At the moment, I’m living about 15 minutes north of Tijuana. The wall at the border is impressive restraining movement in both directions, yet the car and foot traffic are brisk and commonly backed up – and medical care is one of the reasons folks here head south of the border.
I talk to locals here in San Diego. Some never venture into Mexico. Others go frequently especially for dental care and to buy expensive (made in the USA) medications. Likewise in Seattle I had patients who would bus to Canada where, once across the border, a Canadian MD would OK their prescriptions. The trip made great financial sense for them.
But there are more exotic places to mix vacationing and a dental implant. There’s an article about medical tourism in the NYT which talks of one family’s adventure in Thailand combining dental care with tourism. Click here to read their story.