Lotus or anyone else- dentists in Xian?

It is with much reluctance I ask this q....Lotus, do you or anyone else know anything about the dental wing of the Xian Military Hospital? I have been told they're the best place to go, unless there's other GOOD dentists there?

I have been putting this off for months and months....but I don't think this stupid filling can wait any longer. I've now had a couple of rather uncomfortable sleepless nights . I think I need a general checkup as well (tis been awhile...that info will be kept under wraps!) so I have no idea how much I will be up for, even if it's any good here.

Would appreciate anyone's help....I'm ready to rip the blasted tooth out myself

4th Military is a good place to go.  As is Jiaotong Uni hospital.  I think these two are more expensive than teh run of the mill - but have heard good reports re root canal work etc.

I go to the little one near the back gate of my uni - but (touch wood) only for cleaning and one filling.  The dentist was excellent!

Thanks Lotus, just had a chat also to my FAO and he believes there's a good high tech dentist here in Baoji rather than trotting all the way to Xian....

....now I just need the courage to GO

Don't sweat it.  I have had filling done here, a root canal, a tooth pulled, and 4 crowns.  I find it better than in Canada and one heck of a lot less money!

I feel your pain Becster, I have a debilitating fear of Dentists going back to my experience as a 7 year old and being left in the dentist while my Mum went shopping. He pulled out the big needle and I was out of there fast! I've tried very hard throughout my life to never go back.

I'm going this morning to get exactly the same thing that you need - a filling. I've only got about 1/5 of the bottle of Jack to go and then I'm off.

Good luck to you! Be brave!

I had a traumatic childhood experience too, freezing didn't take cause I had an abscess.  I can't even stand the smell of a dental office. However, I have had two oral skin grafts;  skin taken from palate and stitched onto gums.  I survived them thanks to some wonderful relaxants given to me prior to the procedure...wish all trips to the dentist could be so easy.  Good luck ND and Beckster...hope it's quick and painless.

Non Dave, hope this isn't too rude to ask, but PLEASE tell me how much it cost!!!

Just had classes this morning, and the pain that was coming and going the last few days is now a permanent pain....I cannot put this off any longer. I'm calling my FAO to take me tomorrow morning

Don't sweat it.  I have had filling done here, a root canal, a tooth pulled, and 4 crowns.  I find it better than in Canada and one heck of a lot less money!

I think with a decent dentist it would be fine.  The best thing is to find one who has been recommended.  My friend recommended one here in Kaifaqu which he said was the best trip to the dentist he had ever made!

I thought anesthetics and alcohol didn't mix... 

Terribly rude Becs, but hey, this is China!  350RMB for a bit of a dig around and put something in to stop the pain (instantly) last Friday. That included going back today for the filling.

Cheeky, you are correct.  When the dentist couldn't freeze one of my teeth (4 needles), they asked if I had been drinking a lot of alcohol.  I said no alcohol and dentist in Canada couldn't freeze that tooth either. I had to go to a special dentist to get it frozen.

So if you were drinking it might not freeze, (but you wouldn't care)

It was out of sheer desperation I called the FAO this arvo after lunch (and classes), and, the darling he is, dropped everything and took me to the best dentist in Baoji ...the bad news is that I have a hole or something in my tooth and the root is infected or something, so I was told it will be a 3-4 visit fix up .

At least the dentist was very professional and sensitive to my nerves, but I think she was shocked at just how much pain I was in- I needed 2 anathetics which took 3 hours to wear off (and I was being to a Japanese restaurant for dinner tonight!) and promise to come back Friday for XRays and continued treatment.

Today cost me a piddly 58 kuai (including 2 sets of antibiotics, though I refuse to take them), though I imagine the XRay will cost a hell of a lot more. Sure beats the $150 just for walking in the door in Australia 

If you don't take the antibiotics you won't get better.  That is the only time I will take antibiotics. The abscess won't go away and the dentist won't be able to fix the tooth and you will be in pain forever!!!

Please take the antibiotics.

Thanks Dragon, but there was NO communication whatsoever re the antibiotics, when and how many to take etc. I don't have an abcess, nor an infection. I am WAY too paranoid to put my health on the line in this way, and they're given out willy nilly.

I really don't want to take my chances with them, why didn't they give me something else? They specifically said a 'pain reliever', not a medicine as such!

This is the really difficult part about "medicine" in China.  The interpreter.  FAO's, students, etc, down to my own medical students, don't always know the words for whatever the dentist or doctor tells them, so they don't tell you.  The dentist may have given instructions, which went untranslated, or possibly he/she thought you'd magically pluck a dosage out of thin air.  Either is possible.  Still, a hole open to the root of a tooth is an abcess until proven otherwise, expecially with the pain you are in.  You will not get better until the abcess is cleaned out, and they can't work on it until the infection is gone.  Unless, of course, you'd like them to cut through pus to get to the problem and start you a raging blood infection.

So, send me a PM if you want my creds, but ask the FAO to call the dentist tomorrow and get the details for the antibiotics; who, where, how many, how often, etc.  I'll be online after my 8-9:40 am medical review class if you want an opinion on what they tell you, and then you can kill the bacteria.

Ask Raoul, he'll vouch.