Only Mexican Dentists are Allowed to Practice

Just to clarify an issue that came up with a patient recently. She had taken a relatively long flight to have her teeth treated in Tijuana. She had done all diligent planning, and was proactive about her treatment. But she became upset when she got to Tijuana, and realized that it wouldn’t be an American dentist working on her. She was under the impression that because she had made all her arrangements and spoke with an American patient coordinator, that she would also have her dental treatments performed by an American. This is not the case. The Mexican government only allows Mexican dentists to practice in the country. This is because they see any foreign dentistry practice as having a negative impact on job creation for Mexican citizens, and an overall negative affect on the economy, as foreign dentists would likely send much of their earnings oversees. There are very few exceptions to this rule. So just to clarify, by travelling to Mexico for less expensive dental work, you will almost certainly be treated by a Mexican dentist that has been educated in Mexico. The last thing we want is for somebody to make a long journey only to feel that they have been mislead.
But also to be clear, just because all of the local dentists are Mexican doesn’t mean their education has been limited entirely to Mexican institutions. Our dentists have attended many continuing education courses and seminars outside the country at some of the most respected institutions in the world, including those in the United States.  Some have even completed their general dentistry degrees in the United States, but for various reasons cannot practice in America, and have brought their knowledge and expertise to dental clinics in Mexico.