Zahnarzt: dentist
The past week has been busy. I’m about to take a little vacation and that has left less time to sit and ponder or think of new topics. One item that has been on my to-do list for some time has been a visit to the dentist. Growing up I always went to the same dentist, and on breaks from college I always tried to make time for a check up and cleaning. But sadly once I graduated and was no longer covered by my parents’ insurance or university provided health care I became one of many uninsured Americans and let my regular appointment schedule lapse.
When I first received permission to stay in the country, part of the process entailed proving that I had health insurance. After finding a provider that was acceptable to the German immigration offices I pretty much called it a day. I’m one of those people who fortunately don’t get sick too often. The occasional cold or sore throat may come my way, but for a while I haven’t really needed to go to the doctor. So I pay my quarterly premium but have yet to really utilize it. But then it recently occurred to me that it had been a while since my last dentist visit, and I recalled seeing something in the paperwork about dental coverage, so I decided to make an appointment.
Since it has admittedly been a while since my teeth were checked, I was a bit nervous about the state of affairs in there. I learned another word today, “der Zahnstein,” (tartar). I found that word in English to also be a bit unsavory just because of the connotation. If you translate the word into English (as non-native speakers such as myself tend to do), it is “Tooth rock,” which paints even more vividly unsettling images. But after a quick set of X rays, auf Deutsch, “die Röntgenaufnahme,” (fun fact: it’s named after the German inventor Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen) and a quick polishing I was told that everything is in order. Glad to hear that my cavity-free record is still intact!
When I first received permission to stay in the country, part of the process entailed proving that I had health insurance. After finding a provider that was acceptable to the German immigration offices I pretty much called it a day. I’m one of those people who fortunately don’t get sick too often. The occasional cold or sore throat may come my way, but for a while I haven’t really needed to go to the doctor. So I pay my quarterly premium but have yet to really utilize it. But then it recently occurred to me that it had been a while since my last dentist visit, and I recalled seeing something in the paperwork about dental coverage, so I decided to make an appointment.
Since it has admittedly been a while since my teeth were checked, I was a bit nervous about the state of affairs in there. I learned another word today, “der Zahnstein,” (tartar). I found that word in English to also be a bit unsavory just because of the connotation. If you translate the word into English (as non-native speakers such as myself tend to do), it is “Tooth rock,” which paints even more vividly unsettling images. But after a quick set of X rays, auf Deutsch, “die Röntgenaufnahme,” (fun fact: it’s named after the German inventor Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen) and a quick polishing I was told that everything is in order. Glad to hear that my cavity-free record is still intact!
If you haven’t lately perhaps it’s about time for your check-up! Have a nice week!
Congrats!
ReplyDeleteAnecdotally I have heard over and over again how Zahnärtze (tricky irregular plural!) are wowed by American teeth: few cavities, intact enamel, often even nice and straight (owing to our orthodontist habits, I guess).
But so many Germans complain about the taste of the city water in the U.S. They think it's chlorine, but I strongly suspect it's fluoridation, keeping our teeth intact too.