Personal experience: dental office - dentistry in America
'15.03.2021'
Before moving to America, I, like many of those leaving, visited the Russian dentist, asked me to carefully see everything, did the cleaning. But apparently, I was not lucky with the local doctor. So today I went to get acquainted with American clinics.
In general, when I say “dentist” or “dental office” my first association is a large room on the second floor of a wooden building with creaky floors, in this room there are about 5-6 terrible brown chairs, some of them are occupied by moaning people, a drill squeals disgustingly , stinks of burnt bones. And I see that by the chair I'm going to, there is a bloody spittoon with teeth, pieces of flesh and cotton wool that were thrown away from the previous visitor. Since that childhood visit to the dentist, I have always been afraid of them….
Honestly, I was afraid of them even in our modern realities. When two days ago my filled tooth whined, I panicked a little at the thought that I had to go to unfamiliar clinics here, and even all the pogalki with terrible bills for treatment added neurosis.
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Where to start choosing a clinic? From the website of the insurance company, there you can usually always find a list of clinics within walking distance (!) That work with this insurance. Why is the list so long? An important point: here a dental clinic is one doctor (less often a couple). Therefore, if you need it urgently, then, most likely, most clinics will not be able to admit you, doctors with good reviews have everything scored for a couple of weeks in advance.
After making your own list by location and reviews, start calling and clarify the nearest reception date.
We finally found even a Russian-speaking doctor, a little further from home (the metro station needs to be passed), but I am really pleased.
It all starts with filling in a heap of information about myself, from the category - whether I smoke, how much coffee I drink, everything about my diseases, allergies - a lot of nuances. After the end of all the bureaucracy, you find yourself in a cozy office, there is immediately a very compact X-ray machine, and even before meeting the doctor, his assistant takes an X-ray - which I think is the absolutely correct approach (we have already discussed everything in detail with the doctor).
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If the last six months ago there was no cleansing, then you will definitely hold it (it is not as tough as ours, you lie and get high). By the way, you are lying, I completely went through all the manipulations horizontally, which seemed to me a more relaxing technique. For the first time I did not worry at all, as if I had gone to the hairdresser's.
Anesthesia was even softer: I usually (sorry for the details) left the dentist with a hanging lip and drooled for another half an hour, trying not to talk to people because I spoke with difficulty. And anesthesia was also painful. And in this case, I generally forgot that I was doing something right after leaving the clinic.
Unfortunately, the problem was caused by an old bad seal. The most surprising thing is to leave the clinic without paying anyone, all the bills can then be learned from the letter of the insurance company, but my case should be covered in full, plus a small surcharge for the filling, but it will be penny even by the standards of Russia (the doctor said so).
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If you do not have insurance, the cost of treatment is impressive, it is better not to risk it with its absence, it turns out cosmically expensive!
Oh yes! At parting, the doctor handed me a bag with gifts.
Trifle, but nice!
