Doctor, Doctor

Tandklinik (Dental Clinic)

One of the first official emails I received when we arrived in Denmark was notice of Gaius' first dental appointment.  They made the appointment for him automatically.  "Welcome to Denmark!  Let us check your child's teeth."  I was a little nervous because I had heard horror stories about "Viking Dentistry" being rough.  Luckily, at that first appointment we didn't experience any of that!  

Dental Office at Christianshavn School

The first thing that surprised me is that the dental offices for kids are located inside of the public schools.  Gaius' dentist is located in the primary school for our neighborhood, Christianshavn Skole.  Dental care (including braces) for kids 18 and under is free.

Self Check In

When you walk into the waiting room, there is no receptionist.  Instead, you scan your CPR card (health card) and that lets the dentist know that you are there and waiting.  At his first appointment, Gaius had X-rays and they checked him for cavities.  They gave him a quick little lesson on how to brush his teeth better, and we made an appointment to come back in one month for a cleaning.  They gave him some of those dental disclosing tablets that dye your teeth to show you the areas you need to focus on when brushing. They gave him a new toothbrush.  The congratulated him for having no cavities!  

Viking Dentistry: The Cleaning

We went back for a cleaning one month later.  I was so impressed by Gaius.  He spoke Danish to his dentist!  The cleaning was fine.  No blood.  No tears.  It was over just like that!  Nothing to pay, no paperwork.  In case you are wondering, even though the dentist here is "free," kids still get a toy when they leave at the end of their appointment.

Lægehuset (Health Center)
I recently had to make an appointment for Gaius to see a doctor.  If you call the number on your CPR card between 8 am - 9 am, you can actually talk to your doctor and make an appointment.  I got Gaius an appointment for the next day.

The doctor visit was a flop.  When I arrived at the office building, I was greeted by this bank of buzzers.  I didn't know which buzzer to press.  Which one would you pick?  Hint, it's the most used button.

Lægerne means "The Doctors"

When we walked into the waiting room, we checked in with the receptionists.  It turns out that one of those receptionists was the doctor.  He listened to Gaius' lungs.  He looked in Gaius' ears.  He looked at Gaius' throat.  He said, "Everything seems fine."  I said, "Well, didn't you notice that his tonsils are really swollen?"  He said, "That's normal for this age.  They'd have to be swollen like this for two years before we'd surgically remove them."  Then, they gave Gaius a finger prick blood test.  I'm not sure what they were testing for.  It came back negative.  And then they said goodbye.  Huh?  What?  Wait!  He's sick!  

They pricked his finger twice

I think Gaius' congestion might be due to allergies.  So, on my way out, I asked another doctor what allergy medicine Gaius should use.  She wrote this down for me.  Can you read this?  It's supposed to say "Cetirizin 10 mg."  It most definitely does NOT say that though.  I mean look.  There's not even a Z!

Taking Illegible Doctor Writing to a New Level
This does NOT say Cetirizin 10 mg

So, the good news is, according to Danish standards, Gaius is in perfect health!  

På Gensyn!