China series, Part 20: A Trip to the Dentist

[Prometheus]

A crown I had put in over 20 years ago finally gave up the ghost and fell out so a trip to the dentist was necessary.

There was the usual scanning of QR codes to verify Covid status (testing/vaccination/recent travel) when arriving and the usual poking and prodding under a bright light once I got int o the chair. Then there was the uncomfortable process of the x-ray machine that was built for people to stand at with their chin on a rest. It was uncomfortable because it wasn't built with the ability to be raised high enough to accommodate someone as tall as me, but we got through it. I also thought it a bit odd as the average height of men in this part of China is about 5'10" (178 cm) so accommodating me at about 190 (cm) shouldn't have been so hard.

Next week, I will go for the mold-casting process and the week after that the new crown will be installed.

So, that's 3 visits to the office, x-rays, dental mold, making and installing a new porcelain crown. Grand total: 2,500 RMB... about $395 based on the current exchange rate. Now it's been a long time since I visited a dentist in the US, but I'm thinking that this process would probably cost a couple grand at least. I'm pretty sure I paid more than $400 20 years ago and that was with insurance.

Several friends here have mentioned in the past that dental care in China is high-quality and cheap. One friend got a dental appliance to replace four teeth and he said he paid less than 10,000 RMB... less than $1,600.

Let's see how it goes....

[Prometheus]

2nd trip: got a small cavity filled, tooth shaped to receive new crown when it's ready, a mold taken to create the crown, and a temp crown put in while I wait.

So far, so good.

[Prometheus]

And we're done!

The new crown was put in today and the dentist even did some extra shaping to make sure it fit comfortably.

The experience was actually fairly pleasant overall (as visits to the dentist go) and certainly cheap.

[abbey1227]

Mar 7, 2022 9:17:42 GMT Prometheus said:

And we're done!

The new crown was put in today and the dentist even did some extra shaping to make sure it fit comfortably.

The experience was actually fairly pleasant overall (as visits to the dentist go) and certainly cheap.

IIRC, the last crown I had done about a year ago was in the $1,200 range.

Completed in 2 visits.........one week apart.