Through the Eyes of the Waygook: A trip to the Dentist 1

I booked an appointment to go to the dentist before I left for Malaysia and went in last Friday. I have never really liked going to the dentist but my parents have reminded me time and time again that tremendous amounts of money have been put into my smile. I also figured it would be something fun to blog about and experience.

When I got into the waiting room the secretary told me to wait a few minutes so I sat down on a leather couch and took in the fung-shui of the room. There was a white tree in the middle of the room with silver balls, Christmas ornaments, scattered around the roots. On one of the side tables there were magazines and a full pot of coffee. Coffee? Yes -- you could get water from a tap.

I was called in by the secretary/ hygienist who sat me in an elaborate chair. The chairs weren't sanctioned off by walls and you could see the other patients going under the drill. The chairs themselves were futuristic or maybe my dentist back home is old school. There was a screen, tap and sink, and a built-in tray for all the instruments. The first portion of the check-up was a photo session in my mouth. I had forgotten how many cavities I had and when they took four shots of each molar from different angles it made me feel as if my whole mouth was full of metal. The dentist stopped by and explained in English (co-teacher worthy English) that there was some build-up in spots and his hygienist would clean my teeth.

This is where I feel I didn't get all that I wanted. Now that I think about it, my dentist definitely polished my teeth too, this lady just cleaned them. Koreans have this insecurity about closing their eyes in front of strangers,  (this is an assumption) so just like when you get your hair shampooed, you get a flat plastic doughnut that covers everything but your nose and mouth. The cleaning didn't feel great, they swabbed my mouth with something that had a eucalyptus flavor and that was that.

After coming back into the waiting room, the secretary rang me up. Originally when I saw the bill it said 13,1700 and I almost flipped out. She just dangles her sevens. It came to 13,700, I booked a follow-up in two weeks. . The dentist came out to say goodbye. Before I left I asked him what the best toothpaste to buy was and he said all of them are good. That's the first time a dentist hasn't shown any lean towards the toothpaste that they use. I kind of wish I could fly home and get the expected treatment the same dentist I've had since before I can remember, maybe he'll even except my Korean Insurance.