Dentist

My Visit to Grace Dental Clinic, North Thailand, 2008.

Background

I was taken to the dentists infrequently as a kid. Each time I went it was always one filling per visit.

When I left school, I just stopped going for about three years. I went again and the guy said two fillings but when he was about to inject me I panicked and put my hand over my mouth. I'd only just recovered from agoraphobia... but the guy went mad and I was thrown out of the office. I hated myself.

Well I was worried about the work that needed doing, so I found someone else and went there. He was nicer and also said two fillings needed... both on the opposite side of my mouth. So now I didn't know what to do, but just left with nothing being done, and didn't go to a dentist for thirteen years.

I didn't have any problems in that time except some bunching on the lower jaw middle. The tooth that's been pressed either side is jammed tight and I can't get floss down beside it. Some pieces have fell of the back of it so it's half as thick as it was.

Also the backs of the lower jaw teeth felt very rough, like fine sandpaper. I couldn't bring myself to look in the mirror.

I gave up smoking in March and started to think about going to the dentist here in Thailand as it's cheaper and the people are nicer. I read the forums and people said that Grace Dental Clinic was expensive compared to Thai places, but cheap compared to London. I got the guesthouse lady to phone, 1200 for check and exam, and off I went.

They have an online map, used in conjunction with my map I found it easy to find. There's a sign at the soi entrance. It was a standalone building on two levels. I went up to the one that looked more occupied. There were about three females on reception and they said my name as I walked in. I had to fll a form in, most of which I left blank. I took a drink from the water-cooler and noticed there were customer tea and coffee making facilities.

As I waited I noticed that all the dentists had pictures to the right of reception. I'd heard it was all female, but it seemed mixed genders working there. Plus one of the receptionists was a ladyboy. This is good as I'm all for diversity.

About fifteen minutes after my appointment time a nurse led me down to the lower level. This didn't look as nice and is perhaps reserved for routine stuff. There were slippers provided but I wasn't asked to wear them and went in in my own flippies.

Inside the person in charge was about 30 and the nurse 50. She asked some questions about my health, which isn't great but I don't used doctors so I faffed about and she seemed confused and said she'd have a look. I lay back she used a needle type tool around my mouth for about fifty seconds. I looked at the older nurse and noticed she was laughing. They stopped and talked in Thai and I started to get paranoid, expecting them to say about filling this or filling that but she said in English it's OK.

She said I might get sensivity and to raise my hand if so. My face was covered with a cloth mask and they started. It went on for about forty minutes? Starting with a rubbing tool. Then scraping with a needle all around. When she got to the middle where it was rough-feeling, the needle kept being stabbed into my gums and was hurting and I thought about raising my hand, but recalled how unhappy I was with the rough feeling and perhaps if I complain she won't do it properly, but go too light? So I lay there. Then I felt some floss going in on the upper right and get stuck. Then they used some polishing tool. There was a lot of water going in but the older nurse with the sucking took kept it on the opposite side of the mouth and I had to keep swallowing. They mostly worked in silence. Sometimes they talked. Someone came in from outside and there was a conversation while they were working. Sometimes she would ask me to move or open wider but I only just managed to hear when I realised she was addressing me.

When it was done she said get up. I asked if there were cavities or problems and she said no. So either she didn't tell the truth, possibly thinking I'm insane or something, having refused to look in the mirror earlier? Or everything the English 'dentists' told me over a decade ago was a crock of s***. She said the bunching is crooked teeth, but normal. There's mild gum disease, but then quantified that it was only 'at the back'. She ended telling me not to leave it long again, but see someone every six months.

I went back upstairs. The ladyboy nurse said 1500 baht. I said the quoted price was 1200. S/he said it's 'from' 1200 and the guesthouse lady explained it to me incorrectly (possibly true), but the dentist has noted there was 'heavy deposit' which is extra. I considered it. They'd done the work with no money or credit card in advance, and no cash, so there was a degree of trust on their part and scope for a genuine misunderstanding, so I paid and thanked them.

Then I walked to Kad Saen Kew and had a celebratery coke, to put the first deposit back on my newly cleaned teeth! and was all done. This was two days ago. Since then there's been very minor pain where the stabbing was. No blood or problems. The back of the lower jaw which felt like fine sandpaper now feels like smooth porcelain and I can get the floss down OK.

The main thing I think about it all is bitterness about English dentists. How can it be every visit there's a new cavity throughout my childhood, then I leave it for over a decade and there are none? They were just ripping me off. I mean... this Thai dentist wouldn't say it was OK if it wasn't... would she? Even if I act eccentrically. Then I started to think... maybe she wasn't the dentist? It was just some trainee they keep down the bottom for the eccentric patients that won't look in mirrors or wear slippers.

But then I think, pull yourself together. You were expecting a couple of thousand in dental fees after all this time, and it turns out it was OK. Just accept that and be happy. It's Thailand, relax!