The Dentist.

ROOT CANALS are as fun as they sound, especially in Ecuador.

It’s been a while so I don’t remember all the details, but that’s probably better since it will sound a LOT less bitter since it’s a few weeks later.

Well, the Dentist has been one wild adventure so far. It all began the week before our big trip to the Amazon rainforest with our program IPSL. My face kind of hurt when I pushed it, then it swelled, then it really swelled. I almost wasn’t allowed to go to the Amazon according to one of my Program advisors, not like that would have made a difference anyway. I would have gotten my own ride to the jungle if need be! I can tell ya a lot more details if ya want, but after finally getting some antibiotics and lots of phone calls with my real mom and sister in law who’s a pharmacist, I made it to the group and we were off!

After returning to Quito, I had to find a dentist. Well apparently my host family doesn’t have one and didn’t have one to recommend, even tho my host mom and brother work at a radiology office specifically for patients of dentists. After much debate with my real mom and program advisors and sister about where the heck to go, I found out our campus USFQ has a dentist office right on it! I went there, and was and still am thoroughly ignored every time I go. Luckily there was a nice dentist there, and explained that first I had to get a radiografia taken so they knew what was up. Oh and by the way they cover the strip with saran wrap, and put it in a cup in between takes, and its just a strip of sarah wrap sitting on the counter and ppl rip it as needed. So sanitary. And instead of having something to hold it with in my mouth, I used my hand. Loved it. Then she said they wanted to take out the filling that was there, to be able to see what was happening better. Luckily there was another dentist around who speaks English and translated a lot for me. Since I was so upset about being in the dentist in general in Ecuador and I was incredibly nervous about going and trusting anyone but my beloved Kalmars with my troublesome teeth, I almost couldn’t keep the tears back before i got outside.

Well, the next time I went to the dentist I waited a heck of a long time, and even tho I had a CD with my fotos they wanted to take more. I had to explain multiple times that I already had photos taken, and that they were taken at the very same office a few days ago. Well, I met with a different dentist who told me according to my symptoms I definitely need a root canal, and didn’t do anything. But she helped me make an appointment with a third dentist. I’m very glad that each time I go there it only costs $2. I was annoyed about this because they keep saying it’ll be taken care of next time, and then nothing happens-but at least it’s only 2 and not 15 or 20 like a doctor’s visit at home is. Or maybe it’s more now, I don’t even know anymore.

So, then I get my root canal fixed with Patricia-the one thing I “love” about the dentists here is that when I arrive I have to tell them who I am seeing and what I am getting done. As if I know? And as if I know how to say it all in Spanish? Plus, the day I went to get the root canal they only had me pay $2 at first so I was worried I was only paying for a “cita” and not the procedure, and I almost freaked out on everyone that they were about to tell me it would happen next time again. Not to mention they spell my name incorrectly even when they read it off my passport copy, and type my name incorrectly into the database so I have to tell them how to search for my fotos in the files since it’s under Hackelle and not Hackett, oh but don’t worry they write my name is Hackette even tho there’s no e. at least they get the two tt’s right huh?

Well, I got my root canal, and the English speaking dentist came in to check on me which was nice. But then a whole party came in. First I should tell you that the examination rooms here aren’t private. One downstairs has 2 chairs, another has 6, and upstairs has about 10. And everyone is all over everyone else’s business. During my root canal, about 4 friends came in and shut the door to chat with the English speaking dentist, and I’m pretty sure none of them are dentists. Then other dentists or students came in and asked my dentist questions, which is fine, until she kept leaving the room to get stuff for them-obviously touching other things and never changing her gloves. But what was I gonna do? A little bit later, a young girl who I assume is studying to be a dentist and working there came in and said to my dentist, it’s my birthday! Wish me a happy birthday! (in Spanish of course) and then proceeded to lean all over my chair, touching my leg. Now that sounds stupid, but just imagine being in another country, in a not very clean office, with someone touching the inside of your mouth, you don’t really understand what they’ve been explaining to you, when you ask them to write it down they write down 1 sentence that you understand, and don’t re-explain the past 10 minute of fast talking, and my dentist was already leaning up against me so much that my hair was a mess-bc instead of working at your side, they stick your head in their stomach and move around that way, so I had balloon static hair. And then this girl comes in, during the lil party in the corner, and leans on my chair. I literally almost got up, and had to fight back the tears. The dentist has been by far the worst culture shock I’ve experienced yet. Plus I saw how they sterilize the tools. I had felt at least a bit more comfortable seeing them come out of sealed packages-but then saw a dentist washing and drying them at the sink, and putting them straight onto the counter after drying them. Great. Plus, they use regular kitchen saran wrap to put around everything, and they definitely don’t change it on the overhead lamps or other stuff. It’s just my north americanness wanting ridiculously sterilized things in a doctor’s office, sue me.

So, I get one root canal, come back for a checkup, find out I need another one in the same tooth. I come back a week later, thinking I’m done, but now I have to meet with a different doctor. This part is fuzzy, but the first time I was supposed to meet with a different person, but she didn’t have time for me even tho I made an appointment with her. So instead of telling me this when I arrived, I waited an hour and met with this other guy, who took another pic of my teeth and then told me he also didn’t have time and I’d have to come back. Plus, I needed 4 more appointments to get my root canal done. WHAT THE HECK?! I was FURIOUS. Oh but don’t worry, he let me keep my $2 receipts so that I wouldn’t have to pay next time. So nice, really makes up for it thanks.

Next time, takes another pic of my tooth-but these last 2 times it’s the “old school” version where instead of using the computer, its like a mini piece of photo paper in a case that I hold in my mouth, and then he “develops” it in a lil box and looks at it. So at this point I’ve gotten I thinkkk half of it done, amidst him taking pics of my teeth with a digital camera in between. The next appointment should have been for right before Semana Santa vacation-my 4^th or 5^th dentist I’ve lost count now told me he’d call me, and never did. So now I have to go back there and figure out what to do, which should be interesting since I always get ignored and will have to somehow explain what I need to get done, and then hope he’ll make an appointment with me when he’s actually available. But on the bright side, the costs are enormously less than that of the states. Too bad that doesn’t seem to make up for all the stuff I’ve been through so far.