BajaNomad

La Paz Dentist Recommendation?

toneart - 8-29-2011 at 05:41 PM

Groan! I just had an abscessed tooth extracted and then filled in with a bone graft so as to be ready to accept an implant when healed. It was a lower left molar.

Can anyone recommend a good dentist in La Paz who is experienced in dental implants? Any idea of cost?

The cost in California is astronomical.

Bill Collector - 8-29-2011 at 05:46 PM

Dra. Lorenia Estrada Talamantes
612-125-5304

She has a dentist who works in her office that does implants. My friend had three done, very pleased..
We have used her for 15 yrs doing cleaning, crowns, filings...She's very good & gentle
Speaks English

BajaNomad - 8-29-2011 at 06:42 PM

I've seen many recommendations for Dentists in Baja closer to the border, such as in Tijuana, Ensenada, Algodones, etc. For La Paz, this is what I've seen here and elsewhere:


"I visit my Dentist in La Paz twice a year. He's very good, knowledgeble, and reasonable. He's in the phone book, name's Evaristo Gonzales Becera." (Boe4fun)

"Well, the most referred dentist in Baja Sur is in La Paz and although I have used the guys in Algodones for the last 10 years, it is a hassle for me to go north so I started using this new guy and I am really happy with everything he is doing. He has been written up in the Gringo Gazette, on the web in La Paz and even though he has no web site, he is well respected by everyone I have ever talked to. Dr. Eduardo Talamantes, Reforma 335, La Paz, BCS, 122-7343, 122-6855." (Pescador)

"(My husband) had no choice but to find another dentist to fix the butchering (a particular denist) did. The dentist my husband found to fix the mess left by the first dentist, couldn't have been more professional or skilled. He speaks english and you don't have to wait a week or more to get an appointment. Dr Jose Sanchez Lopez Salgado, Cel 612 149 4051, tel: 612 125 1604, Aquiles Serdan No 3835 - 1y Colima Colonia Pueblo Nuevo, CP 23060." (Shelley from La Paz Gringos mailing list)





[Edited on 8-30-2011 by BajaNomad]

RnR - 8-29-2011 at 07:59 PM

Dra. Patricia Camon Sanchez
124-2224 office,
612 141-6171 Cell

she speaks very good english. The office phone answerer doesn't, so use her cell phone direct if that is a problem.

My wife had two implants done last year. The dentist has an oral surgeon, (nice guy, good english), come into the office and implant the post. Wait 3 months. He checks it. She makes the crown/cap to go on top of the post.

We, and most of our nieghbors, use her for all of our dental work. Best dentist that I've ever been to.

Sorry, can't remember the cost. Maybe $1,500 USD complete. Just ask her upfront, she'll give a price and stick to it.

Roberto - 8-29-2011 at 09:22 PM

I know a dentist in TJ that I have used personally, and so has my family. U2U me if you want the name.

BajaBlanca - 8-29-2011 at 09:25 PM

good luck Tony. I hate dental trouble

:mad:

Pescador - 8-30-2011 at 09:35 AM

If you go to Dr. Talamantes (senior or Junior) you will think you are in a BajaNomad travel group. Last visit there, I think I ran into 3 or 4 people from here. He is one of the best dentists.

Dr. Talamantes 612-122-6855

Katiejay99 - 8-30-2011 at 10:42 AM

I agree about Dr. Talamantes - Jr or Sr - VERY good.

JESSE - 8-30-2011 at 01:16 PM

Talamantes is da man.

Mulegena - 8-30-2011 at 03:06 PM

Sorry 'bout your toothache, Tony.
Get better sooner.

Thanks for the Nomad response, but I'm a bit confused:

For clarification, Dr. Talamantes is a man or woman,
and how many Dr. Talamantes are there in La Paz?
Contact info please?

I know we'll be needing dental care this year
and La Paz is likely the locale, so I'm following this thread.

JESSE - 8-30-2011 at 03:55 PM

Talamantes is a man, but theres a senior and a junior, i do my dental work with junior, hes excelent.

gnukid - 8-30-2011 at 04:02 PM

I can highly recommend Eduardo (Lalo) Talamantes, he is highly trained in the process of crowns, and general dentistry with a very low pain approach.

I also visit dentists in the USA each year and am amazed that Lalo has such a high level of care and technology, far higher than any that I receive in the USA.

He does speak perfect English and is very reliable and affordable as well.

You will need an appointment, though he is flexible about staying late or starting early, so make your appointment well in advance.

I would suggest even if you just want general care, a cleaning visit Lalo's office before you have a serious issue. Teeth cleaning twice or four times a year is now common practice.

oladulce - 8-30-2011 at 06:06 PM

Is Eduardo Talamantes the JR or SR??

gnukid - 8-30-2011 at 08:13 PM

Eduardo Jr, El Sr no esta trabajando mas, pero si son igual, pues obvio que cada dia el junior esta mas grande, como un viejito el mismo.

Mulegena - 8-30-2011 at 08:31 PM

We're getting excellent personal recommendations here, Nomads. You can't beat a recommendation based on experience.

I have to ask then, who is Dra. Lorenia Estrada Talamantes?
Is she a part of the family practice with Drs. Sr. and Jr?

gnukid - 8-30-2011 at 09:00 PM

No she is not related but does get great reviews as well. I have never been but others do speak very highly of her.

toneart - 8-30-2011 at 09:17 PM

Thank you Nomads for all your replies. :) I will will contact one of your recommendations in January.

The hole in my jaw is healing nicely. I don't need any more Vicodan or Tylenol; just running out the prescription for Amoxicillan. Friday I go in for the post op, at which time the oral surgeon will pull out the sutures and remove the protective membrane.

I will store this information in the "favorites" section.

Gracias Amigos y Amigas!

Tony

SFandH - 8-31-2011 at 09:00 AM

You may discover that you can get along fine with a missing molar and don't need an implant. I did.

Give it a try before going through all that it takes to get an implant.

Barry A. - 8-31-2011 at 10:06 AM

Tony-------I just am going thru this same thing in the States, tho they have not started yet, and my problem tooth is an upper incisor tooth (canine) and it is "dead" and being "resorbed" by my immune system, they tell me----already the root is 2/3rd eaten away by my immune system at its base, well under the gum, and I was not even aware of it until X-rays revealed the damage.

Unrelated, I had an absessed far-rear upper molar removed ($200)two years ago here in the States, and chose to not have an implant or root canal. Tho no problems, I do miss the molar, but only a little. But, based on that experience I have decided to have the implant as the incisor (canine) is such an important tooth. My surgeon is going to pull the tooth, and implant the "post" all in the same operation, he tells me.

The price will be about $2,300 total. for the removal and post implant. Not sure what the "crown" will cost yet as it will be done by another dentist.

Good luck with your procedure---------gettin old is NOT for sissy's!!!

Barry

Mulegena - 8-31-2011 at 10:38 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SFandH
You may discover that you can get along fine with a missing molar and don't need an implant...
I'm a retired emergency nurse, hence very little experience with dentistry, however I'd be reluctant not to follow through with an implant if advised by my doctor, or at the very least a bridge if economics were the determining factor. Over the course of time the remaining teeth "adjust" to the vacant space and collapse to a degree to accommodate it. This in turn can cause other problems. Why allow that when with good care it can be promptly and permanently addressed?

Bad Experience with Dra. Lorenia Estrada Talamantes

needair - 5-6-2012 at 01:00 PM

Do not go to Dra. Lorenia Estrada Talamantes
612-125-5304.

My tooth cracked after the first appt of the root canal. I called the office immediately and the receptionsist told me not to worry. I explained what happened twice.

Then on my second appt. for the 2nd half of the root canal, I told the specialist, Karla, that it was cracked and she told me that it was not cracked, but a piece of the filling had come loose. I told her again, but she didn't check it out. She was very stubborn and completed her pointless root canal.

I had no idea that a cracked tooth meant the tooth had to be pulled. I tried 4 times with 2 different people to bring it to their attention and they acted like they were the specialists and I was stupid. So, 3 weeks later, when I finally made it into the chair of Dra. Talamantes, she exclaimed, "the tooth is broke."

She went on to try to defend Karla, saying over and over again, that she was ethical. Clearly she didn't believe me, even after I talked to Karla, and Karla, once again, tried to tell me it wasn't cracked, but the filling had come loose.

How a dentist could work on a tooth for an hour and not notice it was cracked is beyond me. I have asked for my money back for the 2nd half of the root canal, which is $125.00 dollars. She did the $25.00 extraction for free. But would not consider a refund on the 2nd half of the root canal. I have sent her an email and have not heard back from her. Not to mention that I now do not have a tooth.

Also, the reason it broke was because I was eating on that side, because, I was instructed to do so by the specialist. It broke the second day.

It was a terrible experience and she even ripped the gum in the extraction.

laventana - 5-11-2012 at 04:41 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by RnR
Dra. Patricia Camon Sanchez
124-2224 office,
612 141-6171 Cell

she speaks very good english. The office phone answerer doesn't, so use her cell phone direct if that is a problem.

My wife had two implants done last year. The dentist has an oral surgeon, (nice guy, good english), come into the office and implant the post. Wait 3 months. He checks it. She makes the crown/cap to go on top of the post.

We, and most of our nieghbors, use her for all of our dental work. Best dentist that I've ever been to.

Sorry, can't remember the cost. Maybe $1,500 USD complete. Just ask her upfront, she'll give a price and stick to it.
I second that, had a bad experience with another LaPaz dentist 11 years ago. Many have.

Then went to Dr. Sanchez and she fixed all the work done by the other. Have sent many people to her and very happy with her also. She is a first class act and person... She is one of the only 2 dentists I have gone to in my life that she is able to get the pain killer to where it needs to be. I am sensitive to pain and she does the trick.

all her work has lasted the test of time...

Also note I have a very close friend in New England who reviews my x-rays for me and no complaints from him. He was also the head of some dentists association for his state for a period of time. He is the other dentist that was able to kept me from feeling pain.

[Edited on 5-11-2012 by laventana]

more negative info on Talamates

needair - 5-13-2012 at 09:41 PM

I havn't heard back from Talamates office for a week now. I went to another dentist on Monday, the Monday after Talamates pulled my tooth. He told me that I could of had a post put in.

So, not only did I pay 30% more than most of the dentists in La Paz, was ignored, and lied to, but turns out, she doesn't know about posts either.

So, when I asked her twice, what my options were and both times she said it was only to get it pulled, I stupidly believed her AGAIN...

I am wriiting this because, when I had the tooth infection, I googled dentists in la Paz and got her name off this forum, of which I am a member... I called her office on the recomendation of this forum...

DO not go there.. just because she has a nice office with modern furniture and fresh lilies, does not mean she is any good. As far as I can tell, she and her staff are all quite young and priveledged and are riding on the name of her uncles. She is an princess. So is Karla. And the receptionist looked at me like I was from mars every time I walked into the office.

I do recommend this Dentist. He is 30 to 50% cheaper and will get you an appt without waiting 10 days and is totally professional and clean.

Baja Dental Dr. Carlos Preciado land line: 122 1934 cel: 612 155 3484 Guillermo Prieto #1455

Good Dentist in La Paz

needair - 5-13-2012 at 09:47 PM

Baja Dental Dr. Carlos Preciado land line: 122 1934 cel: 612 155 3484 Guillermo Prieto #1455

Carlos is fair and well priced. His office is clean and he speaks some English. He has all modern Equipment. He is humble and considerate.

Do not get ripped off by the reputation of the Talamantes family. I went to Dr. Estrada and it was an overpriced nightmare that ended up with me loosing a tooth, due to their incompetance and negligance.