Toothache in Brazil: How Do You Treat It?
HAVANA TIMES – I endured the toothache for a week until I couldn’t take it anymore. On my only day off for the week, I went to the health post (clinic) and requested urgent care.
The usual procedure is that they provide a temporary fix for the aching tooth and schedule an appointment for several months later, and that’s exactly what happened.
Health posts are government-funded units operated by the city’s mayor’s office. Care is free, as are the prescribed medications. You just go to the internal pharmacy at the location and receive them.
Like all public services, this one also has its drawbacks. There are too many patients, and if the pharmacy doesn’t have a specific medication, you’ll have to pay quite a bit for it at a private pharmacy. Occasionally, the service is mediocre or reluctantly provided.
It’s worth mentioning that healthcare in the south of Brazil is much better than in other regions. This is one of the main reasons, along with job opportunities and the quality of education, that people migrate from other parts of the country.
On the other hand, health posts contrast sharply with the numerous private clinics that offer excellent service, but at prices that are quite high for a salaried worker.
These clinics do offer health plans, which are like a type of insurance where you pay a small monthly fee and get free access to a certain number of services.
Returning to my toothache, after being treated, they gave me an appointment for a month and a half later. Again, I endured the pain, some days more severe and others less, until the appointment finally arrived.
My wife had already warned me not to get my hopes up, saying they might not solve the problem, but the idea of continuing with this pain for any longer didn’t seem like an option to me.
I was treated by a dentist whom my wife and I had previously commented was of retirement age. Once, he treated me and caused a lot of pain. My wife had a similar experience.
This time, I didn’t suffer, but I didn’t resolve much either. First, he couldn’t find the cavity, even though it was so large that I could feel it with my finger. Then he said everything was unclear and he didn’t dare intervene without an X-ray first.
He gave me a referral for the X-ray and scheduled a new appointment… for November! So now, with another kind of pain —this time in my wallet— I have no choice but to pay for services at a private clinic, where a consultation costs 150 reais, about 30 dollars at the current exchange rate here in Brazil and two full days of my work.