Things to Sink Your Teeth Into (Quite Literally)

1. Sink your Teeth into...Dental Care in Edinburgh

So if you're coming to Edinburgh and planning to hang around for a bit like myself, do the right thing and get registered for healthcare services.

This might be quite intuitive for some, but coming from Singapore where I'm used to waltzing into the 24-hour clinic at Clementi and expecting next-to-immediate attention, this was a minor (okay, a major) annoyance.

Getting registered at your nearest GP or dentist at the earliest possible date saves you precious waiting time when you have an emergency.

If you're a future student coming to the University of Edinburgh, make the Richard Verney Health Centre on campus one of your first stops - persist and double-check if the counter staff say registering is unnecessary (as they did to me in January). It is necessary as I found out 4 months later.

On the bright side, not registering in this case isn't such a big deal - they'll simply ask you to come about half an hour before your appointment to fill in your details. However, what's a bummer is if you're in need of dental care - the University does not have any dental services on campus so you'll have to scout around for the nearest dental clinic near you.

So the long and short of it was that I experienced major tooth-achage in my wisdom tooth on the eve of my Spain trip. I survived the holiday taking Ibruprofen and gargling with salt water. By the time I returned to Edinburgh it had subsided but I thought it would be a good idea to get it checked out just in case. So I called up the nearest dental clinic, which promptly informed me that I would have to be registered. Shockingly, the earliest appointment they could arrange was in a month's time, unless my case constituted an 'emergency' (ie: serious pain)

However she kindly directed me to Chalmers Dental Centre on 3 Chalmers Street (near Tollcross), which is a clinic for individuals who are not registered with any dental practice, and who might need immediate attention.

If you do end up making a visit to Chalmers Dental Centre, here are some things to note:

i. Go as early as you can. I arrived at the clinic around 10.20am and filled in some forms about my medical history. Half an hour later, I was attended to by a nurse who recorded my symptoms and assessed my situation, before referring me to one of the clinic's dentists. The wait-time in between the nurse and the dentist was at least an hour. It's first come first served, so obviously the earlier you go, the further in front of the line you'll be. And yes, the clinic is busy.

ii. Service: Once you finally get to meet the dentist, the service is generally friendly and professional. I felt like I was in fairly safe hands during the entire procedure - though that might've been helped by the anaesthetic injections which numbed me to any pain!

The gum area around my wisdom tooth was cleaned to prevent further incidences of local infection. Some anti-bacterial gel was also applied to the affected area. The entire procedure cost just 6 pounds.

iii. Patient after-care: Another difference between the UK and Singapore is that medicine is not dispensed within the clinics. The doctor will give you a prescription, but you have to make a trip to the nearest pharmacy in order to pick up the required medication. Again this can be a bummer.

Perhaps this separation of the clinic and pharmacy explains why patient after-care is slightly lacking. For one, I wish the dentist had prescribed me some good pain-killers. The pain after the anaesthetic wore out was truly terrible (I hadn't expected it) and even the ibruprofen I had didn't help. It largely ebbed by the next morning although the area remained sore and tender.

The dentist handed me a slip of paper with the name of an anti-bacterial gel (corsodyl), but no explicit instructions were given on how to use it. So clarify all doubts before leaving the clinic to ensure you have as much information as possible. The pharmacist will be able to answer your questions but obviously having treated you, the dentist would be better-placed and more well-informed about your situation.

2. Sink your Teeth into...A Tasty Tandoori Treat

So a week later, my tooth has fully healed. No more gnashing of teeth, it's time to celebrate with a proper meal!

I headed down to Kebab Mahal on Nicolson Square, a small sit-down restaurant specializing in traditional Tandoori dishes. Kebab Mahal's been around for about 20 years now, so that's something you have to respect. The menu is also entirely halal.


I ordered a Shish Kebab which came with a side of salad (mainly onions as pictured), and a slice of naan. The naan was not particularly memorable, however the meat was excellent. Cubes of juicy, flavourful beef coated in a bright red sauce - I don't exactly know what the sauce consisted of but it does make your tongue tingle quite literally. And it is rather intense I must say! Order a lassi (cold yoghurt-based drink) to temper the spice.

All in all, a satisfying meal can be had for 3 pounds. Go if you want a zing unattainable from the comparatively (dare I say?) bland flavours of English food - this is sure to whet your appetite! Although note the closure of the restaurant on Fridays from noon to 1pm for afternoon prayers.