"expat" hospital

[Guest thrillbill8]

Ok, first I want to say that I DO appreciate having such good medical care in Pattaya, however...

 

Whenever I go to a well known expat hospital here in Pattaya, the dentists are always recommending root canals ...and this could be on a tooth that was just done a year before... I have talked to a couple other expats and they have had the same experience. I also know a new family that moved into Pattaya and the one dentist at the well known hospital recommended to do a root canal on a 8 year oldgirl (and the mother fell for it). Has anyone else noticed this?

 

Also, why are the prices generally more than this hospital than at Bumrungrad?

 

WE all know that we are looked upon as the "ATM" machines for these hospitals; thus, the doctors may run more tests; give more medicine; and set up more return appointments than our doctors at home. --But who can we trust?

[Guest Geezer]

"I also know a new family that moved into Pattaya and the one dentist at the well known hospital recommended to do a root canal on a 8 year oldgirl (and the mother fell for it). Has anyone else noticed this?"

 

Yes!

 

[Gaybutton]

Whenever I go to a well known expat hospital here in Pattaya, the dentists are always recommending root canals

 

If that has been your experience then why continue going to a hospital for dental work at all? I use a dental clinic that I would highly recommend to anybody. My father was a dentist, so I have a pretty good idea of what to look for. I have been very satisfied with the Modern Smile clinic on Central Road (Pattaya Klang). They have a web site at http://www.modernsmiledental.com .

 

Next time you need a dentist in Pattaya I think you will be as satisfied as I am if you decide to give them a try. There are several dentists in that clinic.

 

The dentist I use is Dr. Boonta. She has been great and very thorough. Only this morning I had an appointment with her. She showed up just as I did. She did her work with me and the next thing I knew, she was leaving when I was leaving. I asked her if she had come in just for me. She said yes. This was actually a day off for her, but since I already had an appointment she came in to take care of me. I asked her why she simply didn't have someone call me to change the appointment to a different day. I said it wouldn't have mattered to me and if I had known I could just as easily come in on a different day. She said it was no problem for her and she didn't want to inconvenience me. Now, that's what I call service!

[Guest buaseng]

If you go to a reliable dentistry in Pattaya, and there are number of them, you get treatment tailored to your needs at very reasonable and competative prices.

 

You correctly state "WE all know that we are looked upon as the "ATM" machines for these hospitals". Hospitals catering to farangs are thin on the ground whereas there are quite a lot of dentists in Pattaya who are competing for business and therefore charge realistic prices.

 

I can thoroughly recommend the dentists on Second Road diretly opposite Royal Garden Plaza. I have been there several times and have always been delighted with their professionalism, service and prices.

[Guest Boxer]

I was a big fan or this place until I had a horror story in the Dentist department of this same Hospital when the dentist carried out a shouting match with reception over an internal voice phone whilst she was attending to me. It was only a clean and polish but i left after her initial looking in my mouth. She was not attending to me in that mood. Then tried to charge me full price.

Have you also noticed that the standard 'overhead' fee is now 200 baht not 50 as before. After opening that huge new building I note. Also the prescription business is hugely over played here at great cost and more tablets than you need. Fascino Pharmacy on North Pattaya Road sell same drugs for half the Hospital bill check first before just accepting a prescription for Paracetomol or Asprin.

[Guest Hedda]

Nobody likes to think that they are getting "ripped off" when they seek medical care, especially in a large hospital with international credentials that caters to foreigners with ATM cards.

 

At the same time, nobody should be looking for a "bargain" in getting their healthcare, as if it was just a quick dinner on a Tuesday night, rather than maybe your life that's at stake.

 

First and foremost, the issus is simple: if you need serious medical attention, where's the best place in Pattaya to get it ? My guess is that the answer to that question is Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, with the staff and technology it offers. My guess is that's why GayPattayan was hospitalized there during his recent problems.

 

On the other hand, maybe things like dental care are best left to smaller clinincs or individual practitioners, provided they have the equipment and competence to use them - at far less costs than a major hospital with major overhead.

 

No doubt, hospital care has become more expensive in the last five years, but what in Pattaya hasn't ? As far as I know, Bangkok Pattaya hospital is still far less expensive than hospital care in the USA. For anyone with a decent income, it's still affordable for most things without health insurance, which is something you can't say back in the States.

 

Whether it's more expensive or less competent that Bumrungrad in BKK is something that I cannot answer, except to say that a minor difference in costs can't be more important than the quality of the medical care you will get. The convenience of staying close to home in Pattaya if you live here and get sick is also a factor to consider if the quality of care is comparable.

 

 

[Guest splash4]

A few weeks ago I was in Pattaya and wandering down the street across from the Marriot. I stopped into a clean and neat looking dental office asking about scheduling a cleaning. The receptionist scheduled a 5:00pm that day, knowing it was my only available day.

 

I was quoted a price of approximately 1,000 baht.

 

Promptly at 5:00pm, the female dentist and her assistant attended to me. My teeth are not that bad as I have regular dental work at home. Still, they did a lot of scraping and hard core work my dental hygenist at home would never bother to do.

 

I would estimate I was in the chair nearly an hour. The receptionist did not know the price as apparently it depends upon what the traffic can bear. The dentist decided.

 

It was 2,000 baht.

 

Had I been home, it would have been 7,700 baht and probably not as good a job. Of course at home it includes x-rays at an inflated price which is usually a waste of my dollars anyway. At home I get the pleasure of needing to make an appointment four to six months in advance.

 

I was extremely happy. Will go back in for another cleaning whenever in Pattaya if it's been six months between visits.

 

No root canal. I was Happy. I recommend.

[Guest fountainhall]

Bt. 2,000 for a complete cleaning and scaling is very, very expensive! Here in Bangkok, the small private up-market clinic I use does it for Bt. 800! And their charges for fillings, crowns etc. are generally higher than the dental hospitals!

[Guest dale1]

Several friends have had what they reported to be very good and reasonably priced dental care at the DENTAL CAFE immediately to Bruno's rear at the Chateau Dale Plaza on Thappraya.

[PattayaMale]

I too have noticed that the BPH seems to feel root canals are the best way to correct problems. I have had work done for me and my Thai friend at the hospital. They did 3 root caanls on him and one on me and suggested another for me. They also did 2 crowns for my Thai friend. As I was going back to the USA I waited and had my Los Angeles dentist take a look since I have dental insurance. The LA dentist simply filed down a high spot on the tooth and there was no more pain. I was astonished that that is all it was.

 

Since that time we have changed dentist to one on second road. They seem to do very good work and it has been much cheaper. The doctor we "went back to" had actually fitted my friend with braces several years ago. The only reason we changed is that I thought the clinic at the hospital would be better. We never had complaints with the one on second road.

 

One of the grreat things about these forums is when a thread likes this one, leads to good suggestions. Thanks

[Gaybutton]

Well, one thing is clear: If you really do need root canal treatment, then the hospital sure has plenty of experience . . .

[Guest Geezer]

Wow, talk about the usefulness of a message board. I thought I was the only person who had multiple questionable root canals there.

 

Most of us are aware that because of Thailand

[Guest thrillbill8]

I am the one that started this topic. Thanks for all of your suggestions and observations.

 

Though one can get good work done at the "Root Canal" hospital it would be nice to know who to trust. One thing I DO know, is that if you have anything complex to be taken care of, some of these "fly by night" dental clinics planted in between the Seven-Elevens and Indian tailor shops hire many "new" / inexperienced grads from dental school...so do your homework before you walk in.

[Guest buaseng]

One thing I DO know, is that if you have anything complex to be taken care of, some of these "fly by night" dental clinics .... hire many "new" / inexperienced grads from dental school...so do your homework before you walk in.

And the best way to do that is to ask for recommendations from other farangs, either on boards like this, or personally when meeting them socially.

 

BTW, it is not just 'fly by night' dental clinics which hire new/inexperienced grads - hospitals do as well. I suspect they probably recruit almost exclusively from dental schools - the wage bill is much cheaper that way !.