Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic started, the U.S., Canadian, and Mexican governments have been limiting cross border travel. This goes as far back as March 2020, when peoples’ health started to decline, leaving citizens in jeopardy.
Thankfully, essential travel instances were still valid warrants for crossing the border. Such essential travel instances included means to work, means to attend school, and means to have help and aid in medical and dental procedures.
However, that didn’t mean getting across to Mexico was as easy as it once was before all of this craziness. Instead, new obstacles were put into play, and if we’re being honest, it wasn’t as easy to visit Mexico to get dental work done anymore.
Staffing at the Ports
Since COVID-19, the U.S. Customs & Border Protection has put a hard stop to allowing non-essential passengers and people to pass into Mexico. In an attempt to halt the progression of people, customs has decreased the staff on the clock at all ports. This move has also made it possible to adhere to the safe social distancing guidelines during the pandemic.
Unfortunately, having less staff at the border ports has increased the wait time and lines to enter the country. Citizens from outside don’t want to wait hours on end just to get through the gates. Time is considered a commodity, after all.
The Long Lines
The long lines don’t stop at the port entrances, though. There are still long lines to exit the port and come back home to surrounding countries like the United States and Canada.
Unfortunately, countries like the U.S. and Canada are much more strict when it comes to the seriousness of the pandemic. Meaning, COVID tests need to be conducted to make sure the people that did cross over to Mexico for work, school, or medical procedures are not coming back into their home country sick.
Before COVID-19, patients were often in and out of medical clinics and dental offices within just a couple of hours. Those leisure times are not going to be seen again any time soon.
Longer Wait Times
In response to these long wait times at the border comes longer wait times in the offices, too. The social distancing guidelines don’t help in that respect, either.
Now, if you do secure an appointment in the dentist of your choices’ office, you’re still going to have to wait to enter the building according to the pandemic rules and regulations they are following. There are only a certain amount of people that can be in the building at a time, which ultimately means that if you initially had an appointment at 10 AM, but the other patients are not complete with their procedure just yet, you will have to wait until it’s your turn to enter the building. The delay could be minutes or it could extend to hours.
Decline in Patients
Due to the increase in wait times at the port border and at the entrance to the dental office, patients are starting to lose patience. In turn, this has resulted in a decline of patients in Mexico dental offices. Even though the prices are dramatically lower than that of the United States and Canada, some men and women just don’t want to put up with the stress and aggravation of waiting and losing out on all of that time.
The decline has been so hurtful, that approximately 50% of appointments have been cancelled or not even made due to the pandemic’s strict border and visit rules and regulations.
Yet, Some Say “It’s Worth It”
Yet, some say “it’s worth it” still.
The extended time restraints are sometimes still worth it when the large discount is extended in the end. Especially when such proper care is given to paying patients by certified and professional dentist’s.