Comment: ‘If you are going to break a tooth, don’t do it in France in August’
Reader tells how he tried 70 different dentists - but still no luck
Caption: Anthony Alcock has tried calling dentists within a 100km radius
Amerigo_images/Shutterstock/Anthony Alcock
“Don’t ever call for medical help in August,” says Connexion reader Anthony Alcock, 68, who moved to Île de France in 2000 with his family for a job at French electronics company Thales.
He retired to the Drôme department in south-east France two years ago.
Mr Alcock broke the crown on his front tooth on Tuesday, August 13, after biting into a raw carrot. It was when he started looking for an available dentist that he realised what a difficult task lay ahead.
“My dentist is on holiday for the next two weeks. I tried (appointment booking service) Doctolib but with no success. No one was available within 100 km.
“I resorted to Google maps, searching for dentists that were shown as open. I've called 70. Most were actually on holiday.”
“I was here during the 2003 heatwave and had naively assumed the medical services had since got their act together to provide a basic service,” he says. “If my two local boulangeries can manage not to go on holiday at the same time, I had assumed the same was true of the dentists.”
In desperation, he called the local hospital, who informed him they do not do dental work.
“They put me through to Valence, which is 60 km away, but all their dentists are on holiday. The local big private clinic told me all their dentists are on holiday. A handful of surgeries answered the phone but all said they couldn't offer me an appointment.”
Some suggested he call 15, the number for emergencies on Sundays and public holidays. When he tried, they told him to call back on Thursday August 15, a public holiday in France.
“So I'm in discomfort but have no option but to wait until Thursday,” he says. “I will call on Thursday to try and get an emergency appointment but I expect I won’t be alone.”
There is one silver lining. At least it didn't happen last week.
“I am glad it didn’t happen earlier as I have just returned from volunteering at the Olympics in Paris,” Mr Alcock says.
Have you ever struggled to get hold of a dentist – or anyone else – in August in France? Let us know at feedback@connexionfrance.com
