I just spent my vacation at my dentist's. And this is NOT an exaggeration.

There are 3 crowns on the top right, 2 crowns on the left and plus one extraction for a wisdom at the back. I thought I finally got up my courage to see a dentist because I finally have a dental insurance after 8 years living in this country -- the land of the great. But I was SO WRONG. Delta will pay $2,600 and I will copay the other $3,600.

WHAT THE HECK!!!!!!!!

What kind of dental work will cost 6K? I am not sure if I EVER want to spend that much on 6 rotton teeth? After all I will probably replace with full denture when I am old. Thats what happens to old folks anyway, isn't it?

"Show me the break downs, please." I split out a request after my jaw dropped to the floor and my mouth wide open for a minute.

Delta pays $90 for one corner of deep cleaning. I'll copay $34. The mouth will take all 4 corners cleaning. This adds up to $136 just for dental cleaning. OUCH!

It goes on. For the first crown and fill-ups, I copay $50. The second one $ 200. The third one I'll need to pay out of my own pocket --$700 US DOLLARS! And I'll need 5 crowns. That is....I was totally SPEECHLESS.

As for a tooth extraction, its the cheapest. It will cost me $50 to get it pulled. No wonder hubby always wants his tooth pulled when he goes to a dentist. There were no crowns, root canals, cleaning or what not. "Its my teeth. I decide whats the best for me," he said.

"And you can come back for the bottom corners when your insurance starts paying in 6 month," my dentist told me. Does this mean I'll have another 6 months to work on saving for another $3,600 to pay for 5 more rotton teeth?

I have never really missed anything from Taiwan. I made a decision to leave and I never regreted it. The tasteless american foods, lonely suburban lifestyle, high expenses on gas and grocery, and low employment in michigan has never really shaken me up.

Until this moment when I look at my dentist, I REALLY miss national health plan it offers in Taiwan. I paid NT$800/month to join the health plan. NT$20 for one visit to doctor's clinic. My last dentist Dr Liu charged NTD1,000 for one crown. $30 US dollars for a crown? (GEE, I would do it any minute for a price like that.) And I have never heard of any dentists in Taiwan going bankrupt, have I? Now I am not sure if I will call them opportunitists when people fly back just for dental or medical visits. It is just SO DAMN UNAFFORDABLE here with or without insurance.

"I took out $3,000 from my IRA to get my teeth fixed," said Maria after having heard my story, "You are lucky you don't have to do that."

And I'm supposed to feel better? GOD DAMN IT. I just spent my vacation money at my dentist's. I do not feel lucky at all.