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| - Free dental care - you get what you pay for???
I don't have dental insurance so when I saw this dental hygienist school offered free dental exams, x-rays, and cleanings; I made an appointment. When I made the appointment, the lady on the phone told me that my appointment might last two or three hours because the students are learning and a supervisor must check their work. All of that turned out to be true. But, there are some good and bad things worth mentioning about my experience.
The Good:
Yes, it really is FREE. There are no hidden charges or fees. Also, the clinic is clean with up-to-date instruments and equipment. The staff is professional and friendly. The students are polite and eager to learn; their supervisors are attentive and competent.
The Bad:
Yes, my dental appointment lasted three hours. But at the end of those three hours, I had NOT had my cleaning. Yes, after three hours of poking and prodding, there was no time left for the actual teeth cleaning. So, I had to make a follow-up appointment another day. That second appointment lasted another three hours. So, in a nutshell, it took a full six hours of examination and tests to finally get my teeth cleaned.
How could it possibly take so long? Well, the first hour involved complete medical history, blood pressure, pulse, physical examination of head, neck: from the top of my head and down to my collar bone, even including my ears! Then came in exam of the soft tissues inside my mouth: cheeks, above and below tongue, roof of mouth, tonsils, etc. When this was done, the supervisor performed it all again. The second hour, the student examined my teeth, slowly and methodically one by one. X-ray time brought its' own set of challenges: first x-ray teeth and film were not lined up correctly, same with the second attempt, finally got it right on the third try. Following the now successful x-ray, the poking and probing and electronic charting (oh my the endless charting) was performed and repeated again with the supervisor. Lastly I chewed those red pills to identify potential hygiene problems. But alas, alas, the three hours was over and I had to set up another appointment. I won't go into the details of the second appointment, but suffice it to say that it was just as long and arduous as the first.
To end this drawn out ordeal on a somewhat positive note, despite my aching neck, crunching jaw, and chapped lips, I now have beautifully squeaky clean teeth and the assurance that they have been thoroughly examined and turned out to be normal.
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