the english patient

Or more accurately, our first visit to the dentist in England.

NHS dentists accepting new patients are hard to come by as most tend to operate private practices. Unfortunately, none of the NHS dentists were accepting new patients in the city of Derby, so we had to venture into a neighbouring university city.

The thing about going to the dentist is that I always feel the need to prepare for it like I would before an examination at school: thorough brushing and extra flossing weeks in advance. But because we only made the appointment a week in advance, I really had to cram for this visit.

[Aside: There was this particular time my extra preparations paid off. The hygienist and dental assistant glowingly praised the status of my teeth and gums and even told my husband -- in the neighbouring chair -- to follow my cleaning routine.

Yep, that was a good day in my books.

I can, too, be a dentist's worst nightmare. My cousin, who is in the dental profession, taught me how to interpret the billing form. So I know, on average, how long -- and hence the cost -- certain dental procedures should take. I usually take note of how long certain procedures take and validate with the dental assistant afterwards with what she recorded on my chart, just to make sure she's not scamming me and my insurance plan. And if the units of time don't match, you can be sure I tell them!]

When we entered the dental practice today, I was surprised at the mom-and-pop-style decor: only 2 examination chairs behind closed doors, a dental assistance who duelly served as a receptionist, and a waiting area with 5 chairs and nothing more. I was annoyed that there were already a family of 5 waiting when we got there. I was not looking forward to their backlog of patients.

Surprisingly, my husband was called in immediately and I waited patiently and questionned if I was going to catch the next train home in 1.5 hours. Approximately 12 minutes (!) later, he came out and was given the clean bill of teeth health.

Shocked at the fast turn around time, I went into the examination room unknowing what to expect. The dentist and dental assistant complemented on the whiteness of my teeth to my surprise, as I am an avid coffee and red wine drinker. The dentist further gushed over my white fillings and wondered aloud if I had got them done at a private clinic. The dentist did a quick examination, a quick scale, and an even quicker polish, and I was out the door in 8 minutes flat with no complementary toothbrush, of course!

Our whirlwind experience had us contemplating whether to visit a private dental practice or to go a dentist when we visit Canada next time.