On Monday, I went to the dentist, for the first time in a long time. I would usually go and see by brother in law Mike, but he no longer has the dental practice but instead has become a teacher. I think that it is always difficult to find a new person to go and see, to put your trust in. Whether it be a new mechanic for the car, a doctor anybody really and I usually go by word of mouth rather than search online or follow any form of advertising.

A few weeks ago a nurse came into the store and we got chatting and I happened to ask her where did she go to get her dental work done and she told me that she went to Ipswich City Dental in the town centre and so I thought I would check them out.

I paid them a visit and then I checked them out online and the reviews all seemed very positive and they were also running a special price for new patients, $99 for a clean and check-up. That will do me. I do not have a health fund and so it can be quite costly to visit a dentist in Australia.

First impressions were good. My dentist is Dr Cheng and he is from Taiwan. We got talking and he asked why I hadn’t been to the dentist for so long and I explained that I had been out the country and secondly because Mike had retired and I hadn’t found anyone to go to yet. He asked about Mike and I told him that when he gave up the practice he went into teaching………..it turns out that Mike was Dr Cheng’s supervisor for three years……tis a small world indeed. Not sure if this put a bit of pressure on Dr Cheng but his approach was very methodical and at times resembling the way Mike would have done things……..which was great.

I don’t enjoy going to the dentist, one reason because I have sensitive gums and the jet of cold air that comes off some of the tools always seems to find its way to the tooth nerves making it very unpleasant. I sat there meditating repeating “no pain” over and over in my mind trying to block it out. I got through it OK but my gums took a battering, two days later they are still a bit tender.

Dr Cheng drew up a dental plan and gave me the low down on the condition of my gums and teeth. He picked up on 4 small areas where there are signs of tooth decay, not much but they will turn into problems down the track. Two old amalgams are cracking up, he recommends having them replaced, and lastly there are four teeth where the gum is a little bit exposed so they will fill that with a composite filler. All up, I am looking around $1500.

More than I would want to pay but realistically in the big scheme of things I don’t have much choice and that’s just the going rate. I’ve booked in to have the first session done in two weeks and then every two weeks until finished.

Just as well I’ve got this job to cover these kinds of unexpected outlays.