Shortly after, as we made our way down to Tom & Kathy's house, my tongue noticed the crown of one of my molars was gone. Huh? A little more exploration confirmed it, a majority of that tooth was gone. I mentioned it to Kathy who immediately said I needed to go to the dentist. Uh oh… I thought. Dentistry in a foreign (some would say third world) country. Tom explained that there is a dentistry school in Nova Lima where they would take care of that for free. I was not convinced. It's one thing to go to a hair stylus school for a free haircut (that grows out in two weeks), but something totally different when you're are talking about medical care. Right after that, James (Tom & Kathy's son) came in and we explained the situation to him. "No Problem" he said. He would call his dentists office (a private practice) and see if they could repair it. Still wary, I agreed, cause it was driving me nuts!
James called and they said they could take me that day! So we went into town, and after a minor search for parking (always an issue here it seems) we got to the office. It was on the second floor, but it was very nice and professional looking. James talked to the receptionist, and she indicated that we take a seat. (Nothing like waiting to build the anxiety!)
After a few minutes, a young (late 20's) gal in a lab coat came out and motioned for me to follow her. James mentioned something and she replied, "Yes, I speak some English." Wow! Ok, I thought, we can call James into the room if there is any misunderstanding. I followed this gal to a examination room. I thought she was the hygienist, but then I noticed her coat was embroidered with "Dra. Sophia" and realized she must be the dentist. She offered light conversation, asking where I was from and what was my purpose for being in Brazil. Her english, though laden with a heavy accent, was quite sufficient for discussion. We talked about my situation and then she examined. She told me that practically the entire crown and the filling that had been there was gone and what I really needed was a root canal before it could be repaired. (Happy happy joy joy) For the time being she could put a temporary cap on it and then we could discuss the rest. I agreed. A little novocain and plaster of paris, and it was done. Back in the lobby, she explained that we needed to get a full mouth of x-rays prior to the root canal, and then to come back the next day (Fri.) (At least that is what I understood.) The patch work she just did would cost 60 Reais (pronounced "hay´-eyes," about $33US) and the root canal would be 380 (about $210). The X-rays are done by a different group, so we walked up a hill to another office and I proceeded to get about 14-16 x-rays. (108 Reais, $60). On Fri, it was back to the dentist office. Now, this would be the first root canal I've ever had done, and while I wasn't especially nervous, there IS a certain amount of anxiety about having it done. Another young dentist, Dr. Barbara (who also spoke halting english) examined the x-rays and agreed that a root canal was necessary. "How long are you going to be in Brazil?" Hmmmmm. I stated that I thought it was going to be done that day, and she shook her head. No, she was fully booked for the day and all her patients had confirmed their appointments. Looking through her appointment book (which I could see was really full), she pointed to one name and said something to the effect of "This one is not in a big hurry, they can wait. Can you come back Monday at 10:30?" What choice did I have? We set up the appointment and now I had the weekend to wait.
(To be continued).
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