My Tooth is Filled

Hello Loyal Readers!!

 

Sorry it's been a while since I've posted; the past week has been a bit hectic and I haven't been in the best of moods considering my toothache and related dental issues.  While I've built up a ton of things I would actually like to write about, the most pressing news I would like to share is that I finally got my tooth filled in Santiago.  I know I mentioned possibly going to a dentist in Bolivia, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.  I have a hard enough time finding a decent dentist in California, where I've had more than a couple bad experiences.  While I'm sure the dentists in Bolivia are probably Western-trained and just as good as dentists elsewhere, I just needed more comfort and reassurance. 

 

We arrived in Santiago last Friday afternoon and I knew I wouldn't have much hope getting my tooth fixed on the weekend, so we decided to go out to the club that night.  Ironically, Sean met a couple of guys on the dance floor, one of which happened to be a dentist!  Good job, Sean!  Unfortunately, Arturo worked for the government so it wasn't like I could go to his office, but Sean got his email address and sent him a message the next day and was able to get a couple recommendations from him on where I could go and what to tell them I needed.  Even after going out Sunday night and not getting to bed until almost 5am, I woke up aound 10am Monday morning and decided to go check out one of the dental offices.  When I looked at the addresses, it turns out we actually walked past one of the offices on our way to the club Sunday.  I remember the place looking pretty nice and had no clue what any type of procedure would cost, but since both places were about the same distance away walking, I decided to check out the office I hadn't seen yet. 

 

As Arturo indicated, both offices were mixed medical/dental clinics so upon arrival, there is a reception/information desk for the entire building and separate reception areas for the various service clinics.  I went to the main reception and tried to explain what I needed, which was easy enough to convey, but explaining that I didn't have an appointment, trying to find out the cost to replace a filling, and whether or not any dentist spoke English was a bit more difficult; none of the three young girls behind the counter spoke any English at all.  Ultimately, they were able to fit me into an 11:00 slot with a dentist and since it was already 10:57 at the time, I hurried upstairs to the dental clinic.  I signed in at the dental reception desk and asked the lady about the cost and was able to understand enough of the response to figure out that the initial examination/consultation is free and I would be given something telling me what any treatment would cost before making a final decision.  For those of you wondering why I'm having a hard time communicating even though I speak enough Spanish, I'll explain in another blog post the issue with Chilean Spanish.  For now, let's just say it's very difficult to understand.

 

I only had to wait about 15 more minutes before the dentist called me in.  Yet again, he didn't speak any English so while it was easy enough to explain that I needed my filling replaced, I couldn't quite communicate the problem regarding the sensitivity and soreness of my gums.  So after putting in some info into the computer, he gave me a print out with a cost of 40,000 CLP, but when I took the print out to reception to pay the bill, the total she gave me was only 23,000.  I remember seeing a sign or something about a 60% discount, but I thought it was through some sort of plan or program.  I sure as hell wasn't going to complain or attempt to ask so I just payed my bill and went right back in to the dentist who filled my tooth in 15 minutes.  He even gave me a composite filling, which could simply be their normal practice or could be because he noticed that all my other fillings are composites.   Some of you may know that I'm so partial to composite (natural colored) versus amalgam ("silver") fillings, I had all my old amalgam fillings removed and replaced a few years ago.  But considering the language barrier and circumstances, I was not about to be picky and would have accepted anything they gave me as long as my tooth was filled.

 

All in all, the dentist did a great job and I was out of the office and back home by 12:00 noon.  It was literally less than an hour from the time I walked into the dental office until the time I walked out.  Oh, and the total cost of 23,000 CLP is about $36 US dollars, which is about the amount I have to pay for fillings even WITH insurance back home!!