More than likely, if you are a foreigner living in Suzhou you are overdue for a trip to the dentist. I, myself, was also guilty of that offense until recently. Having spent more than a couple of years in avoidance of dentistry, I succumbed to the desire to keep my teeth in my head and accepted the inevitable.
Having no idea which dentist to choose in Suzhou, I asked a friend and ended up at the Well Dental Clinic. On the short 10 to 15 minute drive from the SIP, I had no idea what to expect. Would they find a problem? Would they have to drill? Cavities, gingivitis, root canal? Would they speak English? Do they have adequate pain medication? Will they lock me in a small room and feed me salami under the door to keep me alive for a prolonged period of time? There was really no way to be sure.
When I arrived at Well Dental, I entered the front office which was not unlike the dentist's office I went to as a child. I was quickly led to a small room with a modern-looking dentist's chair by a friendly assistant and was told to wait there for Dr. Ren. Rather than satisfy my urge to flee, I took her advice and waited. Luckily, my questions were soon answered, in English. The friendly Dr. Ren, who is, apparently, the man to know at Well Dental, assured me that they have the best pain medication, should it be necessary. He believes pain avoidance is very important in dentistry, and I'm definitely on his bandwagon. One of the few people in my life that I have allowed to put their fingers in my mouth, he quickly checked me out and other than needing my routine cleaning, there were surprisingly no problems. As I rinsed and spit in the familiar small sink built into the chair, I felt a sense of triumph. I had been spared from the ravages of tooth decay. Why did I avoid this for so long?
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