No appointment necessary. "Almost free," the saying goes. No taxes. No waiting. No Obamacare. No nothing, but bring your cash.
I'd been feeling the filling need myself. Two big cavities on the left side. One on the top, one on the bottom. No insurance, so... why not check the prices.
A bald man with tattoos stands outside the dentist office. Not sure if he's the dentist, but his personality and English exceed the norm. "30 dollars for each filling," he says with confidence.
Sounds good. I walk in. My wait time is about the time it takes to get my chair ready. No mystery here. No build up to worry about, just come in, sit back amigo, and open up.
The dentist arrived momentarily. A pretty little Mexican girl was his assistant. He wore a surgical mast. "Open."
I opened my mouth. No extra brushing and flossing to impress anyone today. Just walk in, and open your mouth.
He numbed the area and filled the bottom filling. The familiar smell of something burning. The same drill sound as in the states. The banter between dentist and hygienist was in Spanish, however.
My throat was dry, but the air hose in my mouth prevented any issues, however uncomfortable at times. Top tooth, bigger hole. A genuine effort for the second $30 filling. A pause.
The interpreter bald guy returned. "You have a big hole so you need to come back in two weeks. We put in a temporary filling," he announced.
"Can I come back in four days?" I was heading home in seven days and had to work the last two.
The interpreter asked the doctor in Spanish. Permission granted.
Paid the $60 and out the door.
Back again four days later, the dentist removed my cavity but didn't fill it up again. At least, when he was finished, my tongue could still feel the bigger cavity. Hmm. At least he didn't charge me again.
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