Going to the Dentist

[monnik 0]

Exactly! I do think that some things are overpriced in USA, but if you pay less, you can't blame the person who did your work. IMO

Overall, I am happy, but I will finish my dental work in the states, thankyouverymuch.

[deemabrouk 0]

invest in a Sonicare !!!

excellent in gum issues

[*JG* 2]

Your pictures today are absolutely killing me. Too funny.

Andre had never been to a dentist in Jamaica. And, regardless of the cost, I wouldn't have trusted any dentist he could've seen. Once he was covered under my dental, he had 3 wisdom teeth pulled, 2 cavities filled, and a good cleaning.

He goes back for another cleaning at the end of this month and he says if they suggest anything else, he will "chop up the dentist with his machette."

[Meriem_DZ 37]

This is a picture I took of my brother in law, Foudil. He pulled this women's tooth while I was there. Notice he has no gloves or mask. I did lecture him about this. He charged her what is equivalent to about 30 dollars to pull her tooth. His equipment is pretty new. And I did see him get the instruments out of an autoclave, so I know they where sterile. But the glove thing did get me fired up.

Meriem

[Henia 11]

This is a picture I took of my brother in law, Foudil. He pulled this women's tooth while I was there. Notice he has no gloves or mask. I did lecture him about this. He charged her what is equivalent to about 30 dollars to pull her tooth. His equipment is pretty new. And I did see him get the instruments out of an autoclave, so I know they where sterile. But the glove thing did get me fired up.

Meriem

LOL and I just soooo loved that they "sterilize" their instruments in bleach. LOL Just loved that taste in my mouth!

Edited August 14, 2007 by Henia

[doodlebug 3]

invest in a Sonicare !!!

excellent in gum issues

My dad gave me a sonicare and I gave it to a friend of mine. I couldn't stand the feeling it gave me...almost like electrical shocks in my mouth and head!

I worry about my husband's mouth but I think it's just from growing up in a dentist house. My father always judged people by their teeth and I think he'd blow a gasket if he knew that my husband only used a miswak his whole life until he met me! His gums are a curious color too and I can't decide whether it's just his coloring in general or if he has gingivitis. They're very dark...kind of bluish black but they're not swollen or anything like that. Just looks like that's the way they've always looked.

I've never had to pay for any dental treatments in my life, and now I find myself looking for a dentist so I'm a little scared of what everything is going to cost. I do have dental insurance so I think I'm covered for two cleanings a year or something.

[Marriednow 4]

Hi all,

My husband never went to a real dentist in Morocco.

Once in Morocco he broke two teeth--yes, opening a bottle with his teeth . So, he went to the tooth man in Djmaa al Fna (a big open market in the Marrakech medina). I'm going to try to insert a picture here:

Ok, so a big strong guy held him down while the tooth man extracted his teeth with a pliers--no novicane, no painkillers, etc. He paid the equivalent of one dollar a tooth!

When Simo came to the US, I brought him to the dentist for a broken tooth but I had terrible dental insurance. With insurance, we ended up paying $300 to get a tooth pulled. Simo thought that was highway robbery and hasn't been back until today.

So now he has good insurance, and he went in for a cleaning/evaluation. Needless to say there are some issues. He apparently needs 13 fillings, one of his wisdom teeth pulled and his gums are not looking so good (oh, if only he would quit smoking!)!!

Ugh. I don't know how much this is going to cost us out of pocket, but it sure ain't pretty. We may need to prioritize and do some next year (we may hit the max on the dental insurance for the year).

My thoughts: if you have the opportunity, try to get any dental work done in your habibi's home country...it is MUCH cheaper (though I don't think dentists are very common).

Cheers,

Carolyn

OK--I've got a dental story to share. We decided that we would get Hamid's first teeth cleaning, so we just go into a dentist down on the main drag in Marrakech. She was a young woman, very stylish, etc. Her assistant was also the front-desk woman and very very nice. I figured at least she was young and didn't display a pair of pliars, which Hamid says is the way they do it in Medine and at his hometown.

Anyway, so she cleans Hamid's teeth for $50.00. I have to admit he was brave, hardly ever flinched when she ran the sonic thing. So then she polished them, but never did the dental floss thing. So then (being a teacher) I had to show all of his sisters and him how to use dental floss when we were at his house. It occurred to me why in the hell doesn't a teacher or dentist there show them how to do this stuff???? Like they do in the USA when you are little, right? It is sooo sad that they are not told how to take care of their teeth. Hamid does have the gum issues too.

So, then we decide, ok we will let her fill a FEW fillings (for $25.00 each, mind you). So we end up going 3 times for 14 fillings. And, guess what, she did three or 4 fillings at a time in 15-20 minutes--and that included giving the shot!!! I was waiting for him to scream and jump out of the chair, but again, he was brave. He was sooo proud that his teeth looked so much better. However, his only dental experience had been having two teeth pulled in the lower back at two different times, I am sure he thought this was mild. This dentist, though, said she could not work on the two lower back ones. I am assuming they needed root canals or crowns. So I am trying to get him to ask her dental questions in Arabic when he doesn't know the vocabulary in English and he is getting mad at me for "embarrassing him" when all I am doing is trying to get into. I did manage to figure out a chart she was showing us--I think she was trying to tell us the cavaties were not down to the third level or something.

I'm in the chair over there watching, amazed at how fast she can fill those dang teeth. Then I wondered if his gums were really numb that fast. But I figure if not, I will know soon. So after the 4th visit, we are finished. They really were so nice to us. And of course, Hamid was thrilled with the results.

When I got back to the USA, I had a dental appointment for my cleaning. I told my dentist and his wife and assistant who work there how fast she filled them. Of course, they were horrified. "Did she clean them, did she dry them, did she mix this and that??" Of course, I have no idea how they will hold up. But I look at it as a stop-gap measure until he gets here. And with my dentist's prices (you could eat off their floor they are sooo picky) I just saw dollar signs adding up. I think we will be paying them 100-200 a month for life!! :

Anyway, I agree that it is better to have them done there--at least what they are capable of doing. Looking back, I think I would check my Blue Cross/World Access for names of dentists they recommend. But I didn't think of it at that time. I feel so sorry for the people there for their lack of access to doctors and dentists. I think in Hamid's case, he was just used to the pain. The same goes for his ruptured eardrum--they have to live with it and just treat it stopgap the best they can. It is just heartbreaking what some of the people have to go through.....oh well, I will now get off my soapbox...