I know, I know, a visit to the dentist is probably the last thing you're interested in. Who cares if it's in Malaysia?! But believe me, I was quite looking forward to it, and since this is my blog, I get to write about whatever I want.
Anyway...
Before we left Victoria we went for a cleaning and checkup at our dentist there. Unfortunately, I was told that one of my crowns had a small area of separation, and that it should come off and be replaced in order to ensure a proper seal and to avoid the possibility of future decay. I also had a very small chip on a front tooth that was bothering me as it rubbed against the inside of my lip.
I was given a quote to remove and replace the crown and repair the chip, which came to over $3,000. It would also take two weeks to get the new crown back, but they could give me an appointment on Monday the next week to remove the crown and take molds for the new one.
Well, we were heading to Vancouver on the Wednesday and flying to Malaysia on the Thursday, and since there was no way the new crown would be ready in two days I decided I would just get the work done in Malaysia.
Everything we've heard about health care in Malaysia was extremely positive: No wait times, very competent and professional care, and reasonable cost even at private clinics and hospitals. So I did some online research and sent emails to a few clinics that had very nice websites, inquiring about cost and time frames to get the crown replaced in Malaysia.
This was in the evening, and by the time I got up the next morning I had emails back from all the clinics I had contacted.
As it happened, one of the clinics was located in the same building as the accommodation we had booked in KL, which sure sounded convenient. I explained that we would only be in the city for one week and I wasn't sure if they could finish the work in that time frame, but they assured me they would make arrangements with the lab to ensure my new crown would be ready within the week.
With that, I decided to accept an appointment with Dr. Chiam at Hello Dental Clinic on Sunday at 3:30, which was the day after our arrival in KL. Yes, they are open weekends!
I received a reminder via WhatsApp two days before my appointment, along with a photo of the outside of the clinic so I could find it more easily I suppose.
When I arrived at the clinic I was immediately impressed with the fact that it was very modern looking, with a spacious and comfortable waiting area. It was also spotlessly clean without feeling sterile, and the receptionist was warm and welcoming. Part of her job was obviously to help put patients at ease from the get go.
We remove our shoes and leave them outside when entering homes and many professional offices in Malaysia, so slip-on indoor shoes were provided for greater comfort. There was even tea available in the waiting area, along with plenty of toys and books for children.
I was called right on time, and ushered into a large, private surgery. Dr. Chiam introduced herself and her assistant, then did a preliminary exam. She confirmed the condition of my crown, and suggested that instead of trying to repair the chip in my tooth, she could simply file the sharp edge. She was concerned that because the chipped area was so small, trying to build it up might result in the repair chipping off again.
As far as I was concerned the only issue was the sharp part of the chipped tooth hurting my lip, so I agreed with her suggestion. In less than a minute the job was done and I've had no more problems with that tooth.
The old crown was then removed, a temporary crown fitted, and I was given an appointment for Wednesday, just three days later, to have the new crown applied. Dr. Chiam said she wanted to fit the permanent crown then so that just in case there were any issues with it, there would be time to have the lab re-do the crown before we left KL for Penang on the Saturday.
The day after my first appointment I was contacted by the clinic to find out how I was doing. All was well, and I returned on Wednesday afternoon as scheduled to have the permanent crown applied.
I received another follow up the next day to make sure everything was OK (it was), along with aftercare tips and a receipt for the payment I had made by credit card, which was 1/3 the cost of what I would have paid in Canada.
Throughout both of my visits, Dr. Chiam was very professional, yet also personable and caring. She made sure I was comfortable at all times, and explained everything that she was doing in excellent English while effortlessly switching between English and Malay as she worked with her assistant.
I could not have been happier with my experience, and given that I have no dental insurance in Canada, it was also a smart financial decision to have the work done in Malaysia.
And yes, I have already left a 5 star Google review. 😊
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