Malta Dental
After a few months on this island, it was time to go to the Maltese dentist. Now, I have no fear whatsoever of dentists, the way that many people seem to have. I actually love my last dentist and I went to him for many years. For me going to the dentist just means getting a cleaning, making sure everything is going well in my mouth, and if a cavity or something else needs to be done then I take care of it. (For someone like me with quite a lot of irrational fears and phobias, it is perhaps amusing that I have no problem with dentists).
My friend P highly recommended a dentist in Sliema. It was time for M to get a check-up as well, so we both went. The dentist runs the whole operation by himself, with no receptionist or assistant. He was very nice and we had a nice chat about many things as he looked at my old x-rays and I told him about my dental history. But here is the part that left me very confused: when he actually got down to business, the whole cleaning procedure took about three minutes. That was all. I did not know what to say. All my life, this procedure has taken between 30 and 45 minutes and involved scraping out plaque and everything else they do. I was so startled that I just mumbled something about “wasn’t there any plaque?” but he just said that I take very good care of my teeth and to keep it up. I was on my way out the door and the whole thing had taken just minutes of my time.
Now, this doctor was highly recommended, but it still leaves two possibilities.
1) He is actually a bad dentist and did a very minimal and superficial cleaning.
2) My old dentist has been lying to me for years and telling me I needed all sorts of treatments that I did not actually need.
I am still trying to figure this out. Perhaps I should try another dentist in Malta and see if it goes any differently.
A few years ago I visited the USA, and that was the first time I ever heard of people going to the dentist to get their teeth cleaned. When I got back here, the next time I had to go to the dentist I asked if I could have my teeth cleaned. He said, nah, you don’t need it! So I’ve never had a dentist clean my teeth.
I’ve had my teeth cleaned twice so far in Israel and am due for my third cleaning next week. I go to the subsidized dental clinic that is affiliated with the socialized medicine (dental care here is not socialized). I was also surprised by how much shorter the cleanings than what I am used to in the US.
My conclusions: 1. the hygenist had the gentle touch of an elephant. As part of a public clinic, perhaps she did the same thorough job as her American counterparts but in half the time, leaving me in more pain;
2. She did a less thorough job.
Not sure, but I would never stop the regular cleanings.
Efrat
A couple of years ago I was in Malta and needed a tooth filling. I was recommended “an expensive but good” dentist who also happens to be a politician with a double barrelled surname (these last two should have had my alarm bells ringing!). It all seemed fine but when I next had an x-ray in the UK it resulted the dentist (or was it politician?) left a piece of his equipment in the filling. I ended up paying around 1K for the thing to be fished out, cleaned and refilled. I suggest another dentist and do not be afraid to ask.