…where I describe the challenges I face in navigating the social healthcare system when it comes to the art of dentistry.
Before traveling to myCountry
I noticed what I thought was a cavity in one of my molars. Not wanting to go through the “procedure” performed by my dentist in California that usually takes half a day and leaves me over $500 poorer, I decided to take a chance with my old dentist in Denmark, whom I hadn’t seen in 10 years.
So I asked my parents to schedule an appointment – no double booking – and this is how it worked.
Initially there were some issues regarding my lack of residency in the country and therefore whether the social health insurance would cover it. After the clinic assistant checked with someone else, it turned out they didn’t do that but I could get the treatment anyway if I paid full price. fair enough!
Then I proceeded to not fill out a questionnaire about teeth whitening. I also didn’t fill out a detailed medical history (it’s just the dentist for crying out loud). In particular, I didn’t need to sign 4-6 pages of legal waivers about not suing them if they accidentally cut my eyes with tweezers, as that always happens, but I guess I could.
I just filled out my address, and it took 2 minutes.
Denmark for anyone not paying attention
😉
Since I was not a regular “client”, I was expecting a full x-ray, but my dentist told me that Nordic guidelines only mandate x-rays if teeth are covered in black or look bad. However, I have beautiful teeth. My papers are also in order.
They then took my “dental inventory” where the dentist examined the teeth tooth by tooth, recalling letters and numbers that the assistant wrote down. He noted that my fillings were done very well (scoring one point for the US dental system). I also received a standard lecture on flossing and he removed some tartar from my front teeth. Finally, he pointed out that my supposed cavity was just a discoloration. Lots of coffee.
Total time: 15 minutes.
Total cost: $45 (that’s in cheap dollars).
The general attitude towards dental care is conservative. If the teeth look good and there is no pain, it is assumed that there are no problems and therefore no x-rays are performed
. The technology is right for the job, meaning they can do anything, such as cavities, crowns, etc., that can be done in the United States. However, the dentist does all the work (except the suctioning and taking notes). This means that the assistant does not use high-tech microscopes to produce a film for the dentist, etc. In other words, running a clinic requires less capital. There is less emphasis on technology. There was no TV on the chair.
My first visit to an American dentist resulted in 6 cavities that my Danish dentist declared dormant/underdeveloped for over a decade. In the United States, everything is fixed strongly. Don’t even get me started on the straight teeth fetish (which is also emerging on the continent now – it used to be that no one would wear braces unless they had a chewing problem).
In general, I prefer the Danish system of dental care.
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