dental

Late lunch at Positano in Stuttgart…

Today, Bill and I visited Dr. Blair in Stuttgart to get my stitches removed after last week’s procedure.  I was happy to see him because the stitches were annoying and all too secure.  He removed them, gave me a quick once over, and told me the next procedure will be four months from now.  Apparently, that’s sooner than the standard six months.  I guess I healed up nicely.

I asked Dr. Blair to tell me what exactly happened during last week’s surgery.  He gave me a layman’s description of what he did.  I said, “So you just did the sinus lift?”  He answered affirmatively.  All he really needed to do was tell me he’d done the sinus lift because I’d already Googled the hell out of it.  The next operation will be to place the screw for the implant and it supposedly will not be as involved or potentially traumatic as the sinus lift was.  He even said I might not need Ativan, though I will probably request it anyway.  It was nice not being nervous before he did his thing.

After setting up the next procedure appointment for May, Bill and I went to the Markthalle to pick up a few Italian goodies.  I have gotten hooked on Italian tuna since our trip to Vicenza and I wanted to get some more pasta and wine.  I probably could have spent more money on chocolate, but decided not to.  I don’t need any more temptations in the house.

Though it was three o’clock and a lot of places were shut down for a pause, we did manage to find a table at Positano, a pizzeria and restaurant near Dr. Blair’s office in downtown Stuttgart.  The place was dimly lit and almost empty when we arrived.  We got there at the same time as another party did.  There are several small dining rooms in what appears to be an old building overlooking Calwer Strasse.  Cell phone reception is poor in there.

The restaurant has an extensive menu that offers a broad range of dishes.  I was tempted to try one of their Italian pasta dishes but opted for the zander filet special instead.  Bill went for a penne pasta with spinach and gorgonzola cheese sauce dish.  We both had a glass of Chianti and shared a bottle of San Pellegrino.

Obligatory shot of Bill.  Nice generous pour of wine.

Zander filet special with white wine sauce.  I was afraid it would come with mushrooms and it did.  The vegetables were supposed to be fresh, but weren’t really.  Bill took the mushrooms from me, sparing me from angst.  This dish was 9,30 euros.  

Bill’s pasta with spinach and gorgonzola.  I would have probably enjoyed that, though the protein was more what I needed.  The bread was nice, fresh, and crusty.

And two generously sized salads also came with our orders.  They were splashed with balsamic vinegar.  I didn’t notice the oil and vinegar the waiter placed on the table next to us.  I would have liked some oil with my salad to cut some of the acid in the vinegar.

I couldn’t help but notice the very passionate French pop music that played over the sound system.  At first, I thought we were listening to vintage Celine Dion, but it turned out to be Lara Fabian.  I had never heard of her before.  She has great pipes, though it’s not the kind of music I’d necessarily choose to listen to left to my own devices.

To be honest, I wasn’t that impressed by Positano.  The food was fine, but it wasn’t anything special.  What you get there is reasonably priced and they don’t shut down the kitchen at 2:00pm; so if you find yourself in Stuttgart after lunch hours, you can always go there for something to eat.  But I probably would pick another restaurant over that one, given a choice.  The waiter was competent and basically pleasant.  I don’t think he spoke English.  We finished our late lunch with a round of espresso.

You have to go up a flight of stairs to get to the dining room.

They cater to the after lunch crowd.

Not bad.  Not great.

The total bill before tip was 37 euros.  If you’re hungry after 2:00pm and want something reasonably priced, it’s a good bet.  I’ve had better Italian food elsewhere, though.

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Adventures in German drugs…

No, not THOSE kind of drugs.  I have limited my personal recreational drug use to the few days I spent in Haarlem for my birthday last year.  That’s where I tried space cakes/marijuana for the first time.  Unless you count all the beer and wine I drink, I live a fairly drug free lifestyle.

Today’s post is about my experience taking German prescription drugs.  I think this is a notable occasion because, prior to this week, I hadn’t taken prescription drugs of any kind since 2004.  I have been very healthy over the last twelve years. Also, I never visit doctors unless I’m about to die.  Last time I saw a regular doctor was in 2010 and Bill had to drag me there, more or less, by my hair.

Anyway, because I just had dental surgery, I did end up being prescribed some medications by Dr. Blair, the wonder dentist.  And because of my ordeal on Tuesday and the fact that I needed to sleep off the meds that I took in his office, Bill ended up having to visit the apotheke for me.  Last night over dinner, he finally told me about his first experience buying prescription drugs on the economy.

We have just one apotheke in Jettingen and at the time Bill wanted to fill the prescription, they were closed for their three hour lunch break (12:30-3:30).  That seems like an extreme lunch break, but they also stay open until the relatively late hour of 8:00.  Because our local druggist was closed, Bill ended up going to Nagold, which is only a few miles from where we live.

Bill walked into what looked like a cosmetics store.  Someone immediately figured he was looking for drugs and pointed him in the right direction.  He handed over the prescriptions and waited.  Then he saw the drugs come down some kind of chute, where they were picked up by one of the clerks who waited on Bill.  I guess the pharmacist was in a back room dispensing the medications instead of hanging out in front.

The two ladies behind the counter then started speaking rapid fire German to Bill, who asked them in German if they could speak English.  One of the ladies said, “I speak a little.” with a bashful smile.  Naturally, her English turned out to be excellent.

She held up the two boxes, both of which looked pretty similar.  One was amoxicillin and the other was high powered ibuprofen.  There was also a bottle of prescription mouthwash called chlorhexamed.  That’s supposed to help clean the area where I had surgery, since I can’t really brush or floss vigorously there.

The clerk verbally explained to Bill how and when I should take my meds and then put little stickers on the boxes that showed when and how many pills I should take.  This is different from what I’ve experienced in the United States.  There, you get a well labeled pill bottle that has a lot more information on it.  It usually tells you who prescribed the meds and includes warning labels.  Not so in Germany, at least not this time.  I also noticed that my pills look very similar to one another.  In the United States, when you get amoxicillin, it’s usually a bright pink “horse pill”.  American prescription strength ibuprofen looks more or less like the white horse pill pictured below.

Very simple labels on my drugs.  It just tells me when to take them.  I’m expected to figure the rest out by myself!

 

Sorry about the blurriness of this picture.  I was using my iPad instead of a camera.  I took this photo to show something I find interesting about drugs in Germany.  These two pills look almost identical, but they are two different drugs.  One is amoxicillin and the other is ibuprofen.  The only difference in how they look is that one is very slightly fatter than the other.  

 

After she explained the medications and how to take them, she packed them into the bag pictured below.  And then she threw in a little something extra…

Two packages of facial tissues and samples of cough drops!  Total cost for all of this, 35 euros.  And that was before insurance.  I’m not sure Bill will even bother to make a claim for the drugs, since our limit for dental is only $2000 and my implant will cost way more than that.  

 

The goodies from the pharmacy were unexpected.  I have never had an American pharmacy give me free samples.  However, when I see American dentists, they usually give out “goodie bags” with floss, toothpaste, and a new toothbrush.  Dr. Blair doesn’t do that.

I’m excited about the extra facial tissues.  They really come in handy, especially when you find yourself in a public restroom that has no toilet paper.  And thanks to the much larger purse I bought myself for Christmas, I have plenty of room to carry them!

As for my recovery from Tuesday’s sinus lift surgery, I am happy to report that I’m feeling mostly fine.  It’s a little annoying to have stitches in my mouth, but I haven’t had a lot of pain, swelling, or bleeding and haven’t even really needed the ibuprofen that much.  I’m mostly eating what I want, too.  I can’t say the surgery was a lot of fun, but it wasn’t nearly as painful or traumatic as I expected it would be.  I get the stitches out on Tuesday.  I don’t even really notice them unless I happen to touch them with my tongue.

Maybe this doesn’t seem like something most people would blog about, but given my educational background, healthcare stuff interests me.  I also like how in Europe, people expect you to have common sense.

A year ago, we spent MLK weekend in Hamburg.  Maybe I would have liked to have traveled today, except that it’s snowing pretty hard…  I plan to stay in my nightgown all day and only venture out to shovel part of my driveway so no one sues me.

Happy holiday weekend!

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I survived the first big dental procedure… Dental implants in Germany

I got up early this morning, as usual, and did my regular Tuesday morning cleaning.  Bill heard the shower running and wondered if something was wrong.  I told him I was cleaning it, which is my usual Tuesday chore.  I added that I needed to do something to be useful.

Bill said, “You don’t have to do that.”

“If I don’t do it, who will?” I asked.  “It won’t get done if I don’t do it.”

Bill said, “I can do it.”

I said, “No, I have to do something useful.  You don’t have to earn all the money AND do the housework.”

So he went downstairs and made me a nice breakfast.  I told him I wanted something substantial because I didn’t know when I’d be up to eating once the procedure was finished.  We had eggs, biscuits, bacon, and grits, along with juice and coffee.

Then we went to the dentist, where I was given two Ativan tablets about an hour before the procedure started.  They were glad I’d had breakfast because the Ativan supposedly causes upset if it’s taken on an empty stomach.  I had been expecting Valium, but I guess Ativan was considered a better drug for this particular procedure.

The Ativan made me feel very calm.  Not high or silly, but just very even keeled and calm.  Dr. Blair took an x-ray of my mouth, then led me into an exam room, where he started shooting me up with numbing agents.  That was a rather uncomfortable part of the experience, because a couple of the shots were in my palate and they hurt.  Once I was numb, the assistant put a large blue drape with a hole in it over my face, positioning it so my nose and mouth were exposed.  They offered me a blanket if I wanted it.  They also offered to make the hole in the drape larger so I could see more.  I kept my eyes closed for most of the procedure, which took about an hour or so.

Because the tooth being replaced was in an upper area near my sinus, Dr. Blair had to do a sinus lift, which involves, cutting into the gum and raising the bottom of the sinus so that the implant post has more room.  Since no bone was taken from my body, my guess is that Dr. Blair used some kind of bone graft material to build up the bone in the area where the implant is going.  I was thinking he was going to place the implant today, but I honestly don’t know if he did.  He did use a drill, which was very noisy and rather unpleasant as it made a hole in my bone.  There were a couple of times when it felt like he was screwing something in, but I didn’t ask him what he did.  I’m sure he’ll tell me what’s next when we get the stitches taken out.

At one point, I had some trouble managing all the crap in my mouth and I had to sit up and catch my breath.  I had started gagging and was afraid I was going to be sick.  Dr. Blair said it was because my nose was partially numb and couldn’t feel the air coming through it.  He and his assistant kept telling me to breathe through my nose.  I had to sit up and spit out some blood, despite the assistant’s attempts at suction.

There was a little more drilling and then I could feel Dr. Blair placing sutures.  This was the first time I’ve ever had stitches of any kind, so that was a strange experience.  I could feel the thread against my nose, but not him placing them in my gum tissue.  Finally, he was finished and I had another panoramic x-ray taken.   He asked how the Ativan was for me.  I said it made me feel fine.  Very calm and not nervous at all, yet not euphoric or anything.  He indicated that he doesn’t use it very often in his practice.  I guess many Germans are more stoic than we Americans are.

Bill and I went into his office and Dr. Blair gave us detailed post op instructions, along with prescriptions for 600 milligram ibuprofen, antibiotics, and a mouth rinse.  He advised me to use cold packs and look out for excessive swelling and bleeding.  I go back next week to have the stitches removed.

Bill had the car prepared with a pillow.  He helped me into the car, ignoring all the people lurking for our spot, strapped me in, and drove me home.  I went to bed and slept for a good portion of the afternoon after waking up for some soup and water.  The dogs slept with me.

I’m now up and feeling a little groggy and there’s minimal discomfort where the work was done.  Otherwise, I’m feeling pretty functional.  I’m glad I had Bill with me, but I have a feeling that if I’d had to, I could have made it most of the way home via train.  The worst part about today’s procedure was the noise of the drill and the feeling that I was going to gag.  Dr. Blair and his assistant handled it well, though.  I’m feeling somewhat better than I expected.

I like Dr. Blair.  He’s a very nice man and treated me with a lot of kindness, concern, and compassion.  When he mails us the bill, maybe I’ll feel less magnanimous.

Read more: I survived the first big dental procedure… Dental implants in Germany Read more: I survived the first big dental procedure… Dental implants in Germany
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Another afternoon in Stuttgart…

Today, Bill and I took advantage of the holiday and went to Stuttgart to get my dental impressions done for my implant.  The lady who helped Dr. Blair pull my baby tooth was there to do the job.  I think she recognized me from three weeks ago, when I had my crying jag, because she asked me if I was nervous.  I said I wasn’t nervous, but I was pretty hungry.  I was grateful she took us early, since I was about to starve.  I neglected to eat lunch before we set out on our journey.  After four minutes with my teeth stuck in dental putty, we were all finished.  Seems to me when I had full mouth impressions in the 80s, the dentist used nasty Plaster of Paris.  Now they use this gummy stuff, today colored hot pink, which is only marginally less nasty.  At least it doesn’t take long to have impressions done.

After my very quick appointment, during which my dental implant surgery was scheduled and Valium ordered, we had a late lunch and did some shopping.  First, we stopped by Ridmueller, a beer store recommended by the Stuttgart Beer Club.  It’s not a big store yet, but there are some interesting selections available there, including Icelandic beers.  We picked up a selection of stuff we haven’t seen elsewhere, then rounded the corner and looked for lunch.

One of the four beer fridges.  It’s not a big store yet, but the selection is interesting.  With a little love and support, Ridmueller could turn into something special.

 

I was famished and my blood sugar was dropping fast, so we ended up at Weber, a nice sit down restaurant that seems to offer a little something for everyone, yet seems to specialize in Thai food.

Bill enjoys a brief break…  Plenty of comfortable seating at Weber and a great menu.  We sipped some wine and tasted the bread, which had an essence of honey.

I started with this delicious bowl of green peanut curry soup garnished with lemongrass.  It was a bit rich, but I was so hungry I found it instantly restorative.  This soup is creamy with a hearty peanut flavor and plenty of spicy zing.  I was sorry we didn’t order mineral water, but my red wine soothed the burn until I got used to it.  I would definitely get this soup again; it was really good.  I bet it would be especially good for someone who needs their sinuses cleared.

I followed the soup with coconut shrimp.  This was cooked in a wok with rice noodles and a tasty assortment of vegetables including carrots, eggplant, spinach, peppercorns, peppers, zucchini, sprouts and what I think may have been plantains.  The whole thing was drenched with lime coconut sauce.  I liked this, but…

I liked Bill’s choice better.  He had the Monkey-Nut-Chili-Chicken Pasta.  It was basically rice noodles with tender strips of chicken, the same array of vegetables that was in my dish, plus a delicious, hearty peanut sauce.  Bill’s dish needed no seasoning, while mine needed a dash of salt because it was a little bland.

 

I wasn’t able to finish my lunch, owing to the yummy soup I ate first.  I brought about half of my shrimp and rice noodles home with me.  Lunch tomorrow should be delightful!

Weber is located in Stuttgart Mitte, again very close to Dr. Blair’s dentist office.  For those who don’t like Thai style food, there were also a few local selections, as well as several daily specials.  I almost went for the dorade special, but I can get dorade most anywhere.  Ditto for the tempting salmon filet served with lime coconut sauce, basmati rice, and sugar snap peas…  Maybe next time.  They also had Argentinian roast beef that looked good. 

 

After lunch, we went on a brief shopping spree at the Markthalle.  Though we were there last week, this time, we were prepared to shop.  And shop we did…

I got a kick out of this six euro bag of Old El Paso tortillas in the Asian market.

 

Bill checks out Spanish cheeses.  He bought some, as well as slivers of Serrano and Iberian hams and Spanish Sauvignon Blanc…

The Spanish market got lots of our euros today.  In the background, you can see the Balkan market, where we picked up some Croatian and Montenegrin wines, as well as a little bottle of Unicum.

I got some truffles… I love that most of them are full of alcohol.

We also picked up some Parmesan and Gruyere cheeses.  I wish I liked cheese more than I do, since Bill ends up eating most of what we buy.  Still, it was a lot of fun to shop at the Markthalle in Stuttgart.  I think a person could seriously lose control in that place and go a little hog wild.  Next time, I want to bring some lined bags and get some really good beef and fish.

The musician who was playing rapid fire Beethoven on an electric keyboard last week was back today.  This time, I didn’t catch the title of the music he was playing on his keyboard.  I think he had a handler, though.  Bet he sells CDs.

Our next trip to Stuttgart will probably be December 1.  That is when I will have dental surgery.  I doubt I’ll be in the mood to shop afterwards.  I may want to drink, though.

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An afternoon in Stuttgart…

Bill and I both had appointments this afternoon to see Dr. Blair in Stuttgart, so he took off work early and picked me up.  We both got dental cleanings and a quick once over by the dentist.  I was supposed to have impressions done for my implant, but the lady who does them has a stomach virus.  Needless to say, I’m glad she called in sick.

Because I didn’t leave Dr. Blair’s office with a bleeding hole in my mouth or in tears, it was a great opportunity for us to wander around the city center.  For some reason, last time we lived near Stuttgart, we didn’t explore the city very much.  I think we had one dinner at a nice restaurant and a visit each to the zoo and the Mercedes Museum.  That was pretty much it.  Dr. Blair’s office is right in the middle of downtown and we had beautiful weather, so Bill and I took a walk around.

We visited a church…

I love how churches in Europe are open so people can just walk in and look around.  We went into the foyer, but I was really hungry, so we didn’t stay long…

Schillerplatz…

We finally ended up at the Markthalle, which my friend Susanne had recommended for food shopping.  She’s right.  It’s a great place to go for fancy foods.  Reminded me slightly of the Dallmayr gourmet market in Munich, only it was less crowded and not quite as hoity toity.

Bill poses by dry aged beef…

We need to come back when it’s time to shop. 

They have everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to meats, candies, liquors, and cheeses.

The area around the Markthalle is very pleasant…

Lots of cafes and trees; plenty of places to sit down and have a drink or a nice meal…

We’ll be back… as soon as next Monday, actually.  I have to go back and get my impressions done.

 

We made our way back to the area near Dr. Blair’s office, passing a guy playing a super fast rendition of the second movement of Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” on an electronic piano.  It was impressively played, but I wondered what his hurry was.  The weather was so perfect and the mood around him was almost languid as people passed.

 

We ended up having dinner at the Paulaner bar in the old post office.  We were lucky because today is the first Monday of the month, which meant they had spare ribs…  It was just what we were in the mood for.

I catch Bill looking naughty.  He said he was smiling like this because some guy belched loudly as he walked into the restaurant.  For once, I didn’t notice.

This beer really went down easy.  Sometimes I get bored with hefeweizens, but when they are fresh from the tap and I’m thirsty, they are just what the doctor ordered.

Bill checks out the “once a month special” spare ribs.  It came with cole slaw and fries…  He brought some home.  They brought him a finger bowl with the funny warning not to drink the lemon water.  I guess someone must have done that, hence the warning.

I had grilled chicken, which is what I’ve been craving for ages…  Mine came with a salad and fries.  the salad included potato salad, which was delicious but seemed almost like overkill.  The chicken was moist, succulent, and absolutely delicious.  We are going to have to go back for sure, especially since it’s so close to the dentist.

 

Cute little Jack Russell Terrier.  She startled me a couple of times with a loud bark, but was otherwise adorable and well behaved.  She was with a large group of guys who seemed like they’d been buddies for a long time.

Smoking is allowed in the restaurant.  There’s also a very nice outdoor seating area.  Don’t know how much longer they’ll keep it open as winter approaches, but a lot of people were enjoying the nice weather today.  Maybe we should have, too, though the inside of the restaurant is very charming.  Service was quick, friendly, and professional; the wait staff was all dressed in traditional garb.  Our final bill was about 39 euros.  Worth every euro cent!  We’ll be back for more!

Maybe we should have sat outside…

All in all, it was a great afternoon in Stuttgart.  We need to go there more often and enjoy what the city has to offer.  We’ll be back twice more in the next week, though, so there will be more photos for sure.

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Adventures in tooth pulling… German style.

If you’ve been reading my main blog, you may have already read about my dental ordeal this week.  Since this is a travel blog and a lot of my readers are people who live near Stuttgart, I thought I’d write a quick post here for those who are curious about dental care in Germany.

The first time Bill and I lived here, I only sought dental care once.  In 2008, I went to the medical clinic at Patch Barracks, which was where the dental clinic was located at the time.  It is now at Panzer Kaserne and since Bill is now a contractor, we have to use dentists on the economy.  In any case, the dentists we saw at Patch were great.  I only needed a cleaning and one small filling, which they were able to take care of easily.  Bill had to have a more complicated procedure, which he said was done by an excellent Army dentist.  Bill has had a lot of work done and knows his dentists.

Seven years later, I’ve been dealing with more dental issues.  In the past couple of years, I’ve had new two crowns done and one crown replaced.  When we first got back to Stuttgart, I got pretty nervous about who was going to be my dentist.  Based on recommendations in the local community, I chose Dr. Warren Blair.  So far, I’m really happy with my choice.  Dr. Blair is fluent in German, but his native tongue is English.  He was trained in the United States and Switzerland, but he’s been in practice in Germany for a couple of decades.

This week, I went to his office to have one of two baby teeth extracted.  I had been putting off this procedure for months because I dreaded the potential pain and the big hole I knew I’d have after the tooth was removed.  I was very nervous on the day of the extraction, even as I was looking forward to having it behind me.  The tooth had been causing more issues recently and, since I plan to replace it with an implant and they take time, I knew we needed to get going on this process.

Unfortunately, we neglected to arrange for anti-anxiety medication, which Dr. Blair will prescribe if you need it.  He will also arrange for IV sedation for more complicated dental work.  I have never taken any anti-anxiety meds for dental procedures, but I sure felt like I needed some on Tuesday.  I was left waiting alone in a treatment room for about 20 minutes and by the time he got to me, I was about to jump out of my skin.

In retrospect, I probably should have gone back to the waiting room, where Bill was sitting.  The dental assistant kept telling me he was going to come.  At one point, she asked me if I wanted something to read.  I was way too nervous to read.  I tried to focus on the really beautiful photograph of the blue ocean and trees on the wall in front of me.  The photo was almost perfect, except on the far left of the picture, there was a little stray branch that looked out of place.  If the photographer had turned the camera a little more to the right, the picture would have been almost perfect.

Dr. Blair finally came in and was very conversational.  Then he noticed I was about to freak out and was on the verge of tears.  I finally explained to him that I was once traumatized by an Air Force doctor.  Ever since then, I get very nervous around medical people.  I usually do alright with dentists, but the idea of having an extraction was scary, even though I had one when I was 16.  Anxiety was getting the better of me.

So after he put numbing gel on the places where he was going to inject the anesthetic, he said he was going to “loosen the gums” around the tooth.  While he was talking, I relaxed a little and he gave a pull.  The tooth came right out.  He looked at it and saw that there was a vertical crack in one of the roots.  Extraction was the right thing to do.

I’m now missing the tooth, but I am not in any pain and have experienced no swelling.  I don’t have the vague toothache, bleeding, and infection that I had before.  I will go back to see Dr. Blair in early October, have a cleaning, and get impressions done for the implant he’s going to put in later.  And, for future procedures, there will be Valium…

*ETA- we received a bill in the mail for this procedure just before New Year’s Eve.  It cost 120 euros.       

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My new German dentist…

Okay, so he’s not actually totally German.  He’s Dr. Blair, an American/German who lives in Germany and speaks the language fluently.  I chose him because he specializes in gums and implants.  I figured I’d have issues with both.

I’ve been having problems with a baby tooth for the past few months.  We finally went to the dentist today for a cleaning because we were waiting for insurance to kick in and it didn’t until the New Year.  I didn’t want to start something and have it be a “pre-existing condition”.  Bill and I both went in for cleanings.  Let me first say the cleaning in and of itself was an experience.

First, the hygienist had me swish with mouthwash.  Next, she had me swish with this blue stuff– same stuff they give to kids to show them where the plaque is.  I seem to be doing relatively well keeping my teeth clear of plaque and tartar, except between the teeth.  Then she put a mask over my face and used this sonic water and sand thing to blast all the crap off my teeth.  That was pretty intense.  It was like a Water-Pic on steroids… very high pressure with some kind of sandy stuff, too, which she “vacuumed” with that tool they use for sucking up saliva.  She also had me do a lot of rinsing, which American dentists don’t seem to do so much anymore.

Next, she used a probe to clean around the gums, then polished, flossed, and gave me a flouride gel to swish around in my mouth.  When she was finished, she gave me a hot, wet, lemon scented towel.  The whole time, there was instrumental, progressive music in the background… I think at least some of it was the Alan Parson’s Project.  That was the first time I was ever given a hot towel after a cleaning.  I must say, it was very nice.  I felt like I was in a spa.  They also had a cuspidor (spittoon), which I haven’t seen in years.  American dentists don’t use them anymore.

Then Dr. Blair came in and looked at my teeth.  I explained about my issues and he noted the fistula in my gum, which was draining a little bit of pus.  They took an x-ray, then called me in to the dentist’s office to discuss what to do about my tooth.

I can try to have the tooth root-canaled, but Dr. Blair doesn’t think that would be the best solution because it’s a baby tooth.  He explained that the roots of baby teeth are flat, which makes them harder to work with, and mine appear to be short.  He also says my sinuses are “low”, which could mean more of a challenge.  I could end up needing a “sinus lift”, whatever the hell that is.  It appeared to Dr. Blair that the pulp chamber of my tooth was “obliterated”.  I asked if that meant it was dead.  He said he couldn’t really tell; then he showed me the canals on the tooth, one of which looked viable.  Anyway, the tooth is not loose at all and doesn’t hurt much, except for when the gum swells up.  Because of the fistula, the infectious crap can drain before I am in agony.  Aside from having some infection, I’m not in an emergency situation.  But something does need to be done soon.

He said I could also have the tooth pulled and just live with the gap or get a flipper type thing, which he pronounced “a joke”.  I have kind of been steeling myself for the prospect of an implant for some time, so this news isn’t a surprise to me.  I just dread the process and the expense.  But I also want to be rid of this swollen gum.

I expressed concern about pain and being nervous.  He said, “We have Valium for that.”  Okay then.  I asked Bill what Valium is like because I’ve never taken it.  He said it’s like having a couple of drinks and jerking off…  as opposed to Xanax, which just makes you not care about anything.  His exact words were “Train coming?  Big deal.”

I liked Dr. Blair and was impressed by the cleaning.  I’d rather spend the money for an implant on a trip, though.  Fortunately, for once, Bill didn’t have any issues with his teeth.

We’ll get two bills… one from Dr. Blair and one from the hygienist.  Should be pricey.  Ugh.

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Adventures in German doggie dentistry…

It was high time for my dogs, Zane and Arran, to get their teeth cleaned.  When Bill and I took them to the vet in November, we mentioned that we were interested in having our dogs get dentals.  Though they are recommended on a yearly basis, I hadn’t managed to get Zane in for a dental in about three years.  And to my knowledge, Arran had never had one in his lifetime.

Zane and Arran…  Zane is the one in the front.

The vet agreed that they needed to get cleanings, though Arran’s front teeth looked pretty good.  She and her assistant took blood from the dogs to make sure they were healthy enough to be anesthetized.  They both were, so we made appointments for a couple of weeks later. This week, they both got their procedures done.

I wouldn’t be writing about this if it had gone like it does in the United States.  In America, when I’ve taken dogs in for dental cleanings, they’ve pretty much stayed there all day.  I’d drop them early in the morning after not having given them their breakfast.  They’d get knocked out and I’d pick them up in the late afternoon.  They’d still be pretty groggy.

I was expecting the same procedure here in Germany, so I brought both dogs with me when it was Arran’s turn on Monday morning.  I was surprised when the vet tech said I could wait for him if I wanted to.  He would be ready to go home in less than two hours.  Another thing they did differently here was invite me to stay in the room with Arran until he got groggy.

I ended up taking Zane home and going back to get Arran awhile later.  Then on Thursday, I brought Zane in and just waited for him.  The procedure was exactly the same, except the vet also trimmed his nails for me.  At the end of both procedures, the vet tech presented me a bill for 339, 26 euros before VAT.  With VAT it was a little over 400 euros.  This price was for both dogs.  Since we had a VAT form on file, we didn’t have to pay the higher amount.  I took the bill home, texted Bill, and he arranged for a bank transfer.

Both dogs were completely back to normal by noon.  Both told me when they were ready to eat.  Arran had a mild lapse in continence, probably because they gave him fluids to flush the anesthetic out of his body.  I think I prefer the way they do dentals in Germany, though I think our vets do it that way because they don’t really have any facilities for keeping pets.  I was glad to get to take them home, though.

The dogs now have nice clean teeth and much fresher breath!  Since Arran tends to bite himself when he eats, the vet also gave me some iodine to put on the bloody wounds he’s given himself under his bottom lip.  Our vet asked how long it had been since their last dentals and I had to explain to her that in the five years since we were last in Germany, we’ve moved three times.  Unfortunately, I just didn’t get around to it the way I should have.  Hopefully, we’ll get to stay here awhile so I can keep their teeth clean and bright!

Now to get myself to a dentist.

For those interested, this is where we take our dogs…  We also used them five years ago, when we still had our last rescues, Flea and MacGregor.  We really like this practice.

Flea and MacGregor.  This was taken in November 2009 in Fayetteville, Georgia a couple of days before we lost Flea to prostate cancer, which unfortunately was diagnosed by the same vets when we were in Germany last time.  We lost MacGregor in Raleigh, North Carolina at NC State vet hospital on December 18, 2012 when an MRI found a large tumor in his spine.  I still miss them both.

 

MacGregor and Flea in happier times…  this was taken in Germany.

 
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Adventures in German style dentistry…

I’m overdue for a cleaning.  I also have a suspicious swollen area on my gum that I think may be a draining abscess.  It doesn’t hurt much, but I need to get it looked at.  I’ve been dentist shopping for awhile now, but have put off going because Bill was slow to get our dental insurance started.  As it is now, we have coverage starting January 1.  But I need to go in sooner than that because if I have an abscess, really bad things could happen.

Complicating matters is the fact that the affected tooth is one of two baby teeth I still have.  Last year, I got the fillings in both teeth replaced, but I think the gum area around that tooth has developed pockets and that’s why I’m having this issue right now.  I really don’t want to get it extracted, but I may need to.  And then it’s implant time.  I could probably get a bridge, but I really don’t want to put crowns on the teeth next to that little baby tooth.  For one thing, getting crowns really sucks and I want to keep my natural teeth for as long as possible.  For another, one of the teeth next to the baby tooth isn’t very big.

All of this is likely to cost a mint, even with insurance.  And I have a bad feeling that I’m going to end up having to write nasty letters like I did last year to MetLife Dental.  I have sent an email to a local practice, though, that I hope will get me in this week so I can at least address what looks like an infection.

If it all costs too much, maybe I can do a dental vacation to Hungary or Poland.

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