The Tooth, The Whole Tooth and Nothing but the Tooth!

Awhile back, I wrote that UruguayNow listed our blog (along with 5 others) as a best of the Web Site.  I'm not mentioning, it this time, to brag, (no really), but because of their review or synopsis of our site.  I found it amusing.

"Wally Glass details his ongoing struggle, against mosquito, brushes with officialdom, a recurring tooth problem, etc....  with honestly & clarity of his observations..." 

Okay, the recurring tooth problem is mine. It's been going on now for 5 and a half months and it's amusing to me that, this statement would be a reason to read our blog! So now Honestly and with too much Clarity I bring to you the Tooth, The Whole Tooth and Nothing but The Tooth!

  December 2, 2009, I broke my rear upper Molar. I decided to try using my Medica Uruguaya Insurance and go through the "System" I was able to go to an emergency clinic by going First to my Doctor in our local clinic (Salinas) where she wrote a note saying it should be looked at right away!

The "Urgency clinic" is in the town of Solymar, fronting the ruta (the highway). An on site Dentist looked at it and filled it right away with a temporary filling, a Paste or "Pasta" as it's called in Español.

Before an appointment can be made to Permanently fill a tooth a "Revision" or review must be made in the main Clinic in Montevideo.  APPOINTMENTS for Revisions can ONLY be made on the first of each month (business day) That was 3 weeks away! but I was assured that if my Temp. filling came out  I could immediately go to The Solymar Clinic & they would again fill it. Two days later the Pasta fell out! All in all I had 3 temp. Pastas put in.

January 2, 2010. I got an APPOINTMENT for January 31, Revision in the Montevideo Clinic.

January 31, 2010. My Revision was a 5 mins. examine (or less) The Dentist said YES you can get a permanent filling put in (covered by my Insurance) I learned the insurance only covers 1 filling a life time.  With the okay to go, I now needed to be given an appointment for the Permanent Filling. The next available time slot was March 18! Meanwhile my Pasta fell out again but I just left it out and waited for the permanent filling to be put in at the now familar Solymar Medico Uruguayo Clinic.

March 18, 2010.  In a matter of minutes my new PERMANENT filling was in! No Dinero was charged. The only cost was my time and since I was retired, what did that matter?

March 20, 2010. My PERMANENT filling fell out!

Okay, FORGET THIS,  I'm going to see a Commercial Dentist because these fillings aren't staying in my tooth and I WAS being careful, even chewing on the other side of my mouth!

April,  I'm bummed out and I don't do ANYTHING for the entire month with a hole in my tooth!

May 6, 2010.  I go to Atlantida (5 kms away) to a Dentist recommended by an expat. This Dentist speaks English! He actually takes an X-ray my first! He recommends the tooth be PULLED! The other choice would be MORE than just a Root Canal or A Cap but a FALSE TOOTH! taking about 7-8 visits of Dental work to anchor it in! I asked the cost. The total (estimate) would only cost 5,600 Pesos UY but since it was a Back Molar near the ex Wisdom tooth, guess what I decided to do?

May 11, 2010.  I had my back upper molar PULLED! Cost 1 x-ray  200 Pesos ($10 US), 1 Tooth Extraction  750 pesos ($40 US) and 50 pesos ($2.50) for some non-aspirin based pain pills purchased from the local pharmacy. 

So you tell me, $50 US or for free (with insurance) Which was the better route?? LOL. I hope this recurring tooth problem saga is now no longer a major theme of our blog.

PS. As a lark read #5 on the post extraction care guide. Only in Uruguay!