Going to the dentist is never something I look forward to, but I was especially nervous about going to the dentist in a foreign country…

But, I had been getting toothache for several weeks now, and I was beginning to worry that unless I did something about it soon, the toothache would develop into something unbearable. Thailand, unlike China, has a good reputation for healthcare and dentistry, so I decided that I would head to Chiang Mai a week before my parents and get all my jobs done…I would go to the dentist, the doctors and get a new Chinese visa.

All three turned out to be pretty pain free!

After chatting to a few local ex-pats, and researching a few dentists online, I decided to go to Dental 4 U. It had good reviews and seemed to come well recommended. I was super nervous, but needn’t have been.

I guess it was not completely different to the UK, except that I had to take off my shoes (not such a bad idea in any building in an Asian city), and when I went through to the Dentist’s room…it was all openplan! I could see what was going on in the next few dentist chairs just by glancing to my right. Luckily nobody is too concerned with what else is going on when someone is poking about inside your own mouth.

She gave me a few recommendations (some of which were more extreme than others) but in the end I just got my problem tooth filled in. Everything was very clean and she seemed to be very good, but I guess only time will tell! It cost only 800 Baht (less than £20) for a new white filling and a repair to an old one.

I also went for a check up at CM Mediclinic, in the northwest corner of Chiang Mai for a general check up. The Receptionist is a really nice English Ex-pat and the Doctor is his wife, a lovely Thai lady who was fantastic. She speaks perfect English and was incredibly helpful, explaining things in a way that helped me understand more than most UK Doctor’s have done. The consultation lasted half an hour and cost 350 baht. I left feeling very happy and would definitely recommend anyone visiting Chiang Mai to visit them here. Being a small practice, they do not provide every service, but will recommend you to reputable practices elsewhere for anything they do not do.