Dentists turn to social media to bring American clients to Juarez

JUAREZ, Mexico (Border Report) – Some offer free rides from El Paso to Juarez and back. Others have friended clients on social media and remind them ever so often it’s time for their next appointment.

Most simply rely on a friendly smile, a firm handshake, polite conversation and a thorough job on the dentist’s chair to make sure whoever walks through the door shares the experience with acquaintances once he or she drives back to the United States.

That’s how Juarez dental health professionals are slowly trying to bring back an American clientele that drastically diminished in the 2000s due to fears over drug cartel violence.

“It is a lot safer now. Avenida Lerdo and Avenida Juarez are very safe areas. I haven’t heard of robberies, or our clients being bothered on the way here,” said Dr. Carolina Carbajal, whose Family Dentistry clinic sits three blocks south of the Stanton Street Bridge to El Paso, Texas.

Murders increased five-fold in Juarez between 2007 and 2008 as the Sinaloa cartel made a push against local groups known as the Juarez cartel. By 2010, thousands of middle-class Juarez residents had moved to El Paso to escape violence, kidnapping and extortion. Since then, murders have gone down from seven a day to 3.5 a day.

Jimenez said the dental office keeps in touch with its patients through Instagram and other social media platforms. She posts images of successful surgeries, keeps track of comments and reassures them all is well. She is aware nowadays the flow of customers, inquiries and patient feedback “comes through the web.”

Even closer to the U.S. border, Washington Dental Clinic keeps its web page up to date with office hours, the procedures they perform and hotel information in El Paso for clients from outside the region. A Facebook page features dozens of “selfies” and videos posted by customers .

“Ninety-five percent of our clients are from the U.S.: Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and sometimes we have seen customers from Alaska,” said administrator Hugo Alejandro Reyes. “What we offer is transportation. We go anywhere in El Paso. We have our vans and can pick you up in the East Side, West Side, Lower Valley, Upper Valley. We bring them here at no extra cost. That’s a plus for us.”

Dr. Lorenzo Soberanes, head of the medical cluster at the Juarez Chamber of Commerce, summarized why Americans should seek dental care in Juarez: “Lower costs and great customer service.”

“We’re talking at 40 percent to 80 percent savings, particularly in dental procedures,” Soberanes said. “It’s good quality services and affable treatment here in Mexico.”

Some providers quoted Border Report prices under $50 for a dental cleaning and between $800 to $2,000 for implants, depending on factors like the material of the implant and the patient’s gum and bone health.

Soberanes said dentists are probably the most sought-after service in Juarez by Americans, but many also come for bariatric and plastic surgeries, and in some cases for complex medical procedures like open-heart surgery and kidney transplants.

El Pasoan Ruben Saavedra says he’s sold on Juarez health care. “The meds are stronger, they work faster than the generics in the U.S., in El Paso. Over here you get quality meds and get well soon,” he said. “If you don’t have insurance in the United States, you come here. I’ve never had any problems with treatment in Juarez.”

The presence of customers from the United States is also drawing outside healthcare professionals to Juarez.

Dr. Oswaldo Hernandez Tabata walks around his office on Juarez’s Bistro Plaza with a black shirt with the flags of Mexico, Venezuela and the U.S. on his sleeve.

“I’ve been (in Mexico) for many years and I know the city (Juarez). I knew there were few maxillofacial surgeons here, so this was a good market for me,” he said. “We are next to the border, so I see a lot of American patients. The possibility of getting a piece of that pie was also positive for (our clinic).”

Hernandez said he has achieved his “Mexican dream” and feels welcomed by Juarez residents.

(ProVideo contributed to this report.)

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