EL DENTISTA

Last week I broke a rear molar. I could feel the hole in my tooth and a sharp corner that remained. Another molar in the back of my mouth is broken, but I've ignored it, to no ill effect. I decided to ignore this tooth, too,  until waking up with numbness in my jaw. Oops, this could be serious, I thought. The sharp edge left by the tooth's breaking had really been irritating, and that may have led to the numbness. I feared an infection.

I called Dr. Freddy Contreras, a dentist in Cuenca. Pamela Phoenix, an Ecuadorian woman in my writing group, had recommended him to me several weeks ago. I'd been feeling guilty about my lack of dental care for a few months, well, a few years. Yep, it's been several years since I've seen a dentist. So when Pamela raved about her dentist, I asked for his number.

Luckily, Dr. Contreras answered my call on Thursday. He said he had time in the afternoon that day and we set an appointment for 2 pm. Dr. Contreras doesn't speak English, which was all right by me.  After living in the Dominican Republic for a few years, I knew enough Spanish to understand Dr. Contreras. It was easy to understand him saying to me, "Abre tu boca," (Open your mouth), and, "No cierre la boca," (Don't close your mouth). 

It was harder to keep my mouth opened as he drilled away at the remaining enamel around the decay in the tooth. I nearly jumped out of my chair a couple of times with the pain when the drill came too close to a nerve. "What is the worst thing that could happen, anyway?" I thought, in the midst of my fear and pain. I doubted that I was going to die. "Just breathe," I told myself a few times. The good Doctor gave me another shot of anesthesia. 

While he waited for the shot to take an effect, he cleaned some of the tartar built up on my lower teeth. I was so relieved! I'd been told a number of times by Californian dentists that my lower teeth lacked root due to orthodontia I had as a young person, and that tartar build-up could put these teeth at risk. Dr. Freddy Contreras was giving my lower front teeth the care they needed. "Oh, maybe the broken tooth and the resulting expense isn't so bad," I thought.  "Now my teeth will receive the care they need."

Fearful of the expense for the dental work, I told Dr. Contreras that I was an American, but that I wasn't a rich American. He laughed, as if to comfort me, telling me that the cost for restoring the tooth would be $150 and that we would meet four sessions. He took a mold of the broken tooth and sealed it with a silicone substance. I'm glad that he was able to see me before the Easter weekend so that the tooth is no longer at risk for infection. We made an appointment after Easter to proceed with the restoration of the tooth. Yay! No costly crown is needed at this time!

I finally took a few photos of Dr. Contreras and his office. The first visit, I was in a state of high anxiety, if you know what I mean. Since then I visited for a dental cleaning, and took a few photos. I also have a link to a site in Cuenca that describes his services. He is actually an orthodontist, yet he is skilled as a dentist as well. I am very fortunate to have been introduced to such a capable dentist and recommend him to anyone seeking dental services. The link to Dr. Freddy Contreras is http://www.cuencanos.com/profesionales/detallesprofesionalporid.php?Id_Miembro=11989

I liked that his office is so simple. Dr. Contreras doesn't have any office staff. He answers his own phone, sets his appointments and manages his own finances. It was  a relief for me to meet with a dentist that knows how to get the job done. I am a much happier person this weekend than I might have been without the care of Dr. Freddy Contreras.