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June 5, 2007 |
Hello Community Members,
This week's news comes from a purely personal experience this week: I had to go to the dentist.
Going to the dentist is not a fun event, and it can turn into a frightening experience when
you are not in a familiar country. But I had a toothache all night, so I gritted my teeth
(not literally, though, that hurt too much) and went.
The Road to Becoming a Dentist in Japan
According to the Japan Dental Association, there were 90,396 practicing dentists in 2000,
which works out to roughly 1 dentist for every 1400 persons.
It takes 6 years of education here to complete the required training.
There are 29 dental colleges in Japan, 11 National, one local governmental, and 17 private.
The requirements for the dental colleges are set by the Ministry of Education, Culture,
Sports, Science and Technology, and are known as the University Standards for Dental Schools.
If you were already a dentist in your home country and wanted to become a dentist in Japan,
you would have to take additional training, specifically:
the "Advanced Clinical Training for Foreign Dental Practitioners"
sanctioned by Japan's Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare.
Under Japanese law, a person who does not hold a Japanese dental license—even
if his/her purpose in entering the country is training in medical treatment—may
engage only in observation-study or learning the operation of medical instruments
in a hospital setting without patients.
However, once the foreign practitioner has received a permit for advanced clinical training,
he/she may engage in clinical training that includes diagnosis and treatment of patients.
Advanced clinical training can be received:
- by a foreign dental practitioner who has been granted a permit by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare;
- in a hospital designated by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare; and
- under the direct guidance and supervision of a dental practitioner conducting advanced clinical training.
So it goes without saying that there are very few non-Japanese dentists practicing in the country.
What Do You Think of Japanese Dentists?
This question is a common theme on Japan-related blogs and home pages.
The consensus is: Not much. Apparently choosing a dentist is like a roulette game.
There are many dentist offices in an average Japanese town, and so competition is fierce.
Here in Fukuoka, there are more dentists than bus stops along the busy stretch of road
in front of my workplace—and there are a lot of bus stops.
And since a root canal is basically a root canal, dentists try to outdo one another
with service, panache, and skill (not so much with price), which usually results
in better quality for their tooth-aching patients.
How Do You Choose a Dentist?
The standard response on most Japan-related web sites is: Ask someone, preferably a foreigner.
But I'm a firm believer in "different strokes for different folks," or in Japanese
十人十色 (juunin toiro, literally: ten persons, ten colors),
so I think, establish some criteria and spin the wheel!
My criteria for choosing a dentist are:
- A modern, fairly new practice (older places tend not to have the latest methods,
which will probably mean more pain)
- A family-run business. If a dentist's house and clinic are in the same building
with the father and daughter or son's name on the front, their reputation is definitely
a paramount factor for them. (At the very least, the reputation will follow them
wherever they go.)
- A place that is very, very easy to get to. Dentists (or, I mean, dental procedures)
sometimes take a few visits to, ahem, finish, so I advise locations that don't
require you to transfer along several bus routes.
So... here's a place, a 歯科医院 (shika-iin, dental clinic).
Modern, check. Family upstairs, check. A three-minute walk from work, check!
Yokota sensei, yoroshiku onegai shimasu!
The Building Was Nice, but What About the Treatment?
I had a root canal done. Well, no, actually I tell a lie—I had one-third of a root canal done.
If there is one thing that people often complain about with dentists over here (or is it worldwide?),
it is that one treatment can take 3 or 4 visits (sometimes more) before completing.
Here in Japan, this is understood as a way for the dentists to maximize their earnings
from the National Insurance System. Then again, it took a while for my dental problem to
develop. Maybe it's unrealistic to expect it to be fixed in one "open-wide" session.
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No matter, my dentist is going to play a big part in my life for about a month
now while I get my tooth fixed.
The dentist was pretty impressive (a second generation dentist, and it showed!).
But the most impressive thing was all fancy equipment.
The overly comfortable chair. The TV showing soothing images that kept me calm and focused.
The ultra-thin anesthetic needle that I hardly felt go in.
And last but not least, the oh-so-Japanese, melody-playing syringe: yes, indeed, while
the anesthetic is being administered, I enjoyed a little ditty from the syringe itself!
Will the Dentist Understand Me (or Vice Versa)?
I have found that most dentists in Japan can explain the treatment in technical English
but not in terms we would probably know. Don't be surprised if a dentist tells you,
"We are going to do Periodontal Calculus Removal," but struggles with "Rinse, please."
Speaking of rinsing, my one language tip for wayward foreigners is うがいしてください
(uga shite kudsai), meaning, "Rinse, please".
It is probably the only words the dentist will say to you during the procedure.
That may be because he wants you to enjoy (or at least remember) the near-sentient (=expensive)
equipment arrayed for the patient's pleasure.
So, my dental experience wasn't so bad. I can't say I'm looking forward to my next visit
(the melodious syringe notwithstanding), but under Yokota sensei's careful (!) hand,
I am looking forward to freedom from my toothache!
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Regards,
Moses
JOI Support
