Well, I got my first experience with third world medicine and I'm still here to tell about it. Somewhere in the Bahamas, I broke another tooth. This is an old problem, it seems the dentist I had as a kid believed that bigger fillings were better fillings (after all, amalgam doesn't get cavities!) so most of my molars are big pools of amalgam with cusps on the edges. And the cusps keep breaking off. I had asked my dentist in Peterborough five years ago to do everything possible while I had dental insurance to avoid this very problem, but he really did not recommend anything and since October I have broken three cusps. I had the first two repaired when I was back in NH in May (to the tune of ~$400), but this one would have to be fixed in Panama. On the morning Bocas Cruisers' net I asked for recommendations for a local dentist and everyone agreed on Dr. Wong. He only comes to Bocas Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings, but it was Tuesday and his office gave me an appointment @ 7:30 PM. The receptionist spoke less English than I did Spanish, but we agreed "siete y media" and figure out the rest when I got there. Dr. Wong turned out to be very nice. He spoke excellent English as well as fluent Spanish (and probably Chinese). He commented on how big the filling was (I know!) and that replacing it all would take a long time and be expensive, so he would try to "patch" it. As he was drilling away some of the tooth and old filling (no anesthesia as I had no pain from it), he stopped and commented, "This is not good." just what I wanted to hear. He gave me a mirror and showed how the filling was cracked down the middle. He would need at least to take out half of the filling and then repair it. Since that part of the tooth was still sensitive, it would require anesthesia. He did a great job with the xylocaine and I never felt a thing. He drilled out the damaged part of the filling, used "epoxy" to assure a good bond to the replacement amalgam and repaired the tooth. When he got done, it looked and felt as good as a new tooth - certainly as good a job as I could have had done in NH. The bill was $45, but because I am a "Pendionado" it was reduced to $40, not too bad considering it took him over an hour and two ampules of amalgam in addition to the xylo. He also does cleanings (which he recommends yearly) for $40 unless you have really bad stains in which case he uses a "baking soda sand blaster" and charges $50. Anyone care to come down and visit to try a little third world dentistry? If you need much done and don't have insurance, the savings might cover your plane ticket!