Going to the Dentist in Bali
One thing that was not on my agenda for my time in Bali was going to the dentist, but sometimes life happens and that is where you end up.
So What Happened?
Let's start from the beginning. Right before going leaving for Bali I had a large amount of dental work completed- crowns, implants, root canal, the whole nine yards. Not even a week later, I bit into a soft taco (a really good taco by the way) during my second night in Bali and POP off popped a piece of my brand new smile. After a few tears, a call to my mom, and finishing dinner it was off to the pharmacy to find some denture glue to keep the piece in over night.
The next morning, staff from my volunteer organization helped me by finding me a dentist, calling to make me an appointment and calling me a driver to take me to my appointment, he was lovely and came in to make sure I was able to find where I was supposed to be and translate a little bit.
The Dentist
I have to say, my expectations were LOW. I was a bit nervous, but upon arriving I instantly felt at ease. The office was located inside of a hospital and was all brand new. Seeing a new, modern, western looking office made me feel so much more confident trusting them to cement my teeth back in. To top it all off, the name of the office was Bali Dental and Implants Centre, convenient since I was there for help with my implants.
I ended up having two appointments. My initial appointment was essentially just a consult. The dentist took a look in my mouth, confirmed that she would be able to cement the piece back in, then told me to make another appointment to come back the next day because she had to get the correct adhesive. So that's what I did, came back the next day. The next appointment was quick and painless, my teeth were cemented back in and I was on my way. All in all the two visits cost me only 1,260,000 rupiah...that's equivalent to about $87.
Emergency Contact
I don't know about you, but my mom is always my emergency contact. I realized while filling out my paperwork from my initial appointment that it seems kind of funny to put down my mom as my emergency contact. At home sure, but while I'm across the world? Felt funny. But nonetheless, I wrote her in the emergency contact, but I also included my volunteer coordinator for good measure.
Self Confidence Boost
Dentist day 2 helped to boost my confidence in myself as a traveler. Like I said, on day 1 my volunteer staff basically coordinated everything needed. Day 2 was a different story. I made the call to schedule the appointment. I made the call to book a driver. I went independently inside and was able to communicate what I was there for. I did all of this despite feeling uncomfortable dealing with stupid dental work while traveling and despite very little shared language. At the end of the day, I felt so proud of myself for taking control of my situation.
Looking for more posts from Bali? Check them out here!