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Dentistry No Longer Starts With Trip
to Airport Flight
Dentistry need not be sought behind one of those
gruesome signs showing a gaping mouth being relieved of a bloody
molar with a pair of pliers. Dentistry in Phnom Penh can be as
sophisticated as that found anywhere, with services ranging from
gum maintenance through elaborate crowns and bridges, with all the
cleaning, drilling and filling stages between comprehensively
covered.
Dr Eric le Guen is the practicing dentist at the European Dental
Clinic at 195 Norodom Boulevard . Dental technician Philippe
Guibert, is the trained fabricator of bridges and crowns who
complements le Guen’s work. Both men trained in France, le Guen
at the University of Paris and Guibert at a college of dental
technology in Montpelier.
Le Guen has been in private practice for eight years, two of them
in French Polynesia, and Guibert has 11 years of experience under
his belt.
One of the concerns that patients voice when seeking dentistry in
Cambodia is that of sterility and hygiene. Le Guen stresses that
his equipment is extensively treated with the same autoclave
procedures that are used in advanced nations. Sterile material is
imported in sealed packaging and all needles are of the
one-time-use variety. He understands people’s concerns, but
reassures them that they have no need to fear.
Le Guen also has a Cambodian partner, Dr Piseth Poeung, and while
the basic consultation fee for Le Guen is $20, people wishing to
be treated by the Cambodian dentist may see him for $10.
Procedures are charged in addition to the basic consultation.
While le Guen says he feels confident providing most services from
his Phnom Penh office, sometimes a patient needs a full
anaesthetic and for this, le Guen may suggest a trip to Bangkok.
But the variety of services available here is widening and the
practice may soon include a Thai orthodontist, who will come to
Phnom Penh on a regular basis to work on straightening out the
clinic’s patients’ smiles.
—Elizabeth Wright
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