Dentistry in Brazil - experiences and suggestions

What city and why like your own post?

Not thinking about any specific city, open to hear different experiences about the Brazilian dentistry.
I am interested in the opinion of the expats regardless the location.
Why shouldn't I like my first post?

Cheers

Had an implant $R900

Texanbrazil wrote:

Had an implant $R900

That´s cheap. R$3,000 each implant in Rio Grande do Sul.

Was the procedure and recovery process very slow and painful/uncomfortable?

No. Just had the gap for 3 weeks or so to let the extraction and all heal. Then came and inserted tooth. Really no issue. Now it was jut one tooth.

Texanbrazil wrote:

No. Just had the gap for 3 weeks or so to let the extraction and all heal. Then came and inserted tooth. Really no issue. Now it was jut one tooth.

There are people who would like tooth implants on both sides. I wonder how many days before they can even chew. One side only would be ok coz you can switch chewing on the unaffected side.

For a week I was chewing on one side. After the stiches healed I was able to chew softer foods on the implant side. I did not ask as to "what if" on both sides. Probably just hops, malt and barley for a week or so!

I was wondering about the quality of work and aesthetics

In my smallish city (300,000) I would guess there are dentists on every corner in downtown area. I only used dentista geral and ortodontista. Both were equip with complete and newer equipment. Ortho was high end clinic and on time and no issues. Did not need much aesthetics for extraction and insertion of implant require none.

Malt - Barley juice with yeast and hops. Heineken, Antarctica Original or Stella Artois?My arsenal is full of that.

Mine also, but Sabado may need more.

Texanbrazil wrote:

Mine also, but Sabado may need more.

Especially if it extends to " Dormingo"

I recently had a Bridge Recemented (is that a word) deep cleaning , a polish (Cuban Cigars and Coffee) and a 4th visit for only  the Higher Powers know what for......

All for R900.00.=4 visits...

So far Happy with the work...it was a Chain Clinic and very clean and Professional,  the have about 35 offices in Bahia...

I am feeling Root Canal on the Bridge???

As of now the deep cleaning is making a Bruther crave Cerveja and Bombay....lol...


I had a Root Canal and it included the Cap for R800.00 and it's fine( Belements ,Para).....

Overall satisfied with the work, thank god no Braces which seems to be the Fashion Trend , everybody and there mother have them , wishing for a gigantic magnet..lol..

if one takes the current usd vs real rate and do the math the work at the Factory Clinic would be the same as a appointment with a Dentist in the USA. ...

I equate my Experience to a Triple Word Score...cheap,cheap,cheap....

And yes the Dentist offices here are like liquor store and churches in Alaska ....

One on Every Corner...kkk..rsrs..lol..true story.

Why does the Dentist wait for the patient to gag....interesting. .....lmbo

I hate to see drills being put in my mouth. I had 2 or 3 fillings when I was younger but that´s it. Everything is intact.

When in doubt on just about any subject, l use the tried and trusted method: ask family and close friends.

I also hate it. I remember the old family dentist and when the began to drill, I broke the cast iron arm rests. Now I did have an implant here and it was professional and painless. (The cervejas helped I guess)

Texanbrazil wrote:

I also hate it. I remember the old family dentist and when the began to drill, I broke the cast iron arm rests. Now I did have an implant here and it was professional and painless. (The cervejas helped I guess)

I remember my mom´s story that while drilling she kicked the dentist so hard that he was slammed against a locker. The anaesthesia was insufficient she said. I also remember when I was a boy where my classmate crying and screaming had to be removed by school staff as he hanged on tightly against a table during his turn at a school dentist´s visit. That dentist had the habit of whistling while extracting the vialed anaesthesia with his long needle and syringe to the horror of everyone.

I am curious about how satisfied anyone is with their dental care in Brazil. I'm frustrated with my dental care in the U.S. and am considering getting it taken care of while in Brasilia. Are the exams and cleaning comparable? Has anyone had more extensive dental care such as crowns and root canals? How was that experience? Do they use dental insurance in Brazil or pay directly? Thanks.

Hey, I had a root canal about 5 weeks ago now and a crown put on top. It was actually pretty fine. The dentist specialised in this procedure, so it went without any issues. My tooth was already split in half, so maybe it made the work easier, but it was around 45 minutes of work.

The only thing I have to compare to is having a tooth pulled in the UK, which was equally "ok". Both procedures used anesthetic, so it was painless enough.

I do feel the dentists are a big rougher here when it comes to cleaning, but generally I have no complaints about the quality of the work. 5 weeks on, my crown is doing great, and you can't even tell by looking that it's not the original tooth.

Thanks @English Penguin.  Good to hear. Is there dental insurance in Brazil?

04/03/23 Thanks @English Penguin. Good to hear. Is there dental insurance in Brazil?
-@EricPau

My health plan (Hapvida) has a dental component.  I'm only paying R$19.35 a month for it, so I doubt that it's very good.  I haven't even checked out what it includes.

The dental schools at the Federal and State universities generally have free clinics, staffed by people approaching graduation.  A lot of people, especially people who only have SUS, go there.

Private dentistry is much cheaper in Brazil than in the UK (and probably US?), but the quality is variable, so make sure you visit a few different dentists to get a quote (one might say you need a filling, the other not...). Quite a few dentists will try and do work on you that you won't need. However, if you are having serious issues like an abscess or want veneers you can save a packet and get a reasonable job done in Brazil.

Thank you all!

If I had it to do all over again, I would have moved to Brazil 25 years ago, just for the dental benefits.

Not only the cost but the time spent and the pain were also  issues.  I could not begin to tell all the stories.   and I have not even given a thought to this issue in two years, (YAY!) except that I am funding full new titanium insert-secured dentures up and down for my wife, for about 1/10 what they would cost in the USA......and she loves them......

I had implants (2) done for a small fraction of what it would have cost me in the USA. The savings would probably have paid for a month in Brazil on the beach AND the cost of the implants. The work was superb and I've had no problems with them in 10 years. That dentist is now retired so I can't recommend him but there are so many other good professionals here. I know that there are some bad dentists here but I mostly hear positive comments.

Regular cleanings, fillings and gum work (receding gum lines) are all handled quite professionally as needed and I just pay for the services because costs seem low. I don't know anyone with dental insurance but I've heard those plans are often limited to dentists that otherwise find getting clients difficult - but I have no data behind that observation.

But beware, there are hucksters out there. Get good references before commiting to significant dental work.

mberigan

Thank you all. I appreciate you sharing your experiences and your advise. Looks like I'll have my teeth cared for in Brazil!

@EricPau I am in the last leg of my dental surgery. I am 62 and am having my upper teeth replaced. I came to Brazil and started in late October. It is now April. I had several operations including wisdom teeth taken out (my father passed, so I have no one to confirm this did not happen when I was a kid).

My funniest story (though not at the time) was when the drills first came out. Apparently NOVACAIN does not translate into Portuguese, and they gave me a tissue to hold onto. I couldn't believe it and was laughing hard at the absurdity, but it did hurt.  The other thing I thought was strange, was they really did not have water for their spit bowl. It was foreign to them.

As far as the US vs. BRAZIL for dentistry, my biggest problem was that I wanted to have this done when I went to New England to see my father during his last days.  Everyone I called was not taking new customers, so it was mostly an accessibility issue.

Roddie in Retirement

It is a useful sikll to be able to indentify your own teeth from your own xrays.  Not something I ever needed any help with, but then, I've looked at an awful lot of differernt xrays......