With the constant barrage of Amero-skepticism I am forcecd to endure, I feel I reserve the right to maintain some skeptism about British institutions, particularly British health and dental care. Before leaving America I called the British Embassy in Los Angeles to ask whether dental care was covered by the NHS, and their response was, yes, but please get all your dental work done before you leave as there is a noticable quality difference. So I did go to my dentist, and he also pleaded with me to never expose my mouth to UK dentistry. Apparently, the silver almagam filling that is now illegal in the US because it contains bits of mercury is still common practice this side of the pond. I don't claim to have perfect teeth at all, thanks to several childhood spills that left me with two ceramic front teeth, but I still have some sense of dental dignity.
I admist that bad British teeth are probably more of a stereotype than a reality, and flossing is slowly catching on, but I have still been hesitant to visit a dentist here in the last 2 1/2 years. This has undoubtably led to the toothaches I was getting, and because I was positive a cavity was growing, I forced myself to the dentist down the street. I am happy to report back that I was pleasantly surprised.
Of course, I did go to a private South African dentist, but this was as far as I was able to venture into this new territory.
The whole experience of getting two fillings was surpisingly pleasant. They didn't offer me a mask that gave me nitrous oxide to make me feel like I was in outer space and actuallly enjoying the drill in my mouth, but I was given the second best thing: movie goggles! So while the team was drilling away my eyes were focused on Bend it Like Beckham. I enjoyed it so much I'm planning on going back for check ups every 6 months, which is something I've never done since I was a child. I'm not reccomending people start coming here for dental toursim or anything, but fortunately one more ethnocentric fear has been banished.
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