Tooth trouble
Today I got to visit my dentist to continue the procedure of a root canal, my was it a long visit! For three hours my mouth was stretched wide open. I'm sure you can imagine how tiring that can be, even for people who can't keep their mouths shut :-).
It all started in UG when the plans to travel were finally wrapped up, we had visas etcetera.
I decided that I would have my teeth worked on before I came here because I knew how expensive it would be, actually my dentist put it something like this " you are wise to do this now because if you wait... lets just say the amount of money you spend out there would pretty much suffice to buy land and build a house here".
He knew all my problem teeth and worked on them but there is this one tooth that gave me most trouble and yet the very one he didn't sort out properly. Two months into my stay here it was giving me trouble again so I decided to visit the dental school for help.
Now, I've come to learn that seeing a doctor here can take a while say three months, unless you have an emergency but how do you define emergency?!, well I guess that depends on the patient. My tooth wasn't bothering me all the time but it was sensitive and that was cause to see the dentist.
In November I was told I would have to wait till January, but at some point I thought, this in my case is an emergency, so I called in and got an appointment for the next day.
Its a dental school so three quarters of the dentist are students and we alas are the study material. The first stage was to fill out some forms, then have x rays done and answer lots of questions on my medical history. When my x ray result came back, things didn't look good,I was told I needed to do a root canal. When the dentist told me how much it would be I froze, $1700, oh my!!! I asked him if there were other options he said, well you could just remove the tooth. There is no guessing what I opted for, I was still in shock (and you say, I thought your Dr. in UG had prepared you for that?!). Anyway he goes out, comes back a little later and says, "well you actually have three options, do a root canal then have the tooth crowned, get the tooth removed and have an artificial tooth implanted or just get the tooth out". The first two options cost pretty much the same amount, the last option was 60 bucks and that was now looking like peanuts to me. Obviously I chose the last option, I told him I couldn't afford the other two, he gave me the look of "you gotta be kiddin me", then he said OK, lets go.
He led me to another part of the practice where I met with two other student doctors who were supposed to carry out the procedure... I think.
The ladies were really sweet, they told me not to remove the tooth, how it was worth saving and how I wouldn't have to pay every thing up front and so on and so forth.
They won me over but first I had to check with Sam that all was well then they took me yet again to another section of the building, I found out that that was where the action actually takes place.
I was introduced to yet another student doctor who this time was going to do the dirty work. She explained to me what she was going to do, this first visit was going to be cleaning out the tooth and easing the pain, so that next time I would come in and have the root canal. I had already told her that I didn't have the money but I could afford the first part of the process, she said no problem. Within an hour and a half of her grilling and pocking and having another of her colleague's and supervisor check out my tooth I was done. It felt weird lying there and having these people discuss my tooth as though it was some fascinating study material, I wanted to say, "hello, guys I'm here" but of course I would not, besides my mouth was being held open by metals. Anyway long and short, they did a great job,I had no problems over Christmas or the New year and I got scheduled in for another appointment.
Sam and I talked it over again when I got home and we came to the conclusion that, which ever way they put it, it was going to be way too expensive and it wasn't realistic under the circumstances. Offices' were closed over the holiday period so I had to wait until the Dental school was reopened so I could call and cancel the appointment.
I called in yesterday and told my doctor that I wouldn't make today's appointment because I hadn't got the money.
She called me back later in the day and said if that was the only reason I cancelled it shouldn't be a problem I could still go in. That was music to my ears, she said she had talked to the authorities and they said I could pay just the consultation fee of $10 and pay of the rest slowly seeing as it wasn't going to be my last visit.
Cool!!! I had my friends look after Mich while I went in for the next stage. When I got there, she had even better news for me, they were not only going to allow me to pay in bits but the whole fee had been chopped in half, my eyes almost popped out. Originally the root canal was going to cost $400, now it's down to $200 and I have been able to pay off a bit of the 200, I'm left with a little less than $100. Is God good or what?! that is miracle number one for '07.
Tomorrow I will let you get a taste of what it's like to be at a dentist's mercy, this is information for the lucky people out there who have never had tooth trouble.
It all started in UG when the plans to travel were finally wrapped up, we had visas etcetera.
I decided that I would have my teeth worked on before I came here because I knew how expensive it would be, actually my dentist put it something like this " you are wise to do this now because if you wait... lets just say the amount of money you spend out there would pretty much suffice to buy land and build a house here".
He knew all my problem teeth and worked on them but there is this one tooth that gave me most trouble and yet the very one he didn't sort out properly. Two months into my stay here it was giving me trouble again so I decided to visit the dental school for help.
Now, I've come to learn that seeing a doctor here can take a while say three months, unless you have an emergency but how do you define emergency?!, well I guess that depends on the patient. My tooth wasn't bothering me all the time but it was sensitive and that was cause to see the dentist.
In November I was told I would have to wait till January, but at some point I thought, this in my case is an emergency, so I called in and got an appointment for the next day.
Its a dental school so three quarters of the dentist are students and we alas are the study material. The first stage was to fill out some forms, then have x rays done and answer lots of questions on my medical history. When my x ray result came back, things didn't look good,I was told I needed to do a root canal. When the dentist told me how much it would be I froze, $1700, oh my!!! I asked him if there were other options he said, well you could just remove the tooth. There is no guessing what I opted for, I was still in shock (and you say, I thought your Dr. in UG had prepared you for that?!). Anyway he goes out, comes back a little later and says, "well you actually have three options, do a root canal then have the tooth crowned, get the tooth removed and have an artificial tooth implanted or just get the tooth out". The first two options cost pretty much the same amount, the last option was 60 bucks and that was now looking like peanuts to me. Obviously I chose the last option, I told him I couldn't afford the other two, he gave me the look of "you gotta be kiddin me", then he said OK, lets go.
He led me to another part of the practice where I met with two other student doctors who were supposed to carry out the procedure... I think.
The ladies were really sweet, they told me not to remove the tooth, how it was worth saving and how I wouldn't have to pay every thing up front and so on and so forth.
They won me over but first I had to check with Sam that all was well then they took me yet again to another section of the building, I found out that that was where the action actually takes place.
I was introduced to yet another student doctor who this time was going to do the dirty work. She explained to me what she was going to do, this first visit was going to be cleaning out the tooth and easing the pain, so that next time I would come in and have the root canal. I had already told her that I didn't have the money but I could afford the first part of the process, she said no problem. Within an hour and a half of her grilling and pocking and having another of her colleague's and supervisor check out my tooth I was done. It felt weird lying there and having these people discuss my tooth as though it was some fascinating study material, I wanted to say, "hello, guys I'm here" but of course I would not, besides my mouth was being held open by metals. Anyway long and short, they did a great job,I had no problems over Christmas or the New year and I got scheduled in for another appointment.
Sam and I talked it over again when I got home and we came to the conclusion that, which ever way they put it, it was going to be way too expensive and it wasn't realistic under the circumstances. Offices' were closed over the holiday period so I had to wait until the Dental school was reopened so I could call and cancel the appointment.
I called in yesterday and told my doctor that I wouldn't make today's appointment because I hadn't got the money.
She called me back later in the day and said if that was the only reason I cancelled it shouldn't be a problem I could still go in. That was music to my ears, she said she had talked to the authorities and they said I could pay just the consultation fee of $10 and pay of the rest slowly seeing as it wasn't going to be my last visit.
Cool!!! I had my friends look after Mich while I went in for the next stage. When I got there, she had even better news for me, they were not only going to allow me to pay in bits but the whole fee had been chopped in half, my eyes almost popped out. Originally the root canal was going to cost $400, now it's down to $200 and I have been able to pay off a bit of the 200, I'm left with a little less than $100. Is God good or what?! that is miracle number one for '07.
Tomorrow I will let you get a taste of what it's like to be at a dentist's mercy, this is information for the lucky people out there who have never had tooth trouble.
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