- Initial Contact with Dr. Morales's office by Juniper Berry
19 y
4,586 16 Messages Shown
Blog: Juniper Berry's Dental Cleanup
After several helpful e-mails with Torrie Crocker in San Diego (Bykerchyck) about Dr. Javier Morales's dental work and a number of helpful, informative forum posts about Dr. Morales in Tijuana, Mexico, I have decided to go ahead and get an appointment with Dr. Morales to have my dental cleanup. I have five molar amalgam fillings, one gold crown atop a root canal, and four possible cavitation sites. I have elected to receive a preliminary lymphatic massage, IV conscious sedation, and the vitamin C IV drip. My appointment is at the end of April, 2005.
I was not able to do much research pertaining to American Dentists and their prices except for the few people who have been willing to name names and prices about their own experiences, so I see a real need in this area. I e-mailed one dentist in Houston using six different e-mail addresses that he had used over the years. Finally, I got a response, but none of my questions were answered. I had to call to have a phone consultation to get my questions answered. Rather than spend countless hours talking to numerous dental offices, trying to acertain if they even understand the Huggins protocol in mercury removal, let alone try to get a "sight-unseen" estimate or even a price list for their common procedures, I decided to go with a man who has a straightforward consultant who freely shares all the pertinent information up front on her website. This may turn out to be the biggest blessing of my life...or the worst curse.
There is a certain amount of trust involved when you take a stanger's word at face value. I'm taking Torrie Crocker's word at face value. I'm trusting that the estimate and the detailed information that she has given me concerning Dr. Morales's office is, in fact, accurate. Of course I'm scared. I'm going to Tijuana, Mexico, and submitting to 3 1/2 hours of conscious sedation, for crying-out-loud! I'd be crazy to not be scared. Is this some kind of scam? Is this a ploy to kidnap me and rob and murder me? (Do you really think I'd be going if I thought so???) Is Dr. Morales competent? Is his office staff competent? Do I really have an appointment with the Dr. Morales that I think I do? So many questions. So many uncertainties. And then there are the people at home to contend with. I have convinced my husband. I have almost convinced my son, who is 17 and full of questions, but I am not telling anyone outside my immediate family until the deed is already done, to avoid constantly having to defend myself. However, the plane reservations have been made and paid for, as have the hotel reservations. I am indeed the guinea pig for untold numbers who will follow. I must press on. If I didn't have the few scraps of testimonies and the prayers of the many to depend on, I might give up in despair before I even get there...
To Be Continued...
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Juniper Berry
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- Dr Morales by koala
19 y
1,843
My nutritionist sent me down to Mexico to Dr Morales in order to remove the mercury fillings. She had been sending people to him for years and everyone seemed to be happy. I was a little apprehensive about going to Mexico to have my teeth done but I trust her implicitly so I went. After waiting for three and a half hours (I was told that 9am was the first appointment of the day), I finally went in. I told him that my nutritionist referred me (he didn't seem to care) and that I wanted to take things slow because I have severe TMJ and because at that point I started to have time issues. After giving me some attitude we agreed that he'd do two small fillings and we'd see how my jaw would deal with that and then if things were okay, I would do the conscious sedation the next time. (I had three more appointments with him the following weeks).
He did the two small uncomplicated fillings and sent me on my way. Two hours later when I tried to eat something, I almost hit the ceiling.
I wasn't sure what the problem was, but after a week I went to another biological dentist in LA and he shaved the fillings down and that seemed to help one of the teeth but the other one was still bad. Finally after a month of agony, I went to my regular dentist and found out that while he was removing the old (small) filling, Morales exposed the nerve and then just slapped a filling in there and sent me home. In my quest to do things right, I ended up destroying a perfectly healthy tooth which now needs a root canal.
Koala
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koala
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- Re: Dr Morales by Juniper Berry
19 y
2,062
Thank you for sharing, Koala. I welcome any and all comments as I am trying to build a place where people can receive a true and complete picture of what they can expect if they do go to Tijuana to receive their dental care from Dr. Morales's office.
I'm so sorry about your tooth, but PLEASE reconsider having a root canal done. I just had a wonderful gold-crowned root canal tooth removed, and I do not regret it for one second! Having to keep something dead in my body for convenience sake was a decision that was made for me back when I was naive and trusting. Nobody told me how very bad root canals are, so I had mine for 15 YEARS. I will never allow another root canal to be performed on me. I'd have to be in a coma.
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Juniper Berry
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- Re: Dr Morales by AHARLEYGYRL
19 y
1,908
| dr morales is very hurt by this posting. our assistant dentist found it the other day and would like me to address it. the dr has already spoken to your nutritionist about this. u claim he did not care that your nutritionist sent u and he says that is not true. he told me that he did not just drill hap-hazardly like your other dentist claimed, that he always drills very carefully. but, when working on a tooth, sometimes the nerves get upset and the tooth can die. many times, if the tooth does get upset, it will either calm down or the dr can put in a temporary medicated filling for 2 months. our office would appreciate u removing this posting and if u have any questions or concerns, that u talk directly to the dr. he wants all his patients happy, and as u said, your nutritionist said "she had been sending people to him for years and everyone seemed to be happy". what happened to u can b better addressed in an excerpt (below) from the webpage: http://b
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AHARLEYGYRL
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- Re: Dr Morales by eureca
19 y
2,063
I don't think that the post should be removed as this is her experience from her recall and as such is valid and important.
I also appreciate you giving us Dr. Morales's assistant's response to Koala's posting. It's good for people to read about all of the experiences and then make up their mind.
May I take a moment to thank you for the service that you provide in informing people of a low-cost dentist and in facilitating and enhancing people's experiences in another country. It's a very selfless thing you do in a very selfish society.
Even as I have read your glowing testimony as well as those of others, I do keep in mind that it is the rare professional who is thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated by everyone. I've had people refer me to places and had the worst service. Circumstances and situations vary and even with identical experiences people's expectations vary and so will their testimony.
Thank you both for sharing.
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eureca
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- Re: Dr Morales by #43012
19 y
2,142
Hi,
Just wondering how Juniper Berry is doing now? How did you heal up and can you tell us more detail now that it's been awhile if having the root canal out was helpful. Thanks
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- The root canal by Juniper Berry
18 y
2,880
Hello all.
It's been a long time since I posted, so I will add another chapter to my blog soon for everybody's benefit. Just let me say for now that I am happy that I had my root canal tooth extracted and my amalgams removed. I went to Dr. Morales because his office could do it all in one day and prepare me well with the on-site massage, and I could get the vitamin C drip (one of the best things you can possibly do, besides the massage) and the conscious sedation.
Part of my jaw is a bit skinny where the root had to come out the side of my gum, but the place healed well. I paid for a temporary bridge, but never received one. I never mentioned it, and for just a $50 cost outlay, I did not feel that I needed to squabble over it. I actually spent about $1350 for my complete dental revision (all in one day), which is a BARGAIN!! Of course, the plane tickets, motels, and car rental were all tacked on to that, but these are variable expenses, and you can really shop around to keep costs low.
The tooth with the largest filling got broken during the process of garbage out- goldCrown in, and Dr. Montana (Sorry if I got your name wrong), Dr. Morales' second, let me know that I would need to get it crowned. The tooth was sensitive for awhile, but I can eat pretty much anything without pain or sensitivity now. It's been 18 months since my revision, and I still have the tooth (uncrowned). This is not a good idea, but I don't like seeing dentists or doctors, so I will probably let it go for so long that I will just have to get it extracted in five or ten years. But maybe not. Hopefully I'll never have to have it removed.
I'll post more when I get around to it. Several folks have e-mailed me, but I have had mixed feelings about where I chose to get my work done. I have run the emotional gammut, and I needed time to let my feelings settle. I'm ready to share a bit now about some of the relevant issues:
I think that soon everyone will need to have a passport to go down to Mexico and back, though that may be just for people entering the US by boat and/or plane. There is the possibility of kidnapping, as you would have anywhere in the world. I did not feel unsafe going to Tijuana, but I happen to have supernatural protection. I also have a very tough-looking husband/bodyguard. He has a pretty mean "bark" too. I cannot be 100 percent sure that Dr. Morales did all or even any of the work, as I was blissfully in lala land during most of the time I was in the chair. There was a professional to administer the sedation. However, as the sedation wore off near the end of my treatment, I was painfully aware of my tooth being wrestled out of my head, and I had a hard time getting anyone's attention about it. I finally had to resort to crying. One other negative: they gave me instructions about my extraction, that I should put ice on it right away, but I sat in the office for hours after my treatment waiting for my ride back to the motel, and nobody ever gave me an ice pack!!! The office needs to realize that patient care does not end when the person leaves the chair. This needs to be improved upon.
BTW, when you go to Mexico, the culture concerning time is quite different than in the US. If you have a 9 a.m. appointment, that means 9 a.m. "or so" and it's probably not going to ruffle any feathers whatsoever if you come dragging in at 9:30 or 10. And don't ever be in a hurry, ever! I really like this aspect of Mexican culture, but unfortunately, if you have a plane to catch back in the US, the plane's not going to wait for you, so allow PLENTY of time!! :)
One more thing before I end this note... Over the past 18 months, I have gradually noticed a positive upward health spiral. I've had an increase in my energy level. I also do not get the devastating headaches that used to plague me once or twice a month. Keep in mind that I am in perimenopause, which could have been a factor with the headaches. Also, I still liver flush (the mild Dr. Schulze kind) and I use coffee enemas regularly. I just feel so much better physically when I am using the coffee enema. It helps to keep my liver and gallbladder cleaned out, and I now have less GB pain (mostly non-existent) than I have had for many years. My vocal range and stamina has improved. My hay fever is less. I have a better overall outlook on life. I hate to leave you all on a negative note, but this is a symptom that needs to be commented on: my ears still ring (tinnitus). I'll have to keep you posted on this one.
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Juniper Berry
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- Re: Dr Morales by #43012
19 y
2,100
Hi,
Just wondering how Juniper Berry is doing now? How did you heal up and can you tell us more detail now that it's been awhile if having the root canal out was helpful. Thanks
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- Re: Dr Morales by eureca
19 y
2,010
| I know how you feel. Did she die? Did she become incapacitated? It's terrible to leave off at this stage.
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eureca
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- Re: Dr Morales by #43012
19 y
2,639
Hi,
Has anyone heard from Juniper Berry and how she is doing from her dental work at Dr. Morales?
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- appts with Dr. Morales by #42426
19 y
2,596
Torrie was very helpful arranging my first visit to Dr. Morales last September. I was planning to have all my teeth pulled, but he said 11 of the teeth on top were still okay and left them in. The conscious IV went very well. I didn't remember much of anything afterwards, thus the time went quickly. I remember getting out of the chair and acting goofy in the waiting room, but recovered quickly and no pain.
The one negative thing was the IV person gave me too much oxygen, and I had a very bad headache all that night and was not able to sleep. She said most people were in the 80's with o2 levels and mine was 97/98 at the start. She said it would go "over" 100 (don't know how that is possible). I asked her to keep it at 98 or below but she acted arrogant about me saying that, so I'm sure she ran it up high like with everyone. Anyway that would have been too much o2 for me and I'm sure that was the cause of my headache, also very dangerous to have all that excess oxygen -- not used -- in the blood! So that was the one negative thing, and nothing to do with Dr. Morales.
Overall the work was very good, and much better than I have had with the #1 rated dentist in this area of California, who over the past 12 years ruined my teeth, with all his blotched drilling, fillings that constantly came out, crowns that fell off, often within days or weeks of him putting them on, teeth cracking and falling apart under the crowns etc, and him always wanting to charge more money to fix them! Also he sent me at first, twelve years ago, to have a tooth pulled here -- I'm in central California -- and the guy who pulled it cracked the adjacent teeth! I could never again chew anything like carrots with them after that.
Thus, again, Dr. Morales did much better work, more quickly, more easily, with less pain, and less expensively than any dentist I have been to before. Also he has a very nice friendly manner with everyone. The office is very low key, which I like very much.
My second appointment was this June, to get the permanent partial for the top, and denture for the bottom. Thus was done by Edgar, the assistant dentist to Dr. Morales. Along with this there were a couple of fragments still in my lower gums that he removed. This went well, although Edgar is very rough and twice drove the tool into my gums. I yelled out and asked what he was hitting that gave me the pain. He said there is nothing there to give me any pain as the nerves were gone. But then a few minutes later he did it again. So I don't know what was going on there or maybe he has a sadistic sense of humor. He also filled a hole that the dentist here had left in the back of a crown. This went well too. I would say Edgar is very good at doing fillings.
The lower denture has a very impressively good fit to my gums. The chewing surface, however, is slanted, which is noticeable from the front, and my bite hits on the right side first, which lifts up the left for my teeth to fit evenly. He said he did this on purpose so my teeth would match the top (1/2 of which are missing). I don't understant that but have tried to file them evening since being at home. The top partial also fits very well, but one of the teeth came down lower like a fang. I filed it down some and it looks better.
I had asked previously the materials and was told they were Valplast. I later looked this up on the net. When I got home I noticed the upper partial was Valplast, but the bottom denture is something else, which is not valplast. It is some kind of plastic but I don't know what it is. It would be helpful to know what the materials are and let people know this before, and also if there is any change to tell people and let them know. It is a big thing to make trips and go through dental procedures. it is not a small thing at all. I feel Dr. Morales knows this. I am not sure about Edgar, i.e. his sense of humor etc, however he is also very friendly and perhaps that is just his efficiendy. However, before I left I had mentioned the bottom denture riding up and not being level. Edgar told me this was how it had to be, and thus he didn't do anything to correct it.
Overall, however, my experience with both Dr. Morales and Edgar, and every person in their staff, has always been very helpful to me and to everyone else I have seen who has gone there. Also they obviously have the respect of a lot of people from all over, as well as the people who live there. Their work is far better than the work done to me previously by the conventional dentists in this area, and I was and am much more at ease with Dr. Morales and his staff.
I personally recommend to see them, and they are my choice to go to for dentists, more than going to anyone else. And I prefer to not go to any dentist at all in the states, as I don't trust any dentist in the states whatsoever.
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- update to previous message by Jlvs2run
19 y
2,736
The previous message was mine.
My last visit to Dr. Morales was in June.
Since then I have called the office on a number of occasions and only gotten their recording.
This weekend I discovered an abcess in one of my remaining teeth, so I again called their office today. The phone rang and then a message said their mailbox is full.
So I don't know what is going on, if they are still doing business or what.
If someone knows, please post the information here so the rest of us can know too.
Thanks.
John
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Jlvs2run
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- New website. Dr. Morales by Dr. Morales
19 y
2,633
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CureZone