Der Zahnarzt (the Dentist)

Today I had my second visit in seven days to the German dentist, or Zahnarzt. In my case, I went to the Zahnärztin, because my dentist is a woman. She's very nice, and she speaks a lot of English. If you need a good dentist in Germany, I'd recommend this one. 

It's funny, but Dr. Knobloch is the second medical provider out of three I've had in my short time in Germany who is named after food. Her name probably comes from the word for garlic, which is Knoblauch. Heinie's Mutter, who ventured with me both times to the dentist -- because Dr. Knobloch is her dentist as well -- agreed that garlic could be the source of the name. 

In my not-so-vast experience with German dentistry, I'd say it's pretty much like American dentists I've gone to. The waiting room and back offices are clean, and the same tools loom in front of your face while you wait to get your teeth cleaned. The only thing missing in this dentist's office were the Highlights magazines we read as kids, turning to the hidden pictures page first thing, and framed artwork adorning every wall. Also, Mutter Heinie and I had to buzz to get in the door, because the dentist works on the bottom floor of a house, or small apartment building. It also didn't smell like any dentist's offices I'd been in. It didn't smell at all. 

Sitting in the chair today for my filling -- the first I have had in over 30 years -- I relaxed. I was tired and could almost sleep. I wasn't scared. I knew it would suck no matter what, and why make it worse with worry? Besides, Germans are so efficient that I figured my treatment would be quick, easy and painless. I trusted Dr. Knobloch, because she seemed quite proficient during our first meeting, and she was pleasant. 

The dental assistant Anna turned on the radio to distract and entertain both of us while she filled my syringe with numbing agent. Anna didn't know the name of the medicine that went inside the syringe; I offered up Novocaine, but she hadn't heard of that. A song on the radio began after some German chatter, reminding me of Tom Cruise and fast jets, for it was the theme song from "Top Gun." Kenny was singing about a highway to the danger zone, and going right into the danger zone. Not the best song for sitting in a dentist's chair. 

"Maverick" flashing his pearly whites. He also has a great dentist.

My filling took quite a long time, because after all, it has been 30 years at least, and I had a cavity under the original filling. The doctor had to drill and dig and bore around my old filling, remove it, grind and bore more tooth away, and place a new filling. At her direction, I felt the hole with my tongue when she was done excavating, and it was sizable -- almost the entire expanse of the whole tooth. One of the drills she used sounded like a Motorad inside my mouth -- it was that strong and powerful. She called that one the Bohrer, which means "drill." The small drills then must have other names, like "spinning painful needle," however that is in German. 

One aviso if you go to the dentist in Germany: don't get the amalgam filling. It's supposedly harmful to your body, though it's the only type the German Versicherung will completely pay for. Order the Kunststoff fillings. They're better, ceramic, and harden with a cool blue light. 

Another warning: don't panic when the dentist comes at you with a syringe and says, "Vee haff to giff you zee injektion now." Thought it may call up memories of Dr. Szell (Laurence Olivier) in "Marathon Man" (see clip below) or Sergeant Schulz in "Hogan's Heroes," it's just how they talk. Don't let scary, old Nazi movies frighten you out of going to the dentist. Just try to relax, drift off, and let the Novocaine or whatever it is in Germany do its work.

Is it safe?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-OviftusB8