Dentist help.

[kongli]

So today my girlfriend tells me her tooth really hurts and that a piece of it broke off. She opens her mouth and shows me her most back molar on her left side. It is half broken and looks severely decayed. Never seen anything like it.

So now I know she needs to go to the dentist but I don't know which dentist to go to in Beijing. Can someone point to a reliable dentist somewhere relatively close to Renda area? Though I am willing to bring her anywhere.

It seems like she may need a root canal or to have the tooth pulled because it seems way beyond cavity territory. She says she can't really take work off this week so wants to delay it till next weekend, but I would like to get her in as soon as possible. Will it hurt to wait a week or does this need to be fixed now? Lastly, does anyone know in the ball par of how much something like this may cost? Thinking along the lines of root canal or tooth being pulled.

ANY advice would be appreciated because I am quite worried about her.

Thanks.

[abcdefg]

The rule of thumb on a severely decayed back tooth (molar) is that if it's a lower tooth (mandibular molar) the risk from infection and abscess is greater than if the tooth is on the top (maxillary molar.)

I don't know where to tell her to go in Beijing. An extraction is the cheapest option, though it is not always the best choice in the long run. Root canal plus post and crown restoration cost several thousand RMB as compared to a couple hundred max for just pulling it.

[kongli]

Thanks for the reply.

So, what would be the downside of pulling it? Obviously you want to keep your teeth, but my girlfriend says she doesn't think the back molar is that 'useful' and that her friend got all four of her's pulled because they were 发炎。 This seems ridiculous to me, but I also have no knowledge of teeth at all.

I am willing to pay to get it caped and crowned, but only if it is indeed the best course of action.

Also, what is your opinion of going to a regular Chinese dentist?

Again, thanks a lot.

[Tianjin42]

I empathise after a painful few weeks due to grinding teeth in my sleep last year (though the treatment I received took place back in the U.K.).

I would always suggest a western dentist here, though perhaps there is an element of prejudice in this. If anyone has had any real experience, I’d be interested to hear.

I eventually had my tooth removed. I was told that there would be a small chance of my remaining teeth sliding but this is dependent on age (and other factors) relating to the patient. I’m glad to say that the dentist was correct in my case and my teeth remained straight and true.

Best thing to do would be to search for Western practices in Beijing, and go to one for a professional opinion that you can trust (consultation shouldn’t be prohibitively expensive). Not ideal but if no-one has any experience on here then this will probably your best course of action.

Good luck

[langxia]

If it is one of the wisdom thoots (which I think it is) I had a similar case where a piece broke off, a week later it started to hurt. Went to the dentist and they told me they had 2 options : one was to kind of fix it but the chances that 1-2 years later the fixion would need to be refixed or pull it out and be done with it. I chose the second option (better to take it out and be done with it than have something that can again pose problems). But then again I am no doctor/dentist this is just my experience.

[abcdefg]

So, what would be the downside of pulling it? Obviously you want to keep your teeth, but my girlfriend says she doesn't think the back molar is that 'useful' and that her friend got all four of her's pulled because they were 发炎。 This seems ridiculous to me, but I also have no knowledge of teeth at all.

She needs to see a dentist for a consultation. If it is indeed a third molar ("wisdom tooth") it can just be pulled, because that tooth is not necessary for chewing. She should realize up front that it is not always easy to do when the tooth is badly decayed.

Sounds like she has already put treatment off a long time. The most constructive thing you can do is to influence her to get it looked after now instead of later. It will not improve on its own.

I should make it clear that I'm not a dentist, but as a medical doctor working in the ER have still seen many people over the years seeking advice about bad teeth.

[kongli]

Thanks for the replies.

I am wondering if I can go to a Chinese dentist with this type of problem? Or should I definitely go to an upscale international clinic? Does anybody know about the quality of dental work here?

[wedge]

Kongli - I am in Beijing and I've been to a Chinese dentist in Chaoyang several times. I was brought there by the parents of a good friend of mine. They are the well-to-do returnee 海龟 types who are both accustomed to western medical standards but also really know Beijing very well.

I don't have any other dentists in China to compare to but I was satisfied with the service. The equipment in the dentist's office seemed more advanced than any dentist I've ever been to in the US.

As a data point on pricing, I had a few cavities done and they charged me roughly 500RMB per tooth. Certainly alot cheaper than the US -- no idea if that's high or low in China.

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to publicly post the details so PM me if you're interested.

[imron]

There's no problem posting the name of the place if you want.

[abcdefg]

I am wondering if I can go to a Chinese dentist with this type of problem? Or should I definitely go to an upscale international clinic?

I've had perfectly fine dental work done in several Chinese cities over the years. An "upscale international clinic" will only guarantee your friend a higher price.

[wedge]

Ok this is what it says on the business card:

Wu Liping, Dentist

JD Dental

Unit 7, 4 Floor, Apartment tower A wing, Fortune Plaza, Chaoyang district

010-65308088

吴丽平， 医师

精德口腔

朝阳区东三环中路7号财富中心翼楼4U室

They have 2 other locations in Chaoyang as well. From Baidu search results, it looks like they also have a blog: jingdedental.blog.sohu.com/

[Brian US]

Wedge, do you remember how much a simple cleaning checkup costs? Do they speak English?

My dentist in America married a man from HK and has since taken in the Chinese community of my area. She said the Chinese work of fillings and caps has been pretty scary. This is most likely the older crowd with problems, but I would want a better trained dentist for preventive procedures.

[kongli]

Thanks for the referral wedge.

I am taking my girlfriend there this thursday for a check up and to see what they recommend.

I've had perfectly fine dental work done in several Chinese cities over the years. An "upscale international clinic" will only guarantee your friend a higher price./quote]

Yea. I just don't know how comfortable I feel going to a regular Chinese dentist. It would be one thing for just a teeth cleaning or even a small cavity, but for major work like a root canal and cap, I just don't know how competent regular Chinese dentists are. May I ask what you had done? I know I am probably worrying to much, and will most likely pay for it, literally.

[anonymoose]

Well, why don't you just ask your girlfriend what she wants?

[kongli]

She would just as well try to forget about the whole thing. She is really doing the best she can to put it off, so today I just made an appointment for her to get it looked at. After that I assume she would be fine going to a Chinese doctor. I see your point though. I should probably just let her do what she thinks is best and let go of my own worries and reservations. I just feel like she doesn't know enough to recognize a potentially bad situation. Were for me, at least I have points of reference.

[anonymoose]

You didn't say whether your girlfriend is Chinese or otherwise, but assuming the former, she probably doesn't have the same prejudices about Chinese dentists as do you. And, in my opinion, for you to insist on her seeing a foreign dentist could be preceived to be somewhat insulting. I think it's good that you're taking an interest in your girlfriend's well-being, but maybe she should decide for herself what course of action to take.

[kongli]

She's indeed Chinese. And I will be the first to admit I do hold prejudices about how medicine is practiced in China. However I can't say these to be completely unfounded as having been to hospitals in China I've found the hygiene standards and overall level of professionalism much lower than that in the U.S. I can only assume the same for dentistry, and perhaps more so because it does not seem to be that common for Chinese to have regular dental check ups. maybe I'm wrong though.

However, at the end of the day Chinese people have teeth problems too and surely most of them don't go to international clinics. So somebody's fixing something.

Anyway, I get your point and although she would never take it as an insult (I'm not dissing her country, just her country's medical practices) I will try to keep my western sensibilities on a tight leash ;) .

[wedge]

Brian - Sorry I don't know how much the initial checkup and cleaning cost. I went with my buddy and his parents and his mom just picked up the whole tab. I also only used Chinese with them so can't comment on their English level. I get the sense though that they have alot of expat patients given their location in CBD. Also, I did see several non-Chinese patients in the waiting room.

[abcdefg]

May I ask what you had done?

The most recent procedure was a root canal and crown. No complaints.

[Jiankou Collection Agency]

I had a similar issue but with my wisdom teeth last month. I went to UMC by Lido. The service was ***** but pricy.