Health, Schwarzwald

Baiersbronn in the Black Forest– Bareiss Style! Part three

Thursday morning, it was time to try breakfast at the Hotel Bareiss for the very first time. As it was our first time, we weren’t sure what the process was. A huge, full, breakfast buffet is available in the hotel restaurant, but a few folks also took advantage of the small, continental breakfast in the pool area. We didn’t do this on any morning we were at the hotel because we were staying in the Landhaus. If we stayed in the main hotel, I might have enjoyed eating down there.

On the first morning, the staff told us to sit where we sat the night before. Like other resorts with board programs, the Hotel Bareiss has assigned seating for meals. There, on our table, was a basket for picking up bread. We ordered coffee, and then tackled the enormous selection in the buffet. I counted over 20 kinds of bread, plus pastries, fruits, vegetables, shrimp, smoked salmon, smoked trout, and a huge meat counter, where there were many different cold cuts and sauces. There were lots of juices, sparkling and still water, and of course, Sekt! There were cereals, crepes, heart shaped waffles, and sausages. Eggs can also be made to order. I took advantage of that option on two of our five mornings at the hotel. Most days, my eyes were bigger than my stomach… which is quite a feat!

After breakfast, we decided to make our way to Stuttgart, figuring we would be arriving in time for lunch. Our dentist has an office on Calwer Strasse, which is a pretty nice address downtown. It so happened that the Historic Volksfest was going on. Bill and I had attended this fun little festival in 2018. Like the Cannstatter Wasen, the Volksfest has rides and attractions, but it’s much smaller and tamer than the big fest is. It’s located in downtown Stuttgart, rather at the Wasen grounds, which are in another part of town. Don’t get me wrong. We love the Wasen, but I prefer the calmer, more sedate, and less hectic mood of the Volksfest. An added bonus is that it was taking place within walking distance of the dentist’s office.

Before we hit the Volksfest, Bill and I both needed bathrooms. He took a chance on one of the pay toilets in the city. I was smarter, and used the much cleaner and better equipped toilets near the Markthalle that were also FREE of charge! I did get some funny footage in the video below… plus some footage from the Volksfest. We went there for lunch– half a chicken each, plus potato salad and Festbier!

Some musical fun we had in Stuttgart…
I enjoyed the bandleader! He was having fun!

Below are some photos from Stuttgart and the Historic Volksfest.

After lunch, we went to see our dentist and got our teeth cleaned. Our dentist, who is probably the best one either Bill or I have ever had, saw issues for both of us. In my case, I have a remaining baby tooth that needs a new filling. Six years ago, our dentist in Stuttgart placed an implant for another baby tooth that he had to pull, because it was abscessed. The matching bottom tooth, also a baby tooth, will probably also have to be pulled and replaced with an implant. But, he’s willing to try refilling it to see if it will continue to work. In Bill’s case, there’s a tooth with a crack in it that needs to be repaired. So, when we visit in the spring, we’ll probably just stay in Stuttgart, because I expect we’ll want to go to the hotel and relax after we get the work done. We do have a favorite hotel in Stuttgart, so hopefully we will be able to book it. Last year, when we wanted to go there, it was totally full!

At about four o’clock, we started making the journey back to the Hotel Bareiss. It was bittersweet, driving back through the same area where we used to live. Because of construction going on in the route from Baiersbronn to Freudenstadt, we went through a few towns we hadn’t seen before, and one or two that we did visit, back in the day. It’s definitely true that we liked living in the Stuttgart area, in spite of everything that happened when we left there in 2018.

Dinner on Thursday night was Italian themed, so the huge buffet had Italian salads. I was feeling a bit irritated after our dentist visit, so I decided to order a rib eye and steak fries, with Bearnaise Sauce instead of trying the themed meal. Bill did try some of the dishes… which I may or may not remember! There was just so much offered! We had the same waitress as we did on Wednesday, as well as a very sharp young man who is likely up and coming. I liked him so much that I took note of his nametag and mentioned him positively in the questionnaire I filled out on exiting this morning.

Below are some photos from dinner…

We decided to skip drinking at the bar on Thursday night, so that meant we got in before turn down was done. We figured out that they do turn down at around 9:00 or 9:30pm. It consists of closing the drapes, setting down mats by the bed, and turning down the split duvets. They also leave programs for the next day, and delicious chocolates! We found the programs and the chocolates hanging on our door the next morning. More on that in part four.

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dental, trip planning

A dental appointment means we finally have actual travel plans!

On March 2, 2022, Bill and I have an appointment to go to Stuttgart to see our dentist, the venerable Dr. Blair. It’s time for our cleanings, which we forewent for two years before we finally went to see him last August. Some readers may remember that we combined our last trip to Stuttgart with a visit to the Black Forest.

We went to the Black Forest for a few reasons. First, our usual go-to hotel in Stuttgart, the Wald Hotel, was fully booked when we needed a room. Second, it occurred to me that we’ve been to Stuttgart enough times that it’s no longer a very exciting place for us to be, even though we both love staying at the Wald Hotel. Third, we used to live at the edge of the Black Forest, and went there many times for day trips. We loved going there, and I thought it might be fun to stay a few days. And finally, it was a great opportunity to spend a long weekend in Baiersbronn, where there are several excellent Michelin starred restaurants. It beat hanging out in Stuttgart, where we’ve been many times.

Well, we did have fun in Baiersbronn last August. It was so much fun that I thought maybe we’d go back to the Black Forest and stay in another area we visited for a day and loved. I looked at visiting both Oppenau and Wolfach, both picturesque places that are in different parts of the Black Forest. But then I read about the strict COVID-19 requirements in Baden-Württemberg and decided that it wouldn’t be that much fun to hang out in a hotel, or even a guest house, dealing with those rules. Plus, I just want to get out of Germany for a few days, since we have that capability. When I searched for properties in Oppenau, I noticed that I was also getting results for Strasbourg, France. I didn’t want to go to Strasbourg, though. Our last trip to France was to Strasbourg, exactly two years ago this month. February is usually when Strasbourg hosts an annual wine expo. Last year, it was canceled. This year, it was postponed until late March.

Then it occurred to me that we’ve never been to Soufflenheim, which is a town near the German border, famous for its pottery. I went looking for a place to stay in Soufflenheim, and noticed that one of the choices was a small hotel in nearby Sessenheim, which is known for a museum dedicated to the German poet, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The hotel, Auberge au Boeuf, has a restaurant by the same name with a Michelin star. The place gets rave reviews, especially for the food, but also for the rooms. They had one room open for the time we were visiting. It would cost substantially less than the room I was thinking of booking at the Wald Hotel in Stuttgart, and, as it’s just inside the French border, does not impose the same onerous COVID rules and restrictions that Baden-Württemberg currently has.

It’s not so much that I’m an anti-vaxxer, or anything. I have been triple vaxxed, and I wear masks when I have to. But I HATE the FFP2 masks with a passion, and while they could be required in France, at least if we go there, it’ll be a change of scenery. At this writing, masks and vaccines are required in France, but they have done away with the rule requiring people to wear masks outside, and it’s my understanding that a simple medical mask will do. And we have MISSED France so much! Bill and I didn’t visit France much when we were here the first time, from 2007-09, but this time, we have gone a bunch of times. We have come to love it. It’s almost like a second home, since it’s not far from where we lived near Stuttgart, nor is it that far from Wiesbaden.

Yesterday, I made reservations at the hotel’s restaurant for dinner on Friday AND Saturday nights during our visit. It looks that special. Also, Bill and I have been to Alsace enough times to know that it pays to make reservations. Otherwise, you could end up having a really terrible time at a poorly rated restaurant where the waiter asks you if you’re pregnant. Of course, that happened to me in October 2014, when I still colored my hair and wasn’t as nearly close to menopause as I am today. It’s doubtful that would happen to me in 2022, even though my face is still pretty smooth and, in fact, still occasionally has zits. Thanks, hormones. On another note, damn, we have really been here a LONG time.

I think we’ll have a great time in France. I suspect Noyzi will be delighted to visit the Hunde Pension again. Arran will be annoyed, but it’s only for four nights. Then, we’ll come home, and he’ll be pampered again. Poor guy used to love going to France with us, when we still had Zane, and it was easier to travel with the dogs. Noyzi is a good traveler, but he’s huge, and takes up the whole back compartment of the car. And hotels and rentals aren’t as keen to rent to people with big dogs… although I’ll bet Yannick in Ribeauville would be cool with it. We’ve stayed at his place many times; the latest was in January 2020. Alsace never gets old, but we do want to see other areas than Riquewihr and Ribeauville, and the like. Sessenheim is also a little closer to Nancy, where we visited in 2009. Maybe we can go there on this trip. Nancy is a beautiful city. It’s about a two hour drive from where we’ll be staying, but what the hell? We have no agenda, other than eating at the hotel twice. Based on what I’ve read, we could end up eating there even more times.

I’m looking forward to our trip. Hopefully, nothing will fuck it up for us. That includes anything that happens because of Putin.

Moving on…

We didn’t do anything special yesterday, except for use our new fondue/raclette grill. I got a few photos. It really is fun to use this grill, and it offers a nice change of pace at dinner. Bill is quite the gourmand.

And then, this morning, Bill decided to get doughnuts from our neighborhood bakery again, like he did last week. I think it’s because we finally have some Peet’s Major Dickason’s coffee to drink. We’re big fans.

The heart shaped Valentine’s doughnuts were especially yummy! Raspberry! And sweeter than usual. No, we didn’t eat them all. I look forward to a snack later, or maybe breakfast tomorrow.

So things are looking up. It’s nice to look forward to a dentist appointment. I think we’ll have a great time in France. Knock on wood, nothing will screw this up… I’m looking at you, Russian dictator wannabe Putin. I think the Georgians sang it best…

Hear us?
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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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dental

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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