Korean Dentist

So I went to the dentist for the first time here in Korea. Soldiers and children go on post. All others go off post so Sung-Mo Dental Clinic it was. I had heard both good and bad things about the place prior to going in, but I had heard similar stories about the other option, as well. So I really didn't have much in the way of expectations.

After removing my shoes and slipping into a pair of slippers they provided, I entered the clinic. It doesn't look too bad, appears clean and the staff are polite. I wait my turn and get called to the back. Oh by the way, I was flipping through a Korean copy of Allure magazine that had to be 1 1/2 inches thick. I wonder why that is? More advertising? I don't know.

I have a seat in the chair and the hygenist explains what she's going to do; cleaning first, then the exam. She asks if she can place a towel over my face. Picture, if you will, a cloth napkin with a hole cut out for your mouth and nose. I say sure. It had to look better than those lame shades/goggles they give you back in the states. Kidding...I'm sure I looked ridiculous.

She starts working her magic. I don't even know what she was using. It was some kind of pick thingie (maybe) that sprayed REALLY COLD water at the same time. She had politely warned me about the cold water and blamed it on the early hour but that didn't help my poor, sensitive teeth. Ugh! I really didn't like that part. So I'm wondering, will it be warm water if I return in the summer?

When she was done scraping all my teeth along the gumline, she said she was going to polish my teeth with very salty water. I said okay and instantly started wondering how that works. Imagine laying on the beach in a lounge chair drinking a tall glass of ocean water. That's exactly what it tasted like. Yuck! And really, how does blasting your teeth with saltwater, polish them? Then she did something I considered normal, she flossed my teeth.

The last thing she did was take pictures (not x-rays) of various teeth, problem teeth to be precise. She used a wand with a tiny camera on the end. All the pics were displayed on a computer monitor in front of me. She said I had 6 small cavities that should be filled. And a chipped tooth they could repair because it "no look pretty". Well one of the complaints I've heard from people here is that the Korean dentists like to replace perfectly good fillings and they often claim you have a mouth full of cavities. So either they have higher standards for proper dental hygiene or they get paid handsomely from our insurance company. In any case, I've never had any cavities and I've lived with that "no look pretty" chip in my tooth for most of my life. I don't see an overwhelming need to follow through with their recommendations. Not right now anyways.

I'll wait to see how those cavities are looking in the pics next time I go in.