Not every adventure involves seeing a sloth, or really cool frogs. When you’re in a new country, sometimes an adventure can be just getting your teeth cleaned.

We’d made arrangements for most things before we left the U.S., but dental appointments weren’t one of them. For one, trying to get a dental appointment for a regular cleaning was difficult at best. Trying to get into a new dentist meant at least a three month wait. At the end of one cleaning, you booked an appointment for your next one in six months. If you had to reschedule, that added to the timeline.

We’d both had our last cleanings at the end of last year. We tried fitting in one more before we left in April. Not surprisingly, no dice.

Four months later, we’re ready. I find a dentist that’s highly recommended, and contact the office via WhatsApp to find out if they’re taking new patients.

I hear back from the dentist directly a few minutes later. Of course they’re taking new patients, and they’ll have their scheduler contact me shortly. 30 minutes later, I get a message from the scheduler. Would the following Tuesday afternoon work? Best of all, they have availability for both me and Mr. Relative Outlier.

That next Tuesday, we arrive at the office. It’s on the 16th floor of an office building in Costa del Este, one of the nicer areas of town.

We’re greeted by the receptionist and the dentist, thanking us for coming. What we would like have done today – a cleaning, or a consultation? (A consultation is if you have a complaint with your teeth.) Most importantly, what would we like to drink? They said they had a few choices, but they recommended the cappuccino. “Or we have some other options.”

Other options, indeed.

I am not used to this type of choice at a dentist office! Husband had the capuccino, and I opted for a sparkling water. I thought that would be a simple choice – just a bottle of water. Which it was – but I had a choice of flavourings! They brought a selection out for me. I chose lime.

After a few minutes, we were called into our individual rooms. Upon meeting my hygienist, she presented me with another menu. What would I like during the cleaning? A blanket, music playing, a neck support pillow, noise canceling headphones, black out sunglasses? I chose the blanket – that air conditioning can get chilly, after all – and a neck support pillow, and kept the music playing in the background.

Best of all, there was a great view! It’s the featured image of this post. If it hadn’t been raining, I would have been able to see our apartment building from there.

The cleaning was pleasant, painless, and efficient. All the equipment was state-of-the-art. I was particularly impressed by the handheld camera that they used to take images of every tooth. I asked about fluoride treatments – in the U.S. they were optional, cost extra, and were something that was painted on your teeth. I was informed that the fluoride was included in the polish that was used, so no sticky teeth!

At the end of the cleaning, I was ushered into a central waiting area until Mr. RO was finished. The whole office is sleek and modern.

It was an excellent experience, and we made our next six months appointment right away. Though I expect that if we need to reschedule, it will be a lot easier.

Panamà has a burgeoning medical tourism industry, and dental work is included in that. There were several people in the office during our time there making arrangements for dental surgery who had flown to Panamà to have the work done.

Finally, the cost. We do not have dental insurance. Thanks to our pensionado discounts, we received a 25% discount on the service, which meant that we each paid $60 for our cleanings.

However, next time I think I’ll try a glass of wine.