Thai Dental Care...
The dental clinic I visited.
November 12, 2006
On my first day in Bangkok I met a couple on the Sky Train. I told them about my visit to a Bangkok hospital and they told me about
their future visit to a Thai dental facility. Really? They informed me that Thailand is very well-known for their dental care. Their
cheap dental care. This was sounding like something that would be in my future as I am now almost seven months into my trip and
who knows when the next time I would see a dentist would be.
All of that was brushed aside and I forgot about it. Until I came to Chiang Mai. And that was when I would pass many dental clinics
with rates of 500 baht for teeth cleaning and polishing. In American terms, this was $15.
I know this sounds a bit sketchy. Being in a developing country and having them poke around my mouth with sharp objects. But I
went into one of the places and it was almost sparkling because it was so clean. The Thai transsexual at the counter informed me the
cleaning would have me in and out of there in about twenty minutes. This was a no-brainer for this dentally un-insured girl. I asked
the one important question – “Is the equipment sterilized?” – and I got the answer I wanted. I made my way to the chair.
I felt good about having a transsexual clean my teeth. He was pretty and I felt confident that he would make my teeth pretty.
My teeth have always had a knack for accumulating plaque. Therefore, going to the dentist for a cleaning can be a painful experience.
But this was virtually painless. After the cleaning, he gave me props for having good teeth and taking good care of them. I have to
admit that this felt really good. I have really tried to maintain my oral hygiene for the past seven months and this was validation that
it has worked.
I said a big ‘Thank you’ to my Thai transsexual dentist and headed out the door – with a smile to show off my pearly-whites…
On my first day in Bangkok I met a couple on the Sky Train. I told them about my visit to a Bangkok hospital and they told me about
their future visit to a Thai dental facility. Really? They informed me that Thailand is very well-known for their dental care. Their
cheap dental care. This was sounding like something that would be in my future as I am now almost seven months into my trip and
who knows when the next time I would see a dentist would be.
All of that was brushed aside and I forgot about it. Until I came to Chiang Mai. And that was when I would pass many dental clinics
with rates of 500 baht for teeth cleaning and polishing. In American terms, this was $15.
I know this sounds a bit sketchy. Being in a developing country and having them poke around my mouth with sharp objects. But I
went into one of the places and it was almost sparkling because it was so clean. The Thai transsexual at the counter informed me the
cleaning would have me in and out of there in about twenty minutes. This was a no-brainer for this dentally un-insured girl. I asked
the one important question – “Is the equipment sterilized?” – and I got the answer I wanted. I made my way to the chair.
I felt good about having a transsexual clean my teeth. He was pretty and I felt confident that he would make my teeth pretty.
My teeth have always had a knack for accumulating plaque. Therefore, going to the dentist for a cleaning can be a painful experience.
But this was virtually painless. After the cleaning, he gave me props for having good teeth and taking good care of them. I have to
admit that this felt really good. I have really tried to maintain my oral hygiene for the past seven months and this was validation that
it has worked.
I said a big ‘Thank you’ to my Thai transsexual dentist and headed out the door – with a smile to show off my pearly-whites…
