bagua7, I wonder too, how come you thought of asking dentist questions on a tea forum
But this immediately reminds me of a story I heard from another tea forum about going to Thailand to see doctors. The story was told in a Long Jing discussion. It can't be taken as health benefit testimonial. But I think it's a good story with happy ending. Besides, I think the story demonstrates that you can use the same amount of money for dental treatment in US on a trip to Thailand + dental treatment there.
Avonov wrote:To the more important contribution on my part… Four years ago, I had an endoscopy and colonoscopy done in Bangkok, because my insurance would not pay for it in the US as a “diagnostic test”. They actually told me I would be responsible for every penny of the $6,000 cost UNLESS polyps were found. Then, it would have suddenly become a payable medical procedure. Weird, but 100% true. I didn’t want to risk a $6K debt.
I go to Thailand 2 or more times every year anyway, so I sought out the best doctor I could find. He discovered polyps in both my stomach and large intestine. He did a great job of documenting them, with a hi-res video, hi-res photos and a hand-drawn illustration. In other words, the polyps were unquestionably there! Pre-cancerous, but there.
But it turned out that Bumrungrad Hospital’s policy was only to document polyps on the first round, not to remove them. That is confirmed in writing as well. We had actually argued prior to the procedure as to whether I should be pre-medicated because of heart valve problems. The fact that he had argued against it made his argument more logical, since he had absolutely no intention of doing any cutting.
Four years later, in May of this year, I was able to use the above documentation to get the procedures pre-approved by my insurance. I was scared. I figured the polyps had doubled in quanity and size and might even be cancerous by now.
To my incredible surprise, there was no trace of a polyp this time. I went to a good doctor in a good hospital, plus he had documents in his hand as to where he should look. He was stunned, too.
The only magical cure I can even think of is that word “antioxidant”. I’ve been downing cinnamon, wild-caught salmon, blueberries, acai and LJ tea as if nothing else mattered. I have gradually increased my overall diet from roughly o% to perhaps 80% in antioxidants. In fact, the smoothie I just drank, before my LJ tea, was made with 7 different antioxidants. The proof won’t be in for years as to how effective antioxidants are, but I’m sure willing to accept it as being factual today. It doesn’t even matter to me which of them was responsible, or if it was the combination. I’m hooked! As with LJ tea, most antioxidants are delicious.
If you enjoy both good taste and nutrition at the same time, I strongly urge you to go for high quality foods and supplements, at least to the extent that you can afford them. I have nothing to gain by promoting antioxidants. I’m a pharmacist and didn’t use to believe it myself. I hadn’t drunk more than a dozen cups of tea in 57 years, until a year ago.
to consider taking the plane to the other end of the world to see a dentist.
