My third repeated dental work in Taipei 2024/Carlos Pueblo

 My third repeated dental work in Taipei 2024/Carlos Pueblo

On my way back from Tokyo to Houston in late 2023, A Taiwanese Airline routed me to Taipei International Airport and I got an opportunity to chat with my elder sister Mary and another long time friend. I then decided to make a special trip back to Taiwan after some 12 years absence from my hometown and had my third dental work, a new denture  installation, in Taipei, Taiwan. That's how I purchased round trip tickets to TPE via Tokyo Haneda Airport. As a matter of fact, due to the complication of my dental work, I need to give my dentist additional two weeks in order to finish the entire work. I then ordered an 18 days cruise from Vancouver, Canada to Tokyo Port and took another flight from Haneda Airport to Taipei Songshan Airport to complete my second trip for such fake teeth installation.

The dentist's office located my old file and quickly set up an appointment with Dr. Chen, my cousin two years my junior in age, on the same day of my arrival. I took an X-Ray of my mouth and he drew a simple diagram of what he would do with my new denture. It would be two layers with a total of 11 fake teeth involved. It would cost me NT$120,000 grand total and due to I am his relative and I brought in a fallen golden crown with a value, he gave me a discount of NT$20,000; therefore,  the net cost to me is about US$3,150 plus additional costs of flights and stays in Taipei between March to June. I don't know if I will save any money if I do it in Houston, yet it is fun to be back in Taiwan.

The quality of my new fake teeth are much better in quality than those two of my second set made in the U.S. which were all made in the plastic material for the frame to support fake teeth and I didn't feel strong enough. Dr. Chen's new set is made with a metal alloy frame to support fake teeth which made me feel stronger in total support. He could only finish the upper layer before he could release me home to Houston. He also cleaned two small teeth with decay filled with something and crowned them before the denture. I saw him discussing with his technician who used to work at his father's dental laboratory before my uncle's retirement. Dr. Chen is still using his Dad's old dental clinic name for his practice. His two twin sons are also dentists working at his clinic along with 8 other dentists. It is a big clinic in size.

On my first trip of the two in Taipei, I did have the opportunity to visit my Alma Mater, the Taiwan Normal University, both the Chemistry Department and the Hopping East Home Campus to visit many distinguished faculty members including the University President, Senior Vice President and Department Heads and Professors of which I have had a good time.