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Tooth Hurty
If I had the amount of money invested in my mouth invested in my 401K, I could be retired by now.
But as it is, I have to see the dentist—in China–about molar number 18.
This tooth has been through the ringer, surviving everything from a root canal to a cracked crown.
China has dental care, but it’s different than what we are used to in the states.
They have everything from men selling false teeth in the park to storefront practices. These dental offices remind me of barbershops with big chairs in the window.
Bystanders can watch you drool as the dentist drills.
Being a Westerner, I’d attract a crowd.
I talked to American teachers about “tooth hurty”.
Here are some of the tips I got from others who survived the dental chair:
“Don’t go to a Singaporean dentist. They don’t believe in Novocain, even if they pull teeth”.
“If you get Novocain, ask for the foreign “imported stuff”. The Chinese stuff doesn’t work.
“If you get a crown, make sure it’s made in overseas. The local ones might be made with lead.”
And my favorite comment:
“Did I mention you can get Percocet over the counter?”
The recommended dentist was bi-lingual. Still, I brought a Chinese friend to help translate. My first appointment was last Sunday at 2:30.
Doctors and dentists work 7 days a week here.
The dentist had a sign in his office: Trustworthy Dental. It was in a high-rise –not as posh as Michigan Avenue office– but was reminiscent of the dental office I went to as a kid.
There were still a lot of forms to fill out but they were all in Chinese.
Plus, there wasn’t an office assistant or MUSAC playing.
After the dentist X-rayed my tooth, he handed me a crown catalog. I get to choose the model and make of my new molar.
It really wasn’t that bad.
I am experiencing a bit of sticker shock on the price of the crown. The price of crowns start at about $50 and max out around $800. That’s a lot of egg rolls. sI’m still dilly-dallying over which one to get.
Anyway, no more candy for me.