July 2007
Little did I know when I ventured out on my 5 months winter hide-away retreat  (2005/’06) to Isla de Margarita, Venezuela, (thanks to EscapeArtist.com!) that I would spend several hours in the dentist’s chair.  Fortunately, it didn’t turn out to be that painful, especially to my U$ wallet.  Let me share this experience with you.

The 3rd week into my stay, when at that time I was renting an apartment in Juan Griego, (on the NW coast of Margarita), I experienced a brief, yet terrible wave of pain in one of my upper molars.  A couple of days later it returned and I knew it was time to find a dentist.  I asked my Austrian tour guide Andreas, (he gives wonderful all-day tours of the Island) who had lived on the island for over 10 years and he directed me to a dentist office in Juan Griego right by the bay.

My first visit there I found out they were closed and only open at specific days and hours, so I copied their schedule.  I came back the next day in the morning and was told the lady Dentista would only be there that afternoon.  So, in good faith, I returned a couple of hours later, only to be told the Dentista had called in saying she would not be in that afternoon after all.  I explained to the receptionista in my best Spanish that I needed urgent help.  Then she mentioned another dentist office in town, where, she said, they spoke English too! 

Hopeful, I asked her to call that Dentista to make an appointment for me.  She came back to tell me that the Dentista would come over to this office to pick me up in about 10 minutes!  Thinking I must have misunderstood her, much to my surprise, in about 8 minutes a sweet lady (turned out to be the Colombian Dentista, married to an Austrian) and her young assistant were there to pick me up and drive me to her office (about a 5 minute drive) in her sassy Jeep!

It kind of  felt like being in a dream, but sure enough, minutes later I was in her dentist chair, her showing me the X-ray she took and pointing to a fracture in an old upper molar.  Her diagnosis: it needed to be extracted!  Of course I succumbed and not much later I was permanently freed from my pain source.  Oh, yes, the bill?  All of Bolivars. 60.000.- (equal to about U$25.-).

While I was there, she volunteered to check out my very aged (24 yrs old) nine-piece upper crowns, and after another X-Ray, she pointed to an infection that required a root canal.  By the way, I had known about this infection at my last year’s Tijuana, Mexico, dentist check-up, but the dentist declined a root-canal at that time.  

The Margarita Dentista then handed me a ‘prescription’ for a “panoramic” X-ray (upper and lower simultaneously) in a Lab in the big city of Porlamar; she arranged an appointment for me for the next day. Cost? (equal to U$15).  I had never heard of the existence of a “panoramic” X-ray in the USA or Canada! What a concept!

The next day, I took my panoramic X-Ray negative back to my friendly Juan Griego Dentista and one of her young Dentista partners (who spoke some English) performed the necessary root canal, part 1 of 2, totally painless and with no shots!  A week later, at a 2nd appointment, the procedure was completed. The bill?  Bolivars. 200.000 (about U$ 83.00, ½ of what I would have paid in Tijuana, Mexico!).

Then I decided to ask my Dentista about my old discolored plastic upper partial that I wasn’t happy with.  It was made by my Tijuana dentist 4 years ago (while I lived in San Diego).  She frowned and told me this could be improved 1000% with acrylic in metal, for a price of (Bolivars. 700.000.- or U$ 290.-) way less than what I paid in Tijuana!  I told her I wanted it done and she took the necessary impressions. Two weeks later my new, very improved, partial was ready!

Oh, I have to tell you one more funny detail: one day I came in for a morning appointment, but as I entered the office, I was told the electricity had gone out (this happens now and then on the island), so I was told to come back the next day.  No problem for me, I am on vacation.  So I decided to take a stroll back to my apartment, instead of taking the bus. 

About 10 minutes later, while walking on the main street, I hear my name on the street!  I am in shock!  Here is the friendly Dentista in her jeep calling me back, as the electricity was back on!  So I climbed into her jeep, back to the office, for whatever procedure needed to be done.  Wow! What a personalized service!  No extra charge!

Which dentist in North America that you know, would jump in their car (or jeep) and track down their client and take them back to their office, after the electricity is restored? Ha! None of them, are you kidding?  But, yes, here on Margarita, that happens.  What a surprising, royal treatment!

I need more dental work and I am seriously considering having her replace my old upper crowns for just a fraction of what I would pay in North America.  Even though it would take a total of 20 visits, I would have 14 beautiful new crowns and my metal partial would become obsolete forever!

The sun always shines here on Margarita Island, a constant day and night temperatures of 84 degrees F and always warm Caribbean ocean water!  I can’t think of a more inviting place to sit in the dentist chair 20 more times!  And come out with a way better smile!

to contact the author: luvflowers@gmail.com

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