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March 22, 2008 -- A border town of only a few thousand, Nuevo Progreso has one of the highest per capita rates of dentists in the world.

According to the local chamber of commerce, the town hosts nearly 100 dentists, but individual practitioners estimate their number at closer to 500. Such a concentration of dentist offices makes downtown Nuevo Progreso, a city of 706 inhabitants according the 2005 Mexican census, exhibit a unique, if not odd, commercial flare.

Nuevo Progreso’s dentists report that the majority of their clients are North Americans, who get their dental work done in Mexico to compensate for the lack of dental insurance - and high prices - up north.

Dentist practices compete fiercely and a loose organization of approximately two dozen 'promotores,' or dentist promoters, await visitors to Nuevo Progreso as they exit the international bridge that divides the town from its American counterpart, Progreso. These promoters work on a commission basis and pay depends entirely on how frequently they can connect dentists with clients. Like other border towns, there is an ebb and flow of workers, many of whom are biding their time in anticipation of crossing the border.

Maria Tuttle was only the third dentist to begin practicing in town. Today, Tuttle's practice is arguably the town's most reputable, and flourishes during the winter months when 'Winter Texans' flood the small border town in search of affordable dental care.