as the best. After a few back and forth emails and I was able to get an appointment for the following afternoon.

When Marcos and I arrived at the address on Bonampak he escorted me to the second floor via the elevator. We entered the clean, modern reception area where I was greeted in English by the Office Manager Alejandra Moreno and Antony de Sousa. I didn’t have to stumble through my limited amount of Spanglish to communicate my problem.

Rubi and Dr. Joaquin Berron at Dentaris

Ten minutes later I met Doctor Joaquin Berron who started this Cancun dental practice in 1992. He is a former professor at the Louisiana State University and the Coordinator of the Implant and Prosthetic Fellowship. Dr. Berron commuted regularly between the two cities for many years to attend to his patients before deciding to concentrate his time in Cancun.

Without getting too icky-graphic about things, Dr. Berron discovered that I have an excessive amount of what I call that-hard-bony-stuff, Torus mandibularis, inside my mouth. It makes inserting the materials for standard x-rays difficult, boarding on painfully impossible. He recommended a CT scan of my lower jaw.

“Okay,” I tentatively agreed. I had never heard of CT scans for dental work. “But, how long will I have to wait for that?” I was worried about waiting additional hours, or perhaps days to get an appointment.

“Marcos will drive you over to the clinic right now, and he will wait while they do the procedure. He will then drive you back here. So, maybe thirty minutes in total.”

CT Scans for dental work

And off we go, with me still hinting for a glass of champagne. Just to ease my pain, of course. Marcos just grins at me.

True to Doctor Berron’s description, the entire procedure was just slightly over thirty minutes. I was impressed by the speed and efficiency of the clinic. The fun part was looking at my jaw in 3-D on the technician’s computer. I’m easily entertained by swirling colourful images and new technology.

Back at Dentaris the doctor did the necessary procedure on my problem tooth. He gave me a prescription for antibiotics and asked me to return in five days. Marcos was occupied with other clients, so Alejandra was my designated driver. She offered to stop at a nearby low-cost pharmacy where I could fill the prescription. Within ten minutes we were on our way to the Ultramar terminal. From my front door and back again including the two procedures, CT scan, and root canal, it took me a total of four hours and I am by now relatively pain-free.

3-D image of lower jaw

Five days later I had a second appointment to put a temporary filling into the tooth. Same deal only this time Lawrie came with me. Marcos met us at the Ultramar terminal and drove us to the clinic. A brief visit with Doctor Berron and his assistant Rubi while they completed the procedure and I’m done until the final appointment a week later.

When we told Marcos we weren’t going straight back to the passenger terminal because we wanted to go to Costco he offered to drop us off there instead. Perfect! We waved goodbye to Marcos and headed into the cool depths of the mega-store to stock up on a few of our little treats that we can’t get at our island grocery store.

So far my appointments with Dentaris have been the best ever dental experience. Free pickup and return. Friendly professional staff: Alejandra, Antony, Marcos, Rubi, Cori, Dr. Joaquin Berro, Dr. Hilda Navarro, Dr. Mario Bertran, Dr. Eduardo Salcido, and Don Luis who is now retired. A clean, well-equipped clinic, and affordable prices. And both times I have run into island friends. It’s like old-home-week. 

Here’s is their contact information: Phone number: 998 887 2579

http://www.dentaris.com.mx/  

info@dentaris.com.mx

Alejandra says, “We love to take care of our patients like our own family.”  

Give them a try. They are good!

Cheers

Lynda 

~

Murder and mayhem. Revenge and romance.
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