Ever since I saw the “Little Shop of Horrors” ages ago, I knew that you should under no circumstances trust your dentist.
This night he intruded into my house. Well, not physically. Not in my dreams, either. He chose the most insane method of torture you can put on a mother of younger children.
At 5:30am, I suddenly woke up, probably because the cat stomped over my face. These days she prefers sleeping in our bed. Not much of doggy stink up there, ’cause he’s not allowed to come upstairs. Anyway, there she stood, scratching at the door and I decided it to be a minor evil to find a way for her to get outside than to stay snuggling in my warm bed. Why. That’s just logic when you’re considering the dog downstairs. As many houses go, also ours has exit points just downstairs. Cat and dog meeting is never a good idea when you want the kids to sleep some minutes more. The tantrum Fred, the dumb dog, throws when seeing, smelling, hearing Luna is beyond your imagination.
Where was I. Yes, downstairs. Letting the cat out. On my way downstairs (that I forgot to mention) I met a little girl, wearing a cup full of water and a pacifier. She seemed to be on her way to my bed. A ghostly appearance probably.
Wait. Why was my bed suddenly so small? I must’ve experienced some kind of sudden increase of my body mass. Shit. I should NOT have eaten that 2 pieces of cake late in the evening. Also, my blanket was way too small to cover the large mass of my body. Finally absolutely awake (as in 3 cups of coffee) I recognized, accompanied by a feeling of sudden relief, that of course there was a person in my bed that had not been there some minutes before.
To my great wonder about god’s kindliness this little person continued to sleep although it already started to develop a faint glow of morning far away at the horizon. So I snuggled as comfortable as I could into the remaining 20cm of my bed and tugged the fifth of my pillow not under siege under my cheek. Then I closed my eyes and. There he was. My. Dentist. Can you imagine my shock? I had the best case scenario for reducing my permanent lack of sleep: sleeping toddler, not snoring man, banished cat, silent dog, still dark outside. And every part of my brain full awake and full of thoughts about my: DENTIST! How can any sane person on earth deal with a dentist in the middle of the night? (Laids excepted)
I’ve not been to the dentist lately and I’m not planning to let him stuck his instruments into my mouth for another while. But as I’m living with a bunch of people around me (you may remember) I’m also included in cases not concerning myself. Not that there had been an incident within last week. I just reflected about our dentist and suddenly a flame of anger was incinerated, spreading slowly until I had the feeling something had to be done. The rest of the time until at last the alarm went off I spent with planning various strategies. Still, I’m not sure about what to do and therefor will tell you a little bit about our dear dentist and the problems he’s causing.
As you probably are aware of, it’s common to have a state health insurance in Germany. They will pay the bills you’re producing while visiting a doctor. Then there’s the possibility to enlarge the insurance protection in buying an additional private contract. What we have not. Because we’re a little bit short on money. You remember. Studies, kids and things. Economy recession. Dog castrations. And other stuff.
So, when I’m heading at the doc’s (what I really do not that much) I want exactly the kind of treatment my insurance will pay for. Alternatives can be presented, so I can think about’em. This works just fine. For me. And for my family. Often it’s also possible to substitute treatments so you can, e.g., get medicine based on plants instead of chemical ones. So far as “normal” docs are concerned. Not so when you’re developing problems concerning your teeth.
Something broke within my hubby’s mouth. Something essential for his ability of consuming meals containing pieces. So he went to the dentist. MY dentist, i.e. the one mentioned above, it was not. It was his partner though, because they’re sharing their rooms. I will assume similar treatments though, because my hubby’s experiences are similar to the ones I’ve made myself. He came home and told me, the dentist had advised him to put a crown onto his damaged 2 teeth. Therefor he sent a cost schedule of EUR1000,–. Wait. EUR1000,–? Not to be payed by our insurance? There has to be a cheaper way, hasn’t it? I was a “little” bit enraged. My husband told me about a common way to restore his own teeth. It is a possibility. But the dentist explained such a thing could only hold for about 5 years and maybe a crown would be necessary afterwards anyway, so he dismissed this alternative. Yuck. I mean, in 5 years I hopefully am bringing home some bucks. I won’t be a student forever. And for sure not staying at home forever. But as a lot of people, my husband is easy to manipulate in such a case. Who would want to have an “incident” within his mouth including various sessions full of torture at the dentist’s? A somehow planned incident that will show up in approx. 5 years? Well, my husband does not. And of course there are multiple decisions in planning that crown. But, hell, we’re seeing a TOP DENTIST. Will he perform some procedures that are actually so not up-to-date? Sure you can combine that the best is just good enough. Who cares about costs. It’s your health that counts.
These are the dentists suggestions as far as my dear husband reported’em. Later on, as I dared to question the necessity of really the best of all alternatives, he mused:”Well, actually, I’m always feeling a little like being with a car salesman while speaking with the dentist. I cannot be sure he’s just offering help. Finally it’s HIS purse our money will fill.” So true these sentences are, they brought our dentist the wicked chance to steal an hour of my sleep. Just this morning I remembered our little talk. And I remembered having several cost schedules stuffed in various desks. One for my eldest daughter, e.g. She never ever had so much as the littlest sign of caries so far. But the dentist recommends a preventive activity though. On the other hand he missed to protect Johanna’s teeth, who are already fallen for caries. (This would be payed by our insurance.) And he wants me to have a treatment my insurance will not pay for, because it’s too early to do anything common. I shall endure a procedure that’s rolling my toe nails up when I’m thinking of it, just to prevent further damage.
Hey, look over there! He looks like my dentist! Just the white coat ist missing.
I don’t know any longer: what is purposeful? Where should we spend our money? How much stories do docs in general and my dentist in special tell their customers just to earn extra money? There’s not that much trust left.
This morning I was thinking and thinking. I don’t know what to do. I like my dentist. He’s a nice man. And I’ve tried multiple others before I finally settled with him. I’ve been there for several years and also the kids are acquainted with the rooms and procedures there. Should I go on searching? Should I accept everything like it is? If so, should I trust him or call for a second opinion? Should I frankly say no to everything the insurance won’t pay for, and so also exclude things that might be purposeful? I thought about talking to him. Telling him about our stressed financial situation and the feeling to be pressed like a citron. Pressed for money wherever I go. But I’m not that great at whining (although my husband would tell otherwise) and I’m absolutely crap in staying businesslike. So what would you do?
As I think about it, this may not be a dentist-problem after all. A lot of doctors recently have begun to praise additional tasks you have to pay for. I assume they’re also suffering due to economical recession. Maybe one or another is being threatened to have to leave the golf club if there won’t be some signs of growing wealth. Anyway, I’m fed up of informing myself BEFORE visiting a doc. If I’m surfing the Internet and consulting several guidebooks to decide which treatments could be reasonable to be able to decide whether a doc really tries to help me or just tries to earn some extra money IT SOMEHOW MAKES A DOC SUPERFLUOUS. I don’t like this development.
It may be a dentist-problem, though. Please consider yourself warned. You should ALWAYS visualize your doc laughing mad while swinging a chainsaw. Also if that picture feels absolutely ridiculous to you, won’t you dare to visit a doc of ever kind without having at least one person you’re trusting in knowing every detail about your appointment.
By all means, it is absolutely right to mourn about some things in this world!
