"Twilight" dentistry in Mexico?

Yup, you are definitely not the only one with that phobia. My DH is ( or was ) one of them, that is, before he became my guinea pig for school :B

Dental pain can bring the biggest, baddest biker to his knees. It is just a different pain than any other, and really cannot be described.

I'm sure you will work it out ( hopefully without any iv's ) and it will go very well.

Best of luck and travel safe!

2oldman wrote:

PNW_Steve wrote:
The drug that they gave me did not knock me out completely. It relaxed and calmed me to the point that I was in a bit of a warm fuzzy haze. I didn't have a care in the world.

Could be the same thing you get pre-op on your way to the OR. They want you nice and relaxed!

Oh! I was VERY relaxed!

I actually enjoyed the visit. First time in nearly 50 years I have been to the dentist and not had a somewhat traumatic experience.

PNW_Steve wrote:
The drug that they gave me did not knock me out completely. It relaxed and calmed me to the point that I was in a bit of a warm fuzzy haze. I didn't have a care in the world.

Could be the same thing you get pre-op on your way to the OR. They want you nice and relaxed!

Nutinelse2do wrote:
Not knowing your health history, my suggestion would be to check with your American or Canadian physician to find out what's safe for you to have.

Personally, I would never allow a DDS in Mexico to start any IV, due to unknown sterility conditions and controlled substances.

Dentistry in the US is done every day using either valium or N2O2. ( Nitrous Oxide )
I am pretty sure they are legally allowed to do " sedation " dentistry in Mexico which usually means Nitrous Oxide.

There is no such thing as Novacaine any more as indicated. Available forms of local anesthetic are Lidocaine with epinepherine 1:100,000 ( which is commonly reffered to as old school Novacaine ), Marcaine ( Bupuvicaine ) with Epineherine 1:300,000, Marcaine without Epinepherine, Carbocaine without epi ( which is the most common local given with heart problems ) and Septocaine w/ epi 1:100,000.

When is the last time you had any dental work done? Do you know what procedure you will be having done? Are you nervous about just the injections, or the whole procedure?

All these factors weigh into your decision for " sedation " .

A possibility is having your American or Canadian MD write you a script for either 10mg or 20 mg of Valium ( based on your weight ) and take it before you cross the border. It will take 20-30 min to " kick in " and you will be nice and buzzed by the time you get to your appointment. Note- you must have a driver and not plan on driving for the rest of the day.

You can PM me if you would like to discuss it further.

Best of luck if I don't hear from you. Hope all goes well.

Cheryl
Registered Dental Hygienist

Last year I went to a nearby dentist for a root canal and "deep cleaning". I was given Valium to take before I left for the dentist and another drug (Triazolam ??) when I arrived. It was the most pleasant trip to the dentist I have ever experienced.

I have a bit of a fear issue. I will dive with sharks, fly ultralight aircraft and various other activities that involve a bit of fear. No problem.

If you want to see me REALLY TERRIFIED send a man in a white coat with a syringe of Novocain my way. I will scream like a little girl.

Give me NO2 first and I will scream like a drunk little girl....

The drug that they gave me did not knock me out completely. It relaxed and calmed me to the point that I was in a bit of a warm fuzzy haze. I didn't have a care in the world.

I am going to verify with the local dentist what they gave me and see if I can find the same, legally, at a dentist in Mexico.

As far as trying to buy any narcotics myself, no way! I know you used to be able to purchase things OTC or get a prescription at the pharmacy. Things have changed.

I will be traveling from Nogales to San Carlos then head South. Perhaps as far as Mazatlan.

Thanks Everyone for the input.

you cannot travel through the US with valium

Why not? Never said you couldn't. Point being? I do it all the time - and in Mexico too - and nothing illegal in my doing it as I have prescriptions and know the laws and how to stay within them.

I have not been to any dentists in Mexico

Yet you qualify to comment on them and their offices?

though I have seen some catastrophies

I've seen plenty of catastrophes coming out of US dentist offices in my lifetime - I can open my mouth to show you some.

he allows an office in Mexico to stick a needle in his arm

And the difference between a needle in the arm in the US or Mexico would be......??? Never my choice anywhere if it can be avoided in any way.

What, pray tell, does a Dentist's training and state of the art equipment have to do with the sterile conditions of a dental operatory in Mexico?

What does it have to do with one anywhere else? What does it have to do with one in the US? I think we can see with our own eyes how the office is taken care of and how the people who work there take care of keeping the place beyond clean. If it weren't we would not be there.

Sorry - just haven't a great deal of difficulty finding any logic or reason in your comments. You lost me way back on line one.

briansue wrote:

due to unknown sterility conditions

Don't know how many dentists you have been to in Mexico but the ones we have visited have the most modern and up-to-date state-of-the-art equipment of any dentist office we have seen - more modern in fact. Sterility is not even close to a problem where we have been. Universities in Mexico are also more than well equipped to train all kinds of medical professionals. We go to the Mayo Clinic in AZ where we meet doctors from Mexico and doctors from Mayo go to work with doctors in Mexico - highly thought of and highly respected.

As far as taking a valium before crossing to border - our current dentist is about 1,000 miles south of the border so doubt the valium would last that long.

Soooo, you cannot travel through the US with valium?
No, I have not been to any dentists in Mexico.
I am very aware that a good portion of them are American Dentists. I have seen a lot of their work, and some of it is pretty decent, though I have seen some catastrophies too.

It is the OP's choice if he allows an office in Mexico to stick a needle in his arm. I was merely giving my opinion on the matter and clarifying some info on local anesthetic.

What, pray tell, does a Dentist's training and state of the art equipment have to do with the sterile conditions of a dental operatory in Mexico?

Hey, thanks for your follow up though. Great information you provided the OP. :?

If this true, why do Americans pour across at Progresso and buy all kinds of medications? I've heard the winter snowbirds do this, directly from a winter snowbird.

Not all prescription medications are controlled substances. Many medications that require prescriptions in the US can be purchased in both Mexico and Canada without a prescription. Controlled substances are a different story.

due to unknown sterility conditions

Don't know how many dentists you have been to in Mexico but the ones we have visited have the most modern and up-to-date state-of-the-art equipment of any dentist office we have seen - more modern in fact. Sterility is not even close to a problem where we have been. Universities in Mexico are also more than well equipped to train all kinds of medical professionals. We go to the Mayo Clinic in AZ where we meet doctors from Mexico and doctors from Mayo go to work with doctors in Mexico - highly thought of and highly respected.

As far as taking a valium before crossing to border - our current dentist is about 1,000 miles south of the border so doubt the valium would last that long.

Not knowing your health history, my suggestion would be to check with your American or Canadian physician to find out what's safe for you to have.

Personally, I would never allow a DDS in Mexico to start any IV, due to unknown sterility conditions and controlled substances.

Dentistry in the US is done every day using either valium or N2O2. ( Nitrous Oxide )
I am pretty sure they are legally allowed to do " sedation " dentistry in Mexico which usually means Nitrous Oxide.

There is no such thing as Novacaine any more as indicated. Available forms of local anesthetic are Lidocaine with epinepherine 1:100,000 ( which is commonly reffered to as old school Novacaine ), Marcaine ( Bupuvicaine ) with Epineherine 1:300,000, Marcaine without Epinepherine, Carbocaine without epi ( which is the most common local given with heart problems ) and Septocaine w/ epi 1:100,000.

When is the last time you had any dental work done? Do you know what procedure you will be having done? Are you nervous about just the injections, or the whole procedure?

All these factors weigh into your decision for " sedation " .

A possibility is having your American or Canadian MD write you a script for either 10mg or 20 mg of Valium ( based on your weight ) and take it before you cross the border. It will take 20-30 min to " kick in " and you will be nice and buzzed by the time you get to your appointment. Note- you must have a driver and not plan on driving for the rest of the day.

You can PM me if you would like to discuss it further.

Best of luck if I don't hear from you. Hope all goes well.

Cheryl
Registered Dental Hygienist

One more thing, on a cruise when we stopped in Cozumel, people crowded into a pharmacy to buy drugs. Again, not me.