I awoke early Sunday morning with a toothache, not an irritating pain but a full blown, knock you down pain marathon. Waiting for sunrise it was just me, a lot of throbbing pain and my bottle of aspirins. Debating whether it would hurt less to reach in with a pair of properly sanitized vice grips and jerk the offending tooth out or find a dentist right away; finding a dentist on a Sunday in the Philippines is a kin to finding an honest man in Washington DC. No such luck.
I went to breakfast with the family and suffered in silence, hoping that Sit-N’-Bull served bowls of soft gruel or oatmeal but no such luck. I settled for Eggs over easy and corned beef hash which did go down with some ease. The family never noticed the pain I was in as I’m such a trooper. Don’t believe that for a second, I was whining like my grandson when you won’t get him that new toy. So for the rest of the day my aspirins and I toughed it out, well as tough as a wimpy old guy with a toothache can do.
Now Monday morning I’m on my way to my dentist, who opens at sometimes 10:00 (AM) and is sometimes late. But with the Luck of the Irish perched on my shoulder he (and she) were both present. Praise all that is holy, and may God bless the Philippines.
As I approached the reception desk I informed the young lady that I was there for my 10:00 (AM) appointment. She studiously perused her appointment book, with a look of confusion and some minor head scratching trying vainly to find my name. But because I’m the nice guy that always talks to them when I come in, she did not question me. Kuya Paul, wait one minute… And true to her word I was in the dentist chair in 45 seconds.
Now my guilt overcame me and I admitted to both her and the dentist that I had pulled a ruse on them as I was in such pain. Believe it or not, they all laughed. But were they laughing at me?
The Dentist: Kuya Paul, are you on any medication? I answered; Yes Doctor I take a pill every day for my high blood pressure. Hmmm was his reply, then a stream of Tagalog to his assistant and out came the sphygmomanometer and my blood pressure was 160 over 100. “Kuya Paul, there is nothing I can do with your blood pressure that high.”
Remain calm Paul; you need this guy far more than he needs you at this particular time. Shift to Hyper Logic mode “Yes Doctor it is high but then I do have a toothache and am wracked with pain, would that cause a spike in my blood pressure?” I asked politely. The x-ray machine came out and a photo of the offending tooth was snapped. Hmmm Kuya, it’s infected and there is nothing we can do until the infection is gone. Ah the old “Catch 22”
A prescription for Anti-Biotics was issued and off to Mercury Drugs I went, after a real appointment was given for four days later. This pleased the receptionist who scribed my name in her book and smiled knowingly that I had tricked her once and didn’t get to Bulaga her twice.
The following day, on Tuesday the pain had weakened to an acceptable level, as the pills were doing their job; well they were from Mercury Drugs weren’t they?
Thursday I got to my appointment 30 minutes early, the reason for that was to relax and allow my blood pressure to settle down, after all I drove there and tried to find a parking space.
Since the young girl with the sphygmomanometer was a tad slow gleaning the readings I brought my electronic blood pressure machine which looks like a really huge Casio watch, but sitting waiting I could push the button until I got a reading that satisfied the doctor that I would not expire while under his care. My wife Mayang took her reading and it was low enough to get me into the dentist’s chair, Would I do that? No I got a good reading on my own, in the chair, a blast of Lidocaine, a twist a pull a tug and one more twist and the offending tooth was history. Mind you I’m still wearing my Casio Blood Pressure watch and with the last push of the button, the reading was the best it had been all day. I told him that the pain was causing the high readings, but no one listens to Paul.
My dental goal is to remove the last of the old teeth that are not what they were 10 years ago and replace them with partials both upper and lower steak chewing machines., I’m talking about Texas Joe’s with a large order of Baby Back Ribs and gnawing them to the bone. So what you might ask is really odd? The strong desire, to enjoy the food I like once more including Corn-on-the-Cob. I think not!
If you get a good set of dentures and grind them down till they don’t hurt, you will be eating good at Texas Joe’s, including corn on the cob. Hell I have a full set of dentures and I eat corn on the cob and they work just fine for Rum & Coke also. Top teeth definitely go for the full set, no partials.
Loren;
Partials or full set, as long as I can eat and have a rum and coke I don’t really care. I’m just tired of spending the money on them. When you get here we’ll all take out our teeth and talk about it. (LOL)
Last time I was there I broke a tooth and it pained me to take the denture out and send it in to be fixed. Now I keep a spare set. Full Dentures OK, Crowns & Bridges OK. — partials no good.
Loren;
Well see if your right I’ll take the “I TOLD YOU SO” with good grace and buy you a few drinks. (LOL) Oh hell, I’d do that anyway.
I cant remember the last time I was in as much pain as a bad tooth ache. At least we have a dentist at my office, but had to really push the receptionist to let me in. He scraped down to the roots and prescribed anitbiotics as well. Went away after a day. But I really thought about having it pulled.
Don;
There was a time in my life when a dentist and I would come to blows at the mention of removing my tooth. The Navy and I spent a fortune on root canals and gold crowns and anyway [possible to save my teeth. But at age 67 I must give up the fight, they have served me very well; we have sold all the gold that was in my mouth, not because I needed the money but because they were sitting in a box in my man cave. BTW they were worth 26,000 PNP. The time has come to say goodbye to my trusty friends and join the ranks of the old folks club. I glad they saved your tooth.
Yeah ….have had problems with my toothies also as I get along down the road in age..But I found out that the dentists here I have used are dam good
Lenny;
You are very correct on that point. I’ve had some very good dentists here. I’ve never had my blood pressure taken by a stateside dentist.
I walked in a day or two after you with some pain in the bone. . . Yeah I whine too!
First thing they tell me is “Thank You for referring Kuya Paul”, he was just here too.
I am so glad to have my Dentist on my wife’s cellphone index. . . I find texting her for availability
to handle my dental whoa’s is so easy. For some reason I am use to the phrase “Root Canal”
now I just nod and say hit me up with the Lidocaine.
Terry;
Thank you for the recommendation last year these folks are great. my root canal days are over and my days of Poligrip are beginning. A new cycle of life I guess. (lol).
Hi Paul
Back on the rum and cokes? The abstinence didn’t last long!
As for dentists, I’ve been there with the pain.
I was working in Bangkok and when walking home from the office I felt a twinge in one of my molars. We were flying home to Davao the next day so I decided it was nothing and could wait until I got back after the holiday.
Two days into my holiday and I was in agony. I tried everything for three days to get rid of the pain, even my grandfathers remedy of rubbing alcohol on the tooth, but all to no avail. Every time something got within millimetres of the offending tooth the whole side of my mouth exploded in pain.
The night before we were due to fly back to Bangkok my wife finally convinced me to see a dentist. I remembered Bob’s article about his dentist so we tried to phone but being evening time there was no answer. Google pointed me towards another surgery and I got suspicious straight away when they asked what treatment I would like over the phone. I replied that surely they would decide that when they examined me but no, they wanted me to tell them. When I asked about root canal they claimed they could do it all in one session……..utter BS. Forget it was my reply and I waited until we got back to Bangkok.
5 days of antibiotics, two root canals and a couple of shiny gold crowns later and all was well.
The main thing was that I am my own worst enemy. I hate going to the dentist and have a mortal fear of sitting in that chair. My blood pressure probably goes through the roof and I sit in a pool of sweat. I am physically exhausted when I leave a dentists chair. I had two broken teeth and it was only a matter of time before something went badly wrong, and it did.
Cheers
AJ UK
AJ UK:
I’, the opposite dentists don’t bother me it’s the waiting room that jacks my jaw. If you give me an appointment, see me at that time don’t fill the waiting room incase someone doesn’t show up. In the states if I miss an appointment they charge $45.00, if I’m late they charge me too. I had to wait as the appointment in Boston ran into my time and demanded to be reimbursed. (I got the money) I’ve heard that an earache is worst than a toothache if that’s true I never want an earache.
Hi Paul,
Glad you are feeling better now. What a way to have your weekend wrecked and then have to wait a few more days after that. I have never had my blood pressure checked at my dentist here in the USA. I wonder what that is all about there ? I have learned something about Blood Pressure since donating stethoscopes and Aneroid ( the old reliable guage type ) Bp Cuffs to several organizations there in PH. Interesting that I nearly always get favorable blood pressure readings there in The Philippines fo approx 130 over 80. Those readings can vary from one minute to the next I think. Here in the USA if a reading appears higher, I usually ask to have it taken on the other arm and sometimes that gives a better reading.
Do you know if Nitrous Oxide is available at dentists there ? I always have that ( extra cost but to me it’s worth it ) in addition to novacaine or lidocaine or what ever it is they inject into the gums. A few seconds after they put the mask on me feeding me a mix of Nitrous Oxide and Oxygen, I start feeling spaced out and all is well with the world.
Can you give us an idea of what your ordeal at the dentist cost ? Here it cost me about $100 just for cleaning and a few digital x-rays. I have 2 crowns now and they cost me $1000 each !
The Hospital I was in, in Iligan City with pneumonia a couple of years ago also has a dental clinic so if I have any unexpected dental surprises when I am there I already know where to go for help. Let’s hope that does not happen.
Hi BobNY – Hopefully Paul won’t mind me butting in here for a short while. If you want to check prices, you can go to the website of my dentist here in Davao. She has a full price list on the site.
Her site is at: http://dentist.liveinthephilippines.com
Hope that helps!
Thanks for the link Bob. If I ever need dental work done during my visits I think the Dental Clinic at MSH might be a good place for me. I think I will check it out on my next visit. I don’t have any really serious dental problems but as Paul Mentioned aging teeth, mine are not too many years behind his. I have had 2 ceowns installed at $1000 USD each. That gives me an idea, if my Dentist suggests another one in the future maybe I will have it done there. The savings in money would make the long journey worth it. Could the dentist chair be More Fun In The Philippines ? Hey, that time I was in the hospital with pneumonia a couple of years ago turned into a More Fun situation for me. Thanks for the info Bob.
Bob NY;
It’s funny you bring up Nitrous Oxide it is not used here according to my dentist as you must me a medical doctor to use it, he asked me what it was like and I said, “Like you just sparked a joint” We laughed about that. I’ve had Root canals at PNP 5,000.00 but a simple extraction was PNP 800.00 X-rays were PNP 200.00 each and cleaning was less than PNP 250.00. I suffered no pain during the procedure and they use Lidocaine here.
Thanks for the info Paul. I will ask at MSH Hospital dental clinic in Iligan CIty next time I am there to see if they offer Nitrous Oxide. Some dentists here dont offer it but there are others that do. It cost me about $70 for the ” Blast of Gas ” but if there is any serious work to be done it is worth it to me. Cleaning and X Rays about $100 USD.. Thanks for the info.
Hi Paul, I will have to go the dentist shortly I always say next week and of course the problem
Get worse, what is it with dentists and pain I’ll have to man up and go
Anyway rant over, think I’ll have a beer. Derek in pasig
Bye the way Paul another good post.
Derek;
In 1966 I had a date with a young lady, at 1600 the same day I had a NAVY dental appointment, I told the dentist and he said that without novacaine I’d not be drooling on my date. That was when I started, I’ve gone my life without novacaine for root canals, and fillings But for extractions give me the drugs.
Not sure if they are available here or not, but I have some friends that went in for implants and they told me that they we great. Just a bit pricey in the US.
Luke;
My dentist does implants and a lot cheaper then the US.
They are available here, my dentist does implants. Her name is Lourdes D. Tingson-Lebosada .
Thank you, that is good to know.
If anyone needs crowns or bridgework and are in Manila (Alabang), my German friend actually fabricates them. Most of his business is done with dentists in Germany who overnight the molds to him, he makes them and overnights back to Germany, all within a week. Actually very cost effective, until 3d printers take over. He has a dental clinic and does quite a bit of dental tourism work, mainly Aussies who come to the Phils for a week and can get a full set of teeth for a lot less, including travel costs, than if done in Aus.
Had a tooth extracted in Calamba City, Laguna in 2007.
No appointment at local medical center.
Waited an hour or so.
First step exam and X rays…$10.00
Second step EKG plus 20 minute consultation… $12.00
They didn’t want me croak in the chair.
Tooth pulled because it was split and unfixable.
Same diagnosis as in US.
But I was hoping for a Philippines miracle.
Tooth pulling the dentist – mom, and dad, daughter, and son.
Daughter gently held my head, mom so gently eased the tooth out over 5-10 minutes so gently. Dad and son did something too but I forgot what.
In their office in the hospital medical center.
I nearly expected to be invited for dinner.
Cost for extraction… $40.00
I can’t wait for the next one…