February 11th
Unfortunately, the herbal remedy didn’t quite solve my dental issues—or at least not fast enough. While the antibiotics I’ve been on for the last few days are starting to work, I decided it was time to see a dentist. So, I ventured out to a dentist’s office I’d found online, one that luckily spoke some English and had good reviews (not that other dentists weren’t qualified, but it seemed easier to communicate here).
I followed their instructions to the office, which was tucked on a side street with a 7/11 and a few little restaurants. Upon arrival, I was greeted warmly and immediately asked if I spoke any Mandarin or Cantonese. Not yet.. I said. They checked me in and gave me little blue shoe covers to keep the office extra clean.
The checkup was pretty standard—an X-ray, a few jokes about all the piercings I had to take out for the scan, and a thorough look at my teeth. I have to say, they were incredibly meticulous. Three dentists looked at my teeth, discussed their findings, and made sure I understood everything. Their English was good, but Google Translate came in handy for the finer details, and they were patient in making sure I was on the same page.
When it came time to pay, they waved it off. “No worries,” they said. By the time I got there, there wasn’t much they could do for treatment, but they still gave me a thorough check-up—and then refused to take any payment. They gave me their phone number in case I had any questions, wished me the best of luck, and told me I was welcome to come back anytime.
A very good first dentist visit in China if I do say so myself.
