Contemporary Life in America

From the perspective of THE ALMOND-EYED LADY in Northern California

I was shaking badly from head to toes. My body was in tremolo as I blend with the gyration of the little space I was in. The vibration was horrific. It was rattling me like a springboard that caused me to have an involuntary muscle response to it. It was odd. I was shocked. I was weak. Oh, I should have just stayed home! I gasped for oxygen while the Latin looking man with salt and pepper hair in his mid 50s, pinned me down in great force, his face so close to mine; his eyes- barely visible in an unusual fashion, studied me in myopia. I was seated in the lounging chair while my hands were gripping the hand rest; they were so tight they were starting to sweat. They were curled into a fist. I was obedient and followed orders. I was in no position to make a noise. I couldn’t speak. Something was stuck in my mouth. It hurt so much! Moments later, the Mexican looking woman in her late 30s handed me the dark glasses and instructed me to wear it quickly as she got into the room. And then the man smiled as she left for a while. He spoke in his deep tenor voice,

“Let me fix your dark glasses now. There, we could start the work. Fits you well!”
So that was how it began and initially I wondered why the hell I was given a pair of dark glasses? Now I know. To conceal the light from my eyes.

“Now, open wide and big.”

And then it happened so quickly like music in glissando.

The anesthetic started to penetrate my flesh. I felt numb; half of my right face felt like I was paralyzed. My mouth seemed to have ballooned to a thousand times. I felt ugly.

The drilling went on for nearly 45 minutes. He injected hydrogen peroxide inside it. Another time, it seemed like an acid smoke was coming from the dark brown chemical he had on in the syringe. I felt twisted for a bit. The needles kept coming and I could see them right between my eyes. I felt dazed and then just closed my eyes to see no more.

“Ok, we are now ready for irrigation. Give me 25 mm and the 15 mm and 10mm of the needles. Okay, these are good, now-get the X-ray. We need to X-ray her twice and then we we’d see the results.”

The nurse was trained to follow through with dexterity on handling the medical instruments quite efficiently. She moved on and got all he wanted- needles, syringe, cotton balls, chemicals and gloves.

After a while, he looked at me once more. Nonchalantly he said,

“Now you really have to open wide and big. ”

He put on the clamp in my mouth and once more covered it with the aqua blue flat rubber over it, it’s about 5 “X 5” and set it through the clamp; the tiny hole on the rubber gave way for him to work on my right molar and made it possible for me to breath, swallow and sustain my breath as he worked rapidly on my tooth.

Endodontic Specialist: “Where did you have this done (referring to the previous root canal treatment) and when?

Me: “In the Philippines. May 2005.”

E.S.: “Okay.”

E.S.: “Do you have any pain?”

Me: “None at all. I only came here because Dr. No won’t put on the filling that got off last February until I had the root canal treatment again and done here. Otherwise I won’t be here.”

The endodontic specialist was quiet and went back to his work, pushed deep into my molar the needles in sets of 3’s and 4’s until they penetrated through the root canal of my molar. He finished off whatever was not completed thoroughly by my Filipina dentist.

Seen in the X-ray, taken initially from my dentist’s clinic in Ripon, was the picture of molar where an RCT (root canal treatment) was incompletely done. He showed another X-ray to compare how my case was done in Manila versus the one done here in California. And true enough, the one performed here was clean and got through the deepest end of the canal, where as mine was just done ¾ of the required work. So I got his point. I was in danger and in great risk. Absolutely! Because sooner or later, in couple of years or so, he explained a bit more that I’d be experiencing pain again despite the supposedly “unfinished RCT” I had last year in Manila. He lamented,

“This is the work of someone who was poorly educated in dentistry. I do not want to sound discriminating but I had seen several cases here in my clinic of people who had them done in Manila or India. Surely the cost is lesser than how dentists charge here in the US but the RCT was poorly accomplished. You may not be feeling any pain right now but sooner or later, bacteria could get through it. Likewise, you must have an RCT done immediately to save your tooth.”

Hearing his long monologue had persuaded me nonetheless to have my right molar to be subjected to yet another RCT. Although while listening on his extended monologue, he hit my Achilles’ hill. I felt sorry for my Filipina dentist but felt more sorry for myself. Now my husband and I would be spending a lot more than before. It also meant paying several thousands of dollars more for the RCT plus for the crown needed to save my right molar. OMG!

Living here in America made me think on how the doctors are so particular about details and how very specialized are their fields of expertise. There is a strong awareness regarding malpractice suits between the doctors and patients so on both ends, prevention is a precautionary measure that is always taken seriously.

On the other hand, I cannot believe it myself that when I had agreed to have the RCT be done (again, OMG!) this time at the Valley Clinic in Modesto and that I had to sign a contract of approval regarding the fact that RCT sometimes may not solve the problem. It is like saying, hey, you signed the contract so you agreed to the closure. Be it. So be it. Geez, I signed it!

Relatively, my Ripon dentist had a point. But in defense of my dentist in the Philippines, she did her best to finish off my RCT but my healing process was slow. It took me 8 sessions to go through with it and just before my flight back to the US was impending, I begged her off just to fill it up so I could return home here in California. At that point, I was not anymore in pain and was healing moderately fast. From my knowledge and faith, she did her best. But from the perspective of my Ripon dentist, she screwed up my RCT. Anyhow, both meant well, and I am the victim here not them. I am and was the patient in dire need of medical help and the one who had spent a cool $915 for it for my 45-minute-one session- root canal treatment that was done yesterday.

Anyhow, I paid like $197.00 for my share and the rest, according to Valley Hill Clinic, the dental insurance of my husband for which I am covered with, shall cover the rest of the balance which is like $718.00. And with this means that I have already used up my dental insurance allotted for this year 2006.

Right now we do not really know if the insurance would pay it. On the other hand, we would spend $1,000 more for my porcelain crown. To sum it all, my right molar’s market value is something like $2700.00 totaled the amount of last year’s RCT in Manila and here in Modesto. Imagine?

So the RCT went well but husband was surprised for the cost since we both know that the endodontic specialist didn’t do as much work as my dentist back in Manila had done. All he did was the finishing touches and for a 45-minute labor, he charged me $975.00. Husband was kind of blown away by the cost (and so was I) so he plans to call our Ripon dentist and to inquire if there could be a way some funds could be refunded to us? Well, that is impossible I told blue-eyed husband.

In truth, the dentist in Modesto didn’t really do much. He did the same procedure I had in Manila but made sure he went deep into the root canal area. And boy, was he insensitive to realize my head was shaking in circles as he was working on my molar; I felt like a piece of century old tree being hammered back and forth from the corner of my dental chair. I was shaking up and down with the pressure he had on while placing the post on my right molar. Another thing I noticed was he never wasted time with his work. He was rushed and looked so very much in a hurry. I felt kind of insulted. You know, that time must be dedicated to me because I was paying for it. He was on transit between me and the other patient. So I thought, ah-ha, wise guy, likes to have more than he could handle so he'd have more dollars to pocket in his savings. Bad thought, eeks? Anyhow, I expected some dedication. May be I wanted more. It just didn't sit right when he didn't care if I got dizzy or not with his drilling. He was doing it like I was not a human being at all. It felt like the personal touch was all gone- when gentleness and patient care count a lot more in the eyes of many; and in making one feel comfortable in times like these many good results take place like more faith in the doctor, more referrals given like you won't refer a doctor who is not a people person, right? Well, may be I expected a little humanly touch (as I was accustomed to being attended to by doctors who care this way). I missed that being here in America. After he was done, he merely said, "It's done!" When I left the room where I had the treatment, the assisting nurse of Dr. X gave me a paper that had instructions on after-care must-do after an RCT was performed. It's all in black and white, all by the books. I think the human touch was gone here. Everything else was like watching an animated film dedicated to robots. Afterwards. I was told to proceed to the office to pay my bills. A nice middle-aged American nurse accommodated me and got my Mastercard, scanned it to the machine then presto, handed me my receipt. Fast and easy! "Bye!" She said. I responded, "Thank you. Would you mind giving me an envelope to put on this receipt and dental instruction?" She paused for a sec, apparently hesitant to produce one, then looked around and said, "Here." Okay, I thanked her. She was better and more humane than the doctor who treated me and the nurse who assisted DoctorX. I was just glad it was over and done (sigh)!

So... here I am in America and like a blind person, am finding my way out in the dark. Things do work differently in this part of the hemisphere. "1, 2, 3- next patient please! Hell-O? Next patient please!"

Well, what do you think? I'd say it's the culture and the system that really makes me think I am truly an alien here, haha. But am ok. Doing great, feeling fine, ah-well, not so well yet after my RCT (sigh). On Monday, husband and I will have our annual dental check-up in Ripon. I wonder what's install for me- for us- this time? Ah, whattheheck, life moves on like the winds of change!

Cultural note:

The whole of America clamors for their right, their constitutional rights, even kids do! So, by virtue of obedience I just had to deal with the protocol and the SOPs on dental procedures in CA. Can't beat it. Do what the Romans do!

Until next blog, my comrades, adieu~!