The Problem Behind the Inspiration

I first heard of the term ‘medical holiday’ after I got home from a dental appointment for a standard wisdom tooth extraction.

Uninsured, I was quoted an estimated $4,000 for the three teeth I had (one molar was never there to begin with). 

What’s worse is that this was at a dentistry school. They are supposed to cost significantly less than certified dentists since they are still in training.

I had recently come back to the United States from a three-month stay in Rome to live with my parents. My goal was to save money and pay off student loans for a short period. I was very close to paying off a co-signed loan that they’d helped me take out when I had my eyes set on a very fabulous (very expensive) study abroad program while in university. 

I was not about to let a wisdom tooth removal get in the way of achieving my goals.

That’s when I got to thinking. I had a trip to Bali planned for the upcoming September and maybe I could get them pulled there..

During my research scouring websites, pictures, and reviews, I found a few horror stories of people trying to save a few bucks and in the long run spending thousands more to fix the damage done by unauthorized dentists in developing countries. 

But I had also come across a few really confirming articles that made me think that maybe this really could be a legitimate solution.

Research and Planning

Sure, it wasn’t my first choice to have them extracted outside of my home country and without the help of my mom to make me hearty soups and prop my head up. And naturally, my parents weren’t thrilled with my thrifty ‘nickel nursing’ idea; but in my eyes, I really only had this option. 

I heard back from the six dentists I emailed during my research and from there scoured Bali Facebook groups. I typed ‘wisdom teeth’ into the group search bar and went from there. I saw a few people who had recommended ARC Dental which helped narrow down my options.

The Consultation

When I arrived to my consultation, I immediately felt at ease. The facility was clean and modern, the staff spoke proficient English, and there were many other people in the lobby waiting which built my trust. If they could do it, so could I.

The receptionist led me to a sterile room to have an X-ray. 

I first noticed that the machinery seemed much more advanced than any I had ever seen in the States. 

Next, I was taken to a different room to meet my dentist, Dr. Dira. He, again, had beautiful English, had trained under German dentists (a personal comfort having lived in Germany for four years), and was excellent at making me feel I was in good hands. 

Though I had two top impacted (under the gum) wisdom teeth and originally planned on getting all three molars out, Dr. Dira was honest enough to share that the top teeth were growing in straight and would likely never bother me. So, we decided that the best option for me was to just take the bottom tooth out that had popped through the gums.

I was to have a local anesthesia before the short procedure and would even be fit to drive myself home afterward.

We scheduled the appointment for the following week.

The Extraction

The day arrived for me to have my extraction.

I had gone to the local markets beforehand to gather some supplies that I would need to survive this halfway-across-the-world procedure without my mom. I bought mangos, avocados, extra water, and soup.

I drove myself on my motorbike to the dentistry, an over 45-minute journey. Worst case scenario, I would hail a cab to take me home if I wasn’t feeling well after.

I checked in and paid the fee for one tooth extraction. It cost $200 USD altogether for the consultation, X-ray, procedure, and medicine. Not bad!

Two young women were in the room prepping the tools and getting my chair to its proper height. When it was time for me to sit down and put my bib on, there were three people in the room with me: the dentist, his apprentice, and an assistant who helped rinse my mouth, vacuum the blood out, and hold my hand.

He first sterilized and numbed my mouth. It felt really weird having everything just go limp and I felt so goofy trying to talk.

I was able to see everything as there was a mirror above me. It was really so quick and easy.

Dr. Dira took a drill and separated the tooth into two parts. He then took dental pliers and pulled the sections out. Now this part was a tiny bit scary. It felt incredibly strange but was not painful whatsoever. I felt the pressure of the tooth being yanked from its socket and made sure to squeeze the assistant’s hand extra tight.

Next, I was sewn up. Again, this did not hurt but it was a bit chilling to see the curved needle and thread weaving in and out of my face. He put a little piece of cotton on top of the tooth and lowered my chair.

And that was it, it was done. So simple and it maybe took 15 minutes. He even bagged up my tooth which I got to take home as a souvenir.

I was led back to the front desk to pick up my medicines. I was given high-pain pill dosages and instructed to let the disinfectant wash sit in my mouth each time after eating.

It was all so anti-climactic, really.

No videos of me high on gas or anything like that! I felt 100% okay to drive home. My mouth felt great, I even felt hungry. On my way home, I noticed all the smells from the food booths and wished I could make a stop.

Recovery Reality

About three hours after I got home, my mouth started to throb as the numbing shot rubbed off. I popped a pain pill and went on with my evening. Occasionally, my mouth would pool with blood and I would gently need to spit it out. I made sure to prop myself up on two pillows that night and during the entire recovery so as to not experience dry sockets and to eliminate unnecessary bleeding. I was even able to sleep on my right.

I was surprised that I had minimal swelling throughout the healing process. And even more surprised that I didn’t have to take the pain pills beyond the first night.

I stuck to a diet of smoothies (without any fruits containing seeds!) and non-spicy soups until my follow-up appointment where I got my stitches out five days later.

Dr. Dira told me that my mouth looked great and that it seemed to be healing faster than what he sees normally.

I got the go-ahead to eat less liquidy foods. I slowwwwly introduced them back into my diet. I could still see the hole in the back of my mouth and I was nervous to take anything too fast. I didn’t want to jinx his words on my healing process.

Can I recommend it?

10 days following the surgery, I was back to my normal self. Any time I spent worrying turned out to be wasted time.

I was in such good hands from start to finish and would recommend Dr. Dira to anyone I know who needs their wisdom teeth out.

Hey, you may have even saved enough money to live in Bali for three months afterward like I did. 😉