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americanshaman-blog1 · 8 years ago

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Dentistry: A Hoax Dressed in White Lab Coats?

My house costs millions of dollars […] In my neighborhood, there are four black people […] there's me, Mary J. Blige, Jay-Z and Eddie Murphy […] Do you know what the white man who lives next door to me does for a living? He's a fucking dentist! He ain't the best dentist in the world...he ain't going to the dental hall of fame...he don't get plaques for getting rid of plaque. He's just a yank-your-tooth-out dentist. -Chris Rock, Kill The Messenger (2009)

In America, the practice of dentistry has transformed from a barbershop (and purely aesthetic) feature into a prestigious discipline akin to biomedicine, but is dentistry as much a medical institution as it is so often esteemed? My observation will examine the affiliations the dental community has sought to emphasize between itself and the traditional biomedical institution, and whether the similarities and differences between the two are indicative of a cultural distinction between two different forms of healthcare or if one is to be properly considered healthcare while the other should not. My analysis will begin by briefly examining the history of the dental occupation in America in order to provide context for an observation and interviews about a specific branch of practice in the affluent island city of Alameda in California’s Bay Area. It will conclude with a discussion of the credibility the dental experience fosters and how accurate that reputation is.

Although evidence of dental care goes back to ancient times, for early Americans colonizing the east and conquering the wilds of the west oral care was practiced by a barber. Able to do little more than pull out aching teeth, the fear of the pain a dental visit might incur was no doubt warranted. By the mid-nineteenth century, Dental care (like many other institutions) began to formalize and the appearance of dental education facilities, such as the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery in 1840 and the Philadelphia Dental College in 1863, were matched by government regulation and legislation with the American Dental Association forming in 1859 (ADA.org).

Comparatively luxurious, my observations were at a modern dentist called “Bright Now Dental” in Alameda, Ca. It was a nice, quiet, and clean facility situated in a moderately sized shopping center. When asked about where her dental care was provided, one patient took especial care to associate it with the other store brands collocated: “a large new shopping complex with a Whole Foods, Old Navy, and Jamba Juice.” Like most aspects of American life, there is a tremendous amount of diversity amongst dental practices, focused primarily around economic class concerns. The same patient’s last visit had been to what she described as a “ghetto” facility no where near such middle class brands. This facility was expected to have a higher standard for care due to it’s location in a more affluent area, and both the patient and staff seemed aware of this.

The moment a patient steps through the door, however, they leave the shopping center atmosphere behind in exchange for a much more clinical tone. Patients find themselves in a waiting room, where a receptionist attired in medical scrubs hands out a hefty amount of paperwork inquiring about previous medical conditions and their insurance provider. Shortly before the dentist is ready to see the patient they are ushered into an examination room where they are then greeted by an assistant (also dressed in medical scrubs) before being addressed briefly by the dentist herself. With the notable exception of the dentist’s chair instead of an examination table, almost the entire experience is indistinguishable from that of a general practitioners.

Not only having made observations, but participating as a patient and being examined myself, I was constantly aware of the clinical reality that the Bright Now staff worked so hard to maintain. No doubt they would consider it a point of professionalism, but at the same time I found it odd how much the dental community had borrowed from the prestige of a proper biomedical establishment with not just a constant presence of associated symbols and processes (from white lab coats, to waiting rooms, and even including insurance paperwork) but an absence of almost any unique symbology of its own. While their were definitely tools and models around which emphasized the oral cavity, this in and of itself is no different than would be found in any specialist’s office. Considering that the dental community in America has built a consensus about oral care which consistently places cosmetic concerns over biological impact, the hypocrisy of associating dentistry with biomedicine, a form of healing that prides itself on being concerned exclusively with biological results, becomes readily apparent.

The use of fluoride and the American Dental Associations’ advocacy of water fluoridation has been shown to have effects on a patient’s mental well being that are still not fully understood, and yet the dental community embraces such practices without question (Johnston 2014). Invasive surgeries and structural changes to the oral region, including braces and the ‘re-setting’ of the jaw bone, are undertaken for what appears to be much more of a social function rather than for a patient’s biological well being. The confounding of whiteness with cleanliness and purity has resulted in the peeling away of enamel layers for patients whose teeth and oral regions are healthy by all other estimations. In light of such incongruities, it is perhaps not entirely surprising that modern journalists and investigators have been looking into the financial aspects of the dental care industry. Alex Berenson of the New York Times, stated in his article Boom Time for Dentists, but Not for Teeth:

The dental profession’s critics — who include public health experts, some physicians and even some dental school professors — say that too many dentists are focused more on money than medicine. (Berenson 2007)

His findings showed that the quality of dental care/health was heavily dependent on socio-economic factors and the profits of the dental care industry did not match up to their achievements. This might be an indictment of the economy in general but it would seem the dental community is especially exploitative. Compounding this are spurious connections between the most credible dental organization in the land and the corporate sphere, with the American Dental Association receiving tremendous funds from corporations like Coca Cola, whose endeavors primarily result in tooth decay (and consequently higher dental expenditures per capita) (Burros 2003).

In an interview with a patient, I learned that after several appointments she not only failed to receive a remedy to her malady but that her problems had been generated by a dentist and orthodontist initially. In order to ensure that her already beautiful smile remained intact, her family was persuaded to install braces on her teeth in her youth. An expensive and experimental version of semi-permanent retainers was used in several regions on the rear of her teeth where they would not be seen. Due to complications with her insurance, and because her retainers were so unique, 15 years later remnants of the braces remain intact and have been causing her gum line to recede.

Although said patient’s experiences have varied over the years, currently “Nothing is yet resolved,” (Interview). Having experienced oral care at both lower and higher socio-economic levels, under various payment systems (disparate insurance plans as well as cash payments), the patient’s faith in the dental institution remains strong. Even though she noted the complete lack of resolution (on an issue resulting from an unnecessary procedure) in her own words, the patient’s attitude about the dentist actually improved. Having gone in with a, perhaps well earned, negative view of the discipline, without a significant improvement or results the patient plans to return to the Bright Now facility again.

The Bright Now facility was relatively higher end, and although they were not able to offer a different result than any other clinic, she liked them “a lot. They were really knowledgeable. And communicative. They were very gentle with my mouth,” (Patient Interview). This would seem to indicate that while general outcomes may differ little from facility to facility, there is a host of essentially more important factors to the patient which shape their appraisal of the service. While the actual condition of the oral care is difficult to determine for many patients, they are able to assess their surroundings, the practitioner and his or her team, and the class of the other patients.

Could this be a form of cultural iatrogenesis, or a cultural problem (aesthetic association of orderly teeth with social position) being subsumed by the medical realm resulting in adverse effects on the patients’ health? By cloaking dental practitioners in white lab coats, are we stealing the hard won credibility biomedicine has earned for itself through practical results which have improved, extended, and increased human lives? Are the waiting rooms, paperwork, and insurance tropes a necessity of oral care, or do they serve more to play on psychological cues that help to legitimize the dental practitioner by associating his process as a biomedical equivalent? Does oral care truly need to be considered an inevitable and necessary eventuality, requiring employer subsidized insurance policies and massive political expenditures? Perhaps these are too grand of questions for a single day observation to pose. While the all consuming nature of our capitalist economy has caused many to bemoan the ways in which fiscal concerns have shaped the American healthcare establishment, America’s dental industry is perhaps an inversion of this process. A purely cosmetic product has been sold to consumers as a medical need and has ingratiated itself into the medical community to the point where the concerns of the American Dental Association supersede the contemporaneous warning of the American Medical Association in the eyes of the US Government. Treatment, ordering of care, and payment are all conducted in the same manner as proper biomedicine (ie symbolic parallels like white lab coats, waiting rooms, record keeping, insurance, scrubs, etc…) and yet it is known as a thing apart.

These symbols of care, which do not necessarily provide healing in an of themselves, have become so associated with healing that through the process of reification they have become endowed with elements of healing power themselves. Reification is the shifting of a conceptual idea to an existent part of reality and vice versa, often through a process of commodification in capitalist societies. Viewed in this light, the symbols of bio-medicine can be seen to have been commodified themselves into an element of care which has it’s own intrinsic value and, “profit no longer appears to be the result of a social relation, but of a thing,” (Taussig 1980).

This is not to imply that the dental practitioners themselves are hucksters or are even aware of the value they’ve added to their discipline by adopting such symbols. As Taussig points out in Reification and the Consciousness of the Patient:

[…] doctors and the “health care providers” are no less immune to the social construction of reality than the patients they minister, and the reality of concern is as much defined by power and control as by colorful symbols. (Taussig 1980)

Although my interviews with the dental staff at Bright Now showed in no way an awareness that the clinical reality of their office was established through the borrowing of reified biomedical symbols, the fact that such a clinical reality exists and is being utilized by what amounts to a ‘semi’ medical discipline has implications for power and control that could be examined at greater length.

Further parallels can be drawn with Tober’s work concerning altruism in sperm donation, as Tober shows how a process that is essentially an economic transaction can become hidden in the guise of a gift:

The cultural values of of altruism attempt to decommodify the commodity – to remove semen from its exchange as a marketable product and redefine it as gift. (Tober 2001)

In the same way that the market for sperm donation uses the symbols and language of altruistic gift exchange to cloak a self serving exchange of goods, dentistry as a discipline has used the symbols and language of the legitimate and credible healing community to hide a commercial product (the purely aesthetic value of a ‘healthy’ smile) under the veneer of medical treatment. Throughout this semester, we have learned that healing is about more than the functional survivability of our physical body. Any holistic approach to healing should deal not only with the physical but also the social and political bodies of a patient, and one might argue that the dentist is a healer who can be evaluated more for the social well being of it’s patients, but as Tober concludes about semen exchange, I find this argument “untenable” (Tober 2001). What the dentist proclaims as healthy, actually emphasizes the aesthetic at the expense of a patient’s oral health, while garbing itself in the symbols of a discipline that has focused almost exclusively on the physical well being of it’s patients. This hypocrisy is compounded by the fact that the physical ills which dentistry attempts to heal are cosmetic wounds identified (and therefore generated) by the very discipline itself: essentially dentistry creates a problem to match the solution it is offering to sell.

I’ll end this paper by recalling the closing scene of the new Scorsese film Wolf of Wallstreet, where Jordan Belfort (the ultimate capitalist huxster) goes through an audience asking each member to sell him a simple pen. He is waiting for one of these ‘salesmen’ to demonstrate the pen’s value by creating a need for the pen, as demonstrated by a hard core drug peddler earlier in the film. While each member of the audience fails to make the connection, I can’t help but think Mr. Belfort would have had far better luck if his demonstration had been given to an ADA convention. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that Jordan Belfort’s original career choice was to be none other than a yank-your-tooth-out dentist.

Works Cited: American Dental Association - ADA.org. (n.d.). American Dental Association - ADA.org. Retrieved April 19, 2014, from http://www.ada.org/ Berenson, A. (2007, October 11). Boom Times for Dentists, but Not for Teeth. New York Times. Retrieved April 17, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/11/business/11decay.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1& Burros, M. (2003, March 4). Coca-Cola Foundation Grant to American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Draws Criticism. Philanthropy News Digest (PND). Retrieved April 22, 2014, from http://www.philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/coca-cola-foundation-grant-to-american-academy-of-pediatric-dentistry-draws-criticism Garcia, A. (2010). The pastoral clinic addiction and dispossession along the Rio Grande. Berkeley: University of California Press. Johnston, P. (2014, March 25). Fluoride: Just when you thought it was safe to drink the water.... The Telegraph. Retrieved April 22, 2014, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthadvice/10722701/Fluoride-Just-when-you-thought-it-was-safe-to-drink-the-water....html

Rock, C. (Director). (2009). Kill the messenger [Motion picture]. United States: HBO Video. Taussig, M. T. (1979). Reification and the consciousness of the patient. Social Science & Medicine. Part B: Medical Anthropology, 14(1), 3-13. Taussig, M. T. (1980). The Devil and Commodity Fetishism in South America. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. Tober, D. M. (2001). Semen as Gift, Semen as Goods: Reproductive Workers and the Market in Altruism. Body & Society, 7(2-3), 137-160.

#medical anthropology #cal #dentistry

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juniperpublishers-dentistry · 5 years ago

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Prosthetic Rehabilitation of the Edentulous Mandible with two-Implants Retained Overdenture Using Ball Attachments: A Case Report- Juniper Publishers

Abstract

Edentulous patients have been treated with conventional complete maxillary and mandibular dentures as a primary treatment modality. Suitable complete maxillary dentures are usually well tolerated but many patients struggle to chew and swallow with the complete mandibular denture because it is too unstable. Previous studies have shown that a mandibular two-implant retained overdenture is superior to conventional denture in terms of retention and stability. Thereby, the two-implant assisted mandibular overdenture should be the first treatment option for mandibular edentulous patients. In this report, a mandibular two-implant retained overdenture with ball attachments using direct intraoral pick-up technique is discussed.

Keywords: Implant Overdenture; Edentulous Mandible; Ball Attachment; Healing Abutment

Introduction

Rehabilitation with conventional maxillary and mandibular dentures has been well accepted by most of the patients. However, some patients find dentures problematic due to inadequate stability and retention. Based on the literature review, mandibular two implant retained overdentures are considered better option compared to the conventional mandibular complete dentures [1]. Reford et al. [2] found 50 % patients with mandibular denture having problems in stability and retention [2]. Conventional dentures rely upon the residual alveolar ridge and mucosa for support and retention. In this regard, rehabilitation by means of implants offers a significant improvement over conventional prostheses, improving phonetics, esthetics, patient satisfaction and quality of life [3]. Implant retained overdentures result in decreased bone resorption, reduced prosthesis movement, better esthetics, and improved tooth position, better occlusion, including improved occlusal load direction, increased occlusal function and maintenance of the occlusal vertical dimension. Studies also proved that patients wearing implant-supported overdentures exhibit superior results compared to conventional dentures [4] and enjoy a significantly higher quality of life compared to conventional denture wearers [5]. The two-implant retained overdenture, thus, should be the first treatment choice for mandibular edentulous patients [5,6]. In this case, we delivered a mandibular implant-retained overdenture with ball attachments by using intraoral pick-up technique.

Case Report

A 55-year-old female patient reported to the Department of Prosthodontics, CODS, and BPKIHS with the chief complaint of loose lower complete denture prosthesis. She had been using the current set of dentures for the past 6 months and had difficulty in eating and speaking properly as the lower denture was ill fitting. She gave a history of losing her teeth 5 years back due to caries and periodontal disease. Extra oral examination revealed class III facial profile and a prognathic jaw relationship according to Angle’s classification. Intraoral examination revealed U shaped ridges which were smooth without any irregularities, bony spicules or root pieces. The maxillary ridge was favorable for conventional denture construction, but the mandibular ridge was found to be resorbed (Atwood’s class IV) (Figure1). The diagnostic casts were made; a panoramic radiograph (Figure 2) was taken to assess the bone for suitable selection of implants. Radiographic examination of the patient showed that the patient had dense compact bone in the mandibular anterior region without any pathological findings (Figure 3). The treatment plan of maxillary conventional complete denture with mandibular two-implant retained overdenture was explained to the patient. The patient was convinced and hence, accepted the new treatment plan.

Chair-side tissue conditioner (Lynal®, Dentsply Caulk, U.S.A.) and Unifast® self cured resin occlusal reline were performed to improve the tissue adaptation and the occlusion of the old dentures. The relined mandibular denture was duplicated to make a surgical stent for one stage implant placement. In stage one surgery two implants (3.5 × 11.5) (Adin Dental Implant System Ltd; Afula, Israel) were placed in the anterior mandible at B and D region (Figure 4). Sutures were placed and the patient was recalled after one week. After one week sutures were removed and the existing mandibular denture was delivered as a temporary prosthesis during the healing phase.

A second stage surgery was carried out to place healing abutments 3 months after the primary implant surgery. Healing abutments were fastened to the implants to allow soft tissue healing without any disturbance. After 1-week ball attachments were attached with the implants (Figure 5).

Impression of the mandibular arch with ball attachment was made using closed technique and poured with dental stone (Kalstone, Kalabhai Karson Pvt. Ltd, India).The attachments were placed and O rings were blocked-out on the abutments. The intaglio surface of the mandibular denture was relieved to provide space for the o-ring attachments. Pressure indicating paste (Mizzy Prestige Dental Products) was used to verify the absence of contact of the denture base with abutment or attachment. A standard chair side auto polymerizing resin mix was then prepared and placed into the denture. Denture was placed and the patient was asked to close in function over the implants with the o-rings attached. Denture was removed from the patient’s mouth just before final set. The excess acrylic material was removed and the denture was replaced back to final set. Insertion of final denture was done (Figure 6).The patient was instructed with the insertion and maintenance of the dentures after occlusal adjustment and the verification of soft tissue adaptation. The patient was trained to use the new set of dentures, and was satisfied with good stability and greater degree of retention of them mandibular denture in comparison to the previous one.

Discussion

The treatment involving two independent implants without rigid interconnection is an important consideration with regard to the mandibular overdenture treatment. When using implant in position B and D, the anterior movement of the prosthesis is markedly reduced and the prosthesis may also act as a splint for the two implants during anterior biting forces. There is some degree of stress reduction in each implant due to this factor. Factors like the psychological feeling of a removable appliance, the need for frequent attachment change, the need for relining and prosthesis movement come to play while putting the disadvantages into consideration .

OD 1 is used as a treatment option, when patients understand that additional implant support is beneficial but financial constraints require a transition period of few years before placing additional implants. It is reported that ball attachment are less costly, less technique sensitive [7], and easier to clean than bars [8] and less wear or fracture of the component takes place than gold alloy bars [9]. Moreover, the potential for mucosal hyperplasia is significantly reduced with ball attachments [10]. It was also reported that the use of the ball attachment may be advantageous for implant-supported overdentures with regard to optimizing stress and minimizing denture movement [11]. The approach of using ball attachments with healing abutments as supporting structure in this report has an advantage of being incorporated at the chair side.

Previous series studies conducted by McGill University revealed that the implant retained mandibular overdenture is superior to conventional denture not only in overall satisfaction, chewing satisfaction, nutritional status, eating and social activity, but also easier to fabricate. Moreover, the implant retained mandibular overdenture is a cost-effective intervention. In consistency with the McGill group, we have similar improvement in patient outcomes and ease in the fabrication procedures.

Conclusion

The standard treatment of the edentulous patient has no doubt for many years, been a conventional Complete Denture. Many CD wearers have significant problems in adapting to their mandibular prosthesis compared to the maxillary one. As presented in the clinical report, the patient benefited tremendously from the mandibular implant-retained overdenture. The greater degree of patient satisfaction has also been taken into account and the fabrication procedure being easier is a major advantage in this treatment option. Therefore, the two implant-retained overdentures should be considered as the first treatment option for mandibular edentulous patients.

For more Open Access Journals in Juniper Publishers please click on: https://juniperpublishers.com

For more articles in Open Access Journal of Dentistry & Oral Health please click on: https://juniperpublishers.com/adoh/index.php

To know more about Open Access Journals please click on: https://juniperpublishers.com/journals.php

#juniper publishers group #juniper publishers high impact #Juniper Publishers e-pub #Juniper Publishers PubMed Indexed Articles #juniper publisher

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startjuliaco-blog · 8 years ago

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인테리어잡지 인테리어월드 82호 Office 인테리어책

New Post has been published on http://startjulia.co/%ec%9d%b8%ed%85%8c%eb%a6%ac%ec%96%b4%ec%9e%a1%ec%a7%80-%ec%9d%b8%ed%85%8c%eb%a6%ac%ec%96%b4%ec%9b%94%eb%93%9c-82%ed%98%b8-office-%ec%9d%b8%ed%85%8c%eb%a6%ac%ec%96%b4%ec%b1%85/

인테리어잡지 인테리어월드 82호 Office 인테리어책

건축세계의 간판 잡지이지요. 인테리어월드

건축세계의 인테리어 월드는 최신호가 아니더라도, 찾으시는 분들이 많습니다.

각 호마다 특정 인테리어에 관해 세세하게 다루어 주기때문입니다.(병원이면 병원, 주거공간이면 주거공간…)

아마 인테리어 관련업종 종사 하시는 분들 중에, 한번쯤은 들어보고, 한번쯤은 읽어보고,

또 다시 찾은 책이 아닐까 싶습니다.

이번 인테리어잡지 인테리어월드 82호는 이번달 11월에 나온 신간 입니다.

이번호에서는 Office 인테리어에 대해 집중 분석했네요.

인테리어잡지 인테리어월드 82호 Office 인테리어책

인인테리어 월드의 목차입니다.

첫번째로 소개되는 작품은

보스콜로 호텔 엑시드라, 밀라노점 . 이탈로 로타 의 작품이지요. 밀라노 태생입니다.

보스콜로 호텔 엑시드라, 밀라노점을 사진으로 보았는데요

저만 그런지 몰라도, 찰리의 초콜릿공장이 떠오르더군요 ^^;

그만큼 디자인들이 독특했습니다.

지금이 겨울이라 그런지 전 이탈로 로타의 작품에서 추운느낌을 많이 받았어요.

차갑다? 라는 느낌은 아니구요.

밀라노가 비도 자주 오는 곳인데…라는 생각에 더 춥더라구요 ^^;

신작

4 보스콜로 호텔 엑시드라, 밀라노점/Boscolo Hotel Exedra, Milan

14 노블라인 치과/Nobline Dental Clinic

22 아이꿈치과/KIDS DREAM DENTAL CLINIC

28 에스파시오 C 믹스코크/Espacio C Mixcoac

iw 셀러브리티

42 멀티키노 갤럭시 센터/Multikino Galaxy Center

48 몰리에라 2 부티크/Moliera 2 boutique

54 타임 트렌드 프레스티지/Time Trend Prestige

62 알리오르 은행 프라이빗 뱅킹 센터/Alior Bank Private Banking Center

사무공간

70 레드 불 본사/Red Bull Headquarters Fitout

84 JWT 본사/JWT Headquarters

94 스튜디오 이폴리토 플레이츠 그룹/Studio Ippolito Fleitz Group

104 로코드/ROCODE

110 나이스 투자/NICE INVESTMENT

116 삭소은행/Saxo Bank

126 LG 유러피언 디자인 센터/LG European Design Center

134 리오 버넷 사무소/LEO BURNETT OFFICE

152 (디테일) Gs 컴퍼니/(Detail) Gs company

160 (주)블루콤 송도 본사 사옥/BLUECOM SPACE

디 오브제

176 매니폴드 2/Manifold 2

178 플로프 스/Ploop stool툴

180 폴디드 체어/Folded chair

182 폴리곤 크래쉬/Polygon Crash

디자인 뷰

184 서울디자인올림픽2009/SEOUL DESIGN OLYMPIAD 2009

188 2009한국공간디자인문화제/Korea Space Design Festival 2009

인테리어잡지 인테리어월드 82호 Office 인테리어책 살짝 펼쳐보았습니다.

역시 인테리어잡지는 대부분 그렇겠지만 올컬러라, 번쩍번쩍 눈에 확 들어와줍니다 ^^

자료제공 :

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touristguidebuzz · 8 years ago

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Hotel Review: A Club Room at the InterContinental Bali Resort

The InterContinental Bali Resort stretches across 34 tropical acres overlooking Jimbaran Bay on Bali’s southern tip, just 15 minutes from Denpasar International Airport (DPS). 417 guest rooms include classic rooms, a variety of suites — like the 4,000 square-foot two-bedroom Jivana private villa with a 2,000 square-foot private pool priced at $1,500 per night — and an entire wing just for members of Club InterContinental. The six pools featured unique designs and plenty of Balinese-inspired fountains that both decorate and entertain. Here’s what it was like to stay at this extraordinary resort.

In This Post

Booking

My IHG free anniversary night, courtesy of the IHG Rewards Club Select Credit Card, was set to expire during my extended vacation in Bali, so I decided to use it at the hotel brand’s most luxurious resort in Indonesia. The InterContinental Bali requires 40,000 IHG Rewards points for an award night, worth $280 according to TPG’s latest monthly valuations. However, rooms started at $170 for my mid-week off-season stay, plus 11% tax and 10% service charge — advertised rates dipped as low as $137 per night (lower for extended stays) and rarely hit the $280 threshold that 40,000 points is worth even during the high season. If you’re thinking of using the Citi Prestige 4th night free perk, you’re better off paying for a room with cash than using your points here.

Financially, it’s also not the best place to take advantage of the IHG Anniversary Free Night, with many other IHG properties costing more on a regular basis or during certain times of the year. In my circumstances, however, it was the best option for me. Booking my free anniversary night was easy and can be done completely online by following these steps. Note that standard rooms have a limit of three people per room and the rate is the same regardless of whether they’re adults or children, which could result in an extra expense for families of four (ie. traveling with two adults and two children) as a roll away or room upgrade may be required. This could end up saving you money, though, if you’re traveling as three adults — like I was — because the third adult is not charged an additional fee.

Check-In

We arrived at the stated check-in time of 3:00pm and were greeted with a gong.

Check-in took place in an open office where we could sit down instead of having to stand at a regular check-in desk. We were also given delicious hibiscus welcome drinks, leis, wet towels, a fan and a bookmark.

Thanks to my IHG Platinum status, which came courtesy of the IHG credit card, I was offered a free upgrade from the classic room I’d originally booked to a Club Room — but without any club benefits. The room itself would be slightly larger (624 square feet instead of 527 square feet), but that’s about it. I was then offered an additional upgrade to receive club benefits at an unofficial, discounted rate for being Platinum — $120 total for three adults instead of the standard upgrade rate of $150 plus taxes and fees. When the club benefits were outlined for us, we jumped on the offer. A butler even escorted us to afternoon tea in Club InterContinental while our room was being prepared.

The Room

Our King Club InterContinental Room felt classy and roomy with a large king-size bed, a day bed and wooden decor.

The huge marble bathroom felt like a spa.

The toilet and bidet were kept in a separate but awkwardly-shaped room that was separated by a frosted glass door.

There were two sinks, one inside the bathroom and another just outside it.

The generous amenity kit included 100 ml bottles of Harnn Mystique shampoo, conditioner, body lotion and shower gel. Listerine mouthwash, water bottles and sewing, shoe care and dental kits were also provided.

Since I’m an IHG Platinum, I received a welcome gift of a fruit plate and chocolates, along with a personalized note.

The terrace was spacious but would have been even nicer on a higher floor.

Our room and terrace overlooked a lavish garden.

There was also a complimentary self-serve coffee and tea station, as well as some standard mini-bar options, which were available for an extra fee.

I was more than satisfied with the room, particularly the bathroom. The space was perfectly customized for our party, too, since the closet featured three robes with three sets of sandals, and the day bed was made up as a bed instead of being in its couch position. The room also featured a 37″ flat-screen television — we never used it and hopefully you won’t either.

Amenities

This certainly was not a cookie cutter resort. Its unique grounds tastefully incorporated the Balinese Hindu culture, keeping the feel respectful and authentic. Statues of Hindu gods were scattered throughout the property, with fresh flowers placed on them each day, the same treatment you’d find in a Balinese family compound.

The open-air lobby stayed breezy and cool.

Gazing up at the lobby roof was a little trippy, especially at night.

Outside, the grounds were impeccably kept.

The resort made great use of the land. Lounge chairs were strategically spaced around the six pools and all along the beachfront so there was no competition for “prime” locations, which was nice. Granted it was technically slow season, but even some choice cabanas went unused.

Some entire areas of the resort were downright empty.

I never saw anyone venture out toward the distant Villa Retreats Spa, sand volleyball court or tennis courts. Having no crowd is certainly better than it being too packed, but I got the impression that even at capacity it wouldn’t feel overwhelming.

The water in the bay isn’t the cleanest, although I heard it was worse because it was during the rainy season. I’d recommended bringing along water shoes if you want to go in the ocean because the jagged rocky bottoms can be quite rough on your feet. Occasionally, strange things, like large bushels of grass, would wash ashore. The staff were always very quick to pick it all up and keep the beach clean though.

It’s obvious that whoever designed this resort had a lot of fun doing it — and no place is that more evident than the pools and water fountains, which are similar to what you’d see in a Balinese family compound or even at the sacred Hindu water temple of Tirta Empul, but taken to an opulent extreme. The main pool is huge and features the ever-important swim-up bar.

The neighboring Balinese bath pool is flanked by two cascading elevated pools on either side.

The Balinese bath pool remains open until 10:00pm, while all other pools close at 7:00pm.

I originally thought this pool was just a large collection of water fountains before I realized I was free to swim through them.

These are the types of pools I would have loved to play in as a kid. Admittedly, I still do as an adult.

One of the pools is reserved for Club InterContinental guests only. Kids are allowed, but signs make it clear that horseplay should be reserved for the main pool.

My friend loved the massage and facial she received from the luxurious Spa Uluwatu, with a special 20% discount due to my Platinum status. However, prices were similar to those at resorts in the US — elsewhere in Bali, it’s easy to find a decent massage for less than $10.

There are onsite five restaurants. I had breakfast at Taman Gita Terrace, which offers an extensive buffet of local and international cuisine. I can’t think of anything it didn’t have.

I made several trips to the juice bar.

KO Restaurant, Teppanyaki & Cocktail Lounge is the signature restaurant. It’s set in a separate wing with a long walkway of Japanese decor setting the mood and even contains a Japanese garden.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to try it, but this restaurant has the makings of a quality hibachi experience.

Bella Cucina offers Italian fine dining with some tables set on the lawn outside within view of the ocean.

My friends ordered a salad and a wrap from the Jimbaran Gardens poolside restaurant for lunch. They weren’t too impressed and the cost matched what you would pay at a resort back home.

There’s no shortage of ways to ruin that beach bod you’ve worked so hard for before this vacation. It seems like the best strategy for meals is to get a hearty breakfast, take advantage of the club lounge snacks throughout the day (if you have access), then splurge at the KO or Bella Cucina restaurants.

In Bali, it’s normal for the full wait staff to handle the complete set of tables, unlike in the US where a table is normally assigned to one server. You may get asked for your order after you’ve already given it, but it’s always done with a smile and the utmost politeness. You may actually have to make eye contact or wave a server down to place your order, but just roll with it — this is the Bali way.

Club InterContinental

We had no problem getting our money’s worth out of the Club InterContinental. The lounge is open for use with a butler 24/7.

Breakfast is included at any of the restaurants on site between 6:30am and 11am.

Afternoon tea is served from 2:00pm to 4:00pm.

Evening cocktails are available from 4:30pm to 7:30pm in the lounge with a wide array of delicious canapés.

The selection included some premium options, but portions were intentionally kept small. At least at the buffet, no one is discouraging you from getting your fill.

Hot canapés were served by the staff so you wouldn’t go overboard and spoil your appetite for dinner.

The best strategy is to stuff yourself with canapés, then head to the Sunset Beach Bar & Grill for sunset, where cocktails are also included until 7:30pm.

We managed to work our way through the entire cocktail menu — for research purposes, of course! — and the caipirinha and espresso martini were our favorites.

Other notable perks included for Club InterContinental guests:

Use of Jacuzzi, steam room, and sauna at Spa Uluwatu

Return airport transfer

4:00pm check out (my Platinum status would have given me til 2:00pm)

Unlimited use of children’s day care at Planet Trekkers if you want to pawn off the little ones

There’s also a 24-hour menu available in the lounge (for an additional fee), which I took advantage of for a tasty late-night dinner. The menu was much more extensive than most late-night room service options I’ve seen. As you can see, at $40 per adult, we got a ton of value out of our Club InterContinental access.

Check Out

As Club InterContinental guests, we were given a check-out time of 4:00pm. We were also allowed to continue to use the grounds until it was time to go to the airport, and one of my friends didn’t fly out until almost midnight — this included Club InterContinental benefits, which meant one more cocktail hour and sunset! I thought this was a very generous policy as we got nearly two days of Club InterContinental access for (less than) the price of one.

There was also a lounge available with showers, locker facilities, tea and coffee and an outdoor terrace for guests with late-departing flights. It wasn’t too big though and got a little crowded at one point in the evening.

Overall Impression

My favorite thing about the InterContinental Bali Resort was the way the Balinese culture was authentically woven into its design — it never felt tacky or forced because it’s not. You’ll see daily offerings, like the one pictured below, scattered throughout the resort by the employees just as you would see in local villages and in homes and businesses throughout Bali.

While it’s not the greatest use of points in the world, room rates here are pretty reasonable and upgrading to Club InterContinental can easily be worth it. I feel my IHG free anniversary night this year was well spent.

I’d be happy to return to this resort, and would highly recommend it. Don’t forget, though, that this is just a representation of the Balinese culture — the real magic of Bali is scattered throughout the rest of the island, so make sure you spend ample time discovering Bali first, then unwind with a few days here before taking a late-night flight home.

Have you stayed at the InterContinental Bali Resort? Tell us about your experience, below.

All photos courtesy of the author.

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