Like many people, I can no longer find effective dental treatment locally on the NHS. Against my personal preference and political views, I’ve been to a private dentist for some years now. He’s a decent man, charges relatively modest prices, and is conservative (in the best sense) in his interventions. We banter nicely about my need for elephantine quantities of local analgesia, as well as other matters. Recently, I developed some root canal issues. Having done x rays, my dentist sent me for a CT scan costing over £200. I bit the bullet, if you’ll excuse the pun. …

中文翻译：

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John Launer：私人护理的困境


和许多人一样，我在当地的 NHS 上无法再找到有效的牙科治疗。与我个人的喜好和政治观点相反，我已经去看私人牙医好几年了。他是一个正派的人，收费相对适中，而且在他的干预中是保守的（从最好的意义上说）。我们开玩笑说我需要大象数量的局部镇痛药，以及其他事情。最近，我出现了一些根管问题。拍完 X 光片后，我的牙医让我去做了 CT 扫描，费用超过 200 英镑。我硬着头皮，如果你能原谅这个双关语的话。…