A Trip to the Dentist!

Because I am such a cheap person, I had not been to the dentist in two years. And the time before that was four and a half years ago! Money is always a good excuse, but it is probably not a good idea to neglect your teeth. Anyway, since I have dental coverage for the first time ever, I decided to cash in on it before we head back to the States.

On Sunday morning, Michael and I headed to Ye Dental Clinic together. We arrived at a quarter to 11 and it was pretty busy. I waited for 15 minutes and they took me into x-ray. After that, I was sent back to the waiting area for half an hour. This seems about what I wait at an office in the US too.

The first thing I did was see the dentist. He poked around in my teeth and determined that I had a cavity. I had suspected this was the case, but luckily it was just a small one. He said, "It will be 30,000. Okay?" As soon as I said yes he prepped the table and started drilling. It took only a few minutes to drill, fill and seal the tooth. He was out in less than 15 minutes.

Then came the real work. The dental hygienist was rough and unsympathetic that my teeth were so plaque-covered because I hadn't had a teeth cleaning in two years. She scraped plaque with a motorized pick, polished my teeth, and flossed. I thought my teeth were pretty okay in the flossing department, but she lectured me before I left to floss my bottom front teeth.

All said, I paid 80,000 won for my visit. Not bad for an x-ray, cleaning, and filling.

Michael didn't fare as well as I did. The hygienist said his teeth were very clean, but he ended up with significantly more cavities than I and he was able see a dentist last January. I won't tell you the number, but he has to go back this Sunday to get the rest filled. :(