Job Discussion Forums

[Mnizzle]

One more question...
I think I might need to have my wisdom teeth out in the next couple days. Unfortunately I am leaving on Friday. Can I do this in Russia safely???

[steven_gerrard]

Yes but it will cost you a fortune. If you can possibly wait til you get back to the States, wait.

[Katyusha]

It will cost you less in Moscow than back in the States. There are some good Russian dentists around. Just ask those Russians you've been in contact with at LL, or BKC.

[leroy]

Presumably you have some dental insurance in the States which would cover this, mnizzle? At face value it might be cheaper to have the work done here in Moscow but if you can have it done somewhere where it is covered by insurance, do it! I've never had any wisdom teeth work but a crown here cost me $800 a western-style clinic. (it was a local place and not one of the well-known American or European Dental Centres) I am sure there are cheaper places and perhaps more fool me but I wanted somewhere I felt comfortable and didn't fill me with dread when I walked through the door. That's not to say non Western-style dental surgeries here aren't good- they are. However, Russian dentists are well known for being able to extract not only your teeth but as much money from you as possible. You'll be hard pushed to get a quote on the work you need doing from any dentist here and if you need more than one visit, the total price can end up being astronomical.

I guess I am just used to having free or low-cost dental treatment on the British NHS so figures like $800, which at the time was more than a month's salary for me, make me balk. Perhaps for an American it's reasonable.

[expatella_girl]

It is absolutely preferable to have any dental work done in the States if at all possible. Wisdom teeth removal is not dental work. It's usually considered oral surgery and done by oral surgeons who specialize in this kind of work. Dentistry here is far below the standards in the west. Nitrous oxide is completely unavailable in Russia.

And then there is the language problem....oi. I presume you don't speak dental Russian? Very few Russians speak English. There are a couple of western dental clinics in Moscow with English speaking doctors BUT they are very very expensive.

DO IT BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME.

[canucktechie]

I'll add my experience here. Last year I got a crown on a molar at EDC and it cost me �1200. My dentist in Canada took a look at it and told me that they did a great job - but he would have charged half as much.

A couple of months ago a new local dental clinic was handing out flyers at one of my schools and I grabbed one - prices are much lower than back home.

As noted previously the big problem with local dentists is the confidence issue - do you really feel comfortable with this person? I suppose that if you can find a local who knows a good dentist and can come and translate for you, you'll be OK.

Certainly I would let any dental work wait until I got home if possible, even if I could have got it done more cheaply in Russia.