Yes. Unlike bigger cities like Tijuana, Mexicali, Los Angeles or Chicago, the tourist district of Los Algodones is essentially 6 city blocks. There are no stop lights and the speed limit is about 7 mph. Everyone here has a stake in making the town safe including special tourist police. Most visitors park across the border and walk to our office or we pick them up. This is part of the reason hundreds of thousands of Americans and Canadians come to Los Algodones every year.
We strive to make our office as close to what you would find in the United States and Canada in terms of cleanliness modernity.
Face+Dent uses the Autoclave sterilization system which uses steam and are pre-vacuum-type sterilizers. Temperatures reach approximately 250 degrees F to 273 degrees F. Sterilization times range from four to 30 minutes depending on temperature, whether instruments are wrapped or unwrapped, and manufacturer’s instructions. The drying cycle may be 25 to 40 minutes.
In the case of dental costs, the education system in Mexico usually means that a dentist has no student loan debt by the time he or she receives their license to practice. All Mexican dentists complete one year of public service as a condition of licensure and that service is deemed as full payment for thier public education. This, along with low labor, overhead, taxes and other operating costs all contribute to lower costs in Mexico. In terms of pharmacies, the medications are often the same exact brands. The regulations and laws are less cumbersome than in the USA. For optical, the cost of overhead and labor largely contribute to the lower fees.
The border crossing in Los Algodones is officially named the "Andrade Port of Entry" and it opens at 6:00 am and closes at 10:00 pm. Click here to see current wait times. CBP has a handy "app" for iPhone and Android that lists current wait times and estimated wait time based on historical data. The app is named "Border Wait Times" and can be downloaded on the app store or from Google Play.