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The Dental Day from Hell: Perils of Health Care in a Foreign Country
Written by admin| 12 Comments »
Thursday turned into the Dental Day from Hell. Granted, no day at the dentist is pleasant unless you are a masochist. But this one might just beat any of your horror stories of the past. Where do I begin?
Three years ago I had a crown put on a tooth that had a hairline break in it. I had no problems with the tooth but since I was moving to France in a few months, I decided to have the crown put on. First mistake. Ever since that day I have had pain in that tooth (it’s my back chewing tooth) and havent been able to really use that tooth since. I went back numerous times but he kept saying it would just ‘take time to heal.’ Eight months later I moved to France and couldn’t do anything about it after that. So six months ago I finally went to a dentist in Grenoble. All my doctors are in Grenoble since there are no English-speaking doctors/dentists in Chambery and I do NOT need any miscommunications about my health, so I do this as a ‘safety measure,’ given my terrible French. Of course, I discovered this week that this precaution does not necessarily work. During my visit, the dentist took xrays of my tooth, we had a long conversation about the tooth and the history and I set up an appointment a couple weeks later to have the crown replaced. I showed up for my appointment and no one was there and the offices were closed so I went home (two hours back on the tram, train and bus). I finally rescheduled the appointment and went on Thursday.
Well, that’s when the fun began. He showed me the xray again, told me what he was going to do, I pointed to the tooth, and the injections started. One hour and a half later, after many injections including one directly into the nerve (Have you ever had that? It will put you through the ceiling. I almost slapped his hand away which I’m glad I didn’t or I would have had big problems.), plus a root canal and a temporary crown put on, it was finished. I sighed a big sign of relief and said to myself, ‘it’s over and I’m done for another several years. Thank goodness.’ That moment of relief quickly disintegrated when the novacaine began to wear off and I realized that he had done the WRONG TOOTH! He took a perfectly good real tooth out of my mouth and never touched the bothersome crown. I was stunned. When I asked him why he did that tooth he said because the xray showed some decay on that tooth (decay means a filling, not a friggin’ root canal and crown!), and he assumed I was pointing to that tooth (since it was next to the problem tooth). The whole thing cost me $300 and I’ll have to go back three more painful times before the permanent crown is finally in. And then I’ll still have to do the tooth with the real problem.
So why am I telling you all this? Because I learned a very important lesson that day. That there are big differences between the French and American health care system and if you don’t know them, you will have an experience like I did. The most important difference is that doctors and dentists in France DO NOT keep client files like in America. When you see a doctor and talk about your symptoms, complaints, etc. they will not be taking notes. They will have your initial medical history (cancer or heart disease in your family; your history of cancer, heart disease, etc) and they will keep notes on any prescriptions they write for you, but they will not have a client file on you. There will be no file that they pull out of a cabinet or a big room of files in the reception room. In fact, many doctors operate independently and perform their own billing, secretarial, and appointment setting duties, as my primary doctor does. Additionally, when you go to get an xray or have cultures taken at a lab, the results are sent to you and to your doctor, but I don’t think the doctor will keep them other than recording the results on a computer. It is YOUR responsibility to keep the records and to take them with you to your doctors’ appointments, including annual exams such as a mammogram. In fact, I had to carry my own gynecological cultures two blocks away to turn them into the lab myself! Needless to say, it was a little embarrassing. By the way, when you go to a gynecologist in France, it’s a very different experience than in the U.S. You undress in front of your doctor, you walk around the room naked while you’re doctor is there, you climb up on the table naked and there are no gowns or towels to cover anything, and you get dressed again with your doctor watching. For an American, it’s pretty horrifying.
When I went to my dentist, I made the wrong assumption that he had looked at a file that had a little diagram of all my teeth with the problem one circled and notes next to it, just like my dentists back in the U.S. had. He had no such file and he didn’t pay too much attention to where I was pointing, and he had no memory of our previous conversations about the problem tooth and the history. He just saw a tooth with decay and made the assumption it was the painful tooth. Since I never knew he had taken an xray of the other tooth with the decay, I didn’t know to ask him if he had the right tooth in mind for the work.
So now I know how the system works. Unfortunately, I learned it from a very painful and expensive lesson. And I still have the problem tooth to fix. I know now that I must be MUCH more proactive in terms of my health here and advocate for myself at a much higher level than in the U.S. I still believe the system here is superior to that in the U.S. primarily because everyone has access to doctors and health care, but I do think that you have to be more vigilant and even a little more cautious and suspicious than I had to be in the States. It’s one more cultural difference to file in that old tired mind of mine, and to remember to pull that memory file up the next time I head over to the doctor’s or dentist’s office.
July 21st, 2010 at 12:52 am
[...] you read my Dental Day from Hell post you’ll know I had a very bad day at the dentist a month ago. Well, last week I went back [...]
October 6th, 2010 at 7:24 am
Hello!
I understand you!!!!!!! REALLY!!!!!!!!I have big dental problems!!! But I have the best dentist! I NEVER NEVER NEVER recommend a doctor but in this case if you ever need A VERY GOOD DENTIST IN FRANCE please contact dr. Serko Issahakian in Paris. HE IS THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I know he is far from Chambery but I leave in greece and I come here only for him. HE KEEPS CLIENT FILE AND HE SPEAKS PERFECT ENGLISH! You can find his phone number at pages jeunes.
If you need more info please contact me.
lina
November 8th, 2010 at 10:12 am
Going to the dentist and feeling comfortable and confident is rare. Folks are often anxiouos and worried when it comes to visiting the dentist. Should you knew more about your dentist, and you trusted him, you would feel a great deal much going towards the dentist. That’s why I believe that no 1 ought to ever go to a dentist that they barely know. Often do some research on your dentist so that you’re prepared for whatever might come. It would make your life significantly easier should you knew your dentist was poor prior to you actually went in for an appointment.
April 8th, 2011 at 5:40 am
[...] The Dental Day from Hell: Perils of Health Care in a Foreign Country [...]
April 8th, 2011 at 4:03 pm
[...] The Dental Day from Hell: Perils of Health Care in a Foreign Country [...]
October 3rd, 2011 at 6:24 pm
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October 8th, 2011 at 5:33 pm
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November 2nd, 2011 at 5:51 am
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November 17th, 2011 at 2:29 pm
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February 26th, 2012 at 3:28 pm
All the crew in our dental office, in the center of Grenoble,talk in english.
Patients from foreign country are welcome.
We also use, a bit german, brazilian, and spanish languages.
Call Ann 0476500404
Best regards
July 29th, 2012 at 3:51 am
Thank you for your visit in the dental office , and for your kindness.
We hope you enjoy the quality of our services . We never forget, that time is precious,
,so no wasting time in a crowded waitingroom….clear fees informations are given before any
treatement. Technology is here for your confort, and the human crew is around you .
Everything is done for you, to transform a dental care, into a fine professional expérience .
And give you a best image of our country and profession.
Once again, internet made, the “miracle “of this meeting …! You can join our office anytime by mail
drlachat@gmail.com, phone 04 76 50 04 04.
Another subjet, in your blog should be : Find a dentist in a August in France !!
Finding a dentist in Grenoble is rare like water in a désert.
Our office is open in august, except one week, to offer the best service.
Best regards .Ann
August 1st, 2012 at 10:36 pm
That was really an experience you will never forget. Most of us feel really terrible when inside a dentist office.