by the Geneva Observer
My tooth ache was too much. Natasha made the call.
My fear of the dentist is something like the elephant and the mouse. I may not be an elephant, but my dentist would be considerably smaller than me, a woman dentist, wearing studded earrings, and perfectly glossed nails. The dental clinic was one of the most modern in Yaroslavl. They accepted the challenge of dealing with a foreigner who did not speak their language. Compared with US liability laws this was no foregone conclusion. Chapeau!
The first session started with a digital X-ray (yes, Kodak sells their equipment even in places like Yaroslavl and hopefully safer than their chemicals sold to Saddam Hussein). The image showed up on the flat screen. I did not have to get up from the dental chair to see the extensiveness of the cavity. I stared at my blue plastic elasticized overshoes; there was only one solution, the tooth had to be extracted. This was not going to be fun.
My Russian dentist donned her white cap, gloves and disposable gown, and began choosing the tools for the job at hand. The syringe came out of the sterile packaging, an expert twist of the needle, a poke into the anaesthetic container diaphragm to suck up the magic pain killer. No vodka in sight. It was time to look at her mascaraed eyes. Her mouth was covered by her face mask. The jab made me wince, but the injection itself was barely noticeable. This woman had a rock steady hand and obviously had a great technique.
Her gowned, gloved and masked assistant wiped my ears with alcohol (I never had this anywhere else – I never asked if it was Vodka) and placed both her hands on either side of my head to steady it. The dentist with her small hands and elegant fingers expertly moved in with her special pliers, got a good grip on my wretched tooth and in short order we were done for the day. With an awkward grin and almost unrecognisable utterance that was to say “spasibo” or thank you in Russian I could finally relax from my piano wire tenseness.
My hyperventilating meant I was not ready to just walk away. Immediately, out came the smelling salts with that distinct ammonia smell, how embarrassing for me, the grand-son of a dentist!
The second session, four days later, was dedicated to a thorough cleaning. No scraping and heavily bleeding gums that I got used to, instead a high pressure stream of salt water brine, with a strawberry taste through different sized nozzles would blast off the accumulated mineral deposits from my calcium laden home water supply while I imitated a donkey with its mouth wide open. No needles or anaesthetic needed. My tongue slipped over my smooth teeth in delight. Do not try this with your pressure washer at home.
The third and final session was for two cavities, one on the top the other on the bottom on the same side. This was to be a two for one session. The filling material is a photosensitive plastic, that hardens with ultra-violet light. It is color matched to be almost unnoticeable from the surrounding teeth. Amalgam fillings are history.
My dentist was the youngest on staff, with eight years of experience. She referred me to the head of the clinic, who was the specialist for implants and bridges to see what advice he could give me. Exceptionally he was available (it was about 12:15, so I think he must have slipped me
in instead of having lunch). He placed a disposable plastic cover over the mouth piece (that he called a condom) to the Morito tomography machine, and did a full jaw scan, which we then examined on a large screen, zooming and measuring various parts of my jaw. The software allows for almost instant zooms, rotations, measurements, overlays, truly great software from Japan.
In order to do an implant, he needed to do an operation, to insert the material that would grow the bone to support the implant. This needs to be done ideally a month after the extraction, then wait for six months to do the final implant.
Overall, I was profoundly impressed by the people of the clinic, from the receptionist who squeezed me in on such short notice, to the dentist who was more or less fully booked just before her vacation, I can only say a very big thank-you. From the busstop, crossing potholed streets and broken side-walks from the harsh winter with snow flurries blowing across the way, I could never have imagined such a warm welcome, elevated technical standards and high level of professionalism.
I now have my excuse to return to see Yaroslavl in summer and again in winter.
Featured image of a dentist Galina Voronina, with her permission.
How much did this cost? I have found that crappy care in the US costs 10 times that of Europe.
While you wait for the facts, here’s some half-speculation:
I was told that a bone implant is roughly about $800 green ones. This is a titanium device of some kind, terrifyingly looking like a torture screw, with prongs every which way (or so I’m told). It is screwed into the jaw bone to provide a solid foundation for an artificial tooth later on, custom made out of ceramic to match what was there before. Or maybe out of that photosensitive plastic. If it needs to be replaced, it’s a simple matter of replacing the top part, the bone implant is there to stay.
Fillings and extractions run about $25-$60.
This is a second-hand info, and not from anywhere near Yaroslavl, so the mileage may vary :)
Excellent article. I like to read “personal” observations of “regular” people visiting in Russia. Which is one of the things I appreciate with Auslander’s posts as well (though he lives there full time). There are a lot of overviews,and macro views we see about Russia. But that isn’t the same as getting “personal” information on a people to people level. And especially about areas outside of Moscow or St Petersburg. To really try and understand a country and society,its the “micro” things about a country you need to see.As people can’t really understand the outside World from just politics,and the “grand scheme” of things.
Uncle Bob, for what its’ worth:
Cops of all kinds are very visible and present pretty much everywhere. Strangely enough, they don’t shoot people, despite the fact that Russians are pretty well armed with hunting rifles and shotguns, including the semi-automatic. They are also permitted to carry personal defence pistols and revolvers that fire rubber bullets, with appropriate permits of course. Designed to hurt and not much else, but they most certainly look like a real thing. I can only imagine the Murican cops searching someone and finding one of these on the “suspect”… Dead on the spot. Strangely enough, not so in Russia. The population just isn’t as scared of their own shadow as the westerners, I suppose.
Cops also randomly check vehicles all around town and on the open roads, and bus passengers too. That’s as far as the “police state” goes. I was on a bus that got stopped and my Australian passport obviously drew a little extra attention, but everything being in order the only downside was a few minutes wasted and nothing more. No rudeness, no fear, no baggage search, nothing that I can objectively complain about. Cops doing their job, sussing out who’s coming and who’s going, that’s all.
Thanks to stupidity of a certain airline, I missed one of my connection flights, and I was seriously worried about losing the ticket alltogether because it was one of those non-refundable ones. Strangely enough, the woman at the counter put me on the next available flight for a very small fee, much smaller than a full cost would have been. Paid with plastic, too. Absolutely professional and a very pleasant experience.
Health care is “free” in Russia, which is to say provided at the government expense free of charge to the patients. This includes the ambulances and also – including the home visits from a DOCTOR. And they arrive quickly, too.
What many westerners don’t know is Russian “marshrutka”. Loosely translated, it’s a taxi that goes on a certain route, like a bus, except the ticket price is the same from wherever to wherever. At the moment it’s 13 rubles in a certain city near where Auslander lives ;) That’s about 25 US cents. That’s also why nobody really needs a car to get around town.
Moscow metro was 50 rubles a ride 2 years ago. About 85 US cents.
On the bad side, I am led to believe that cost of living pretty much everywhere in Russian cities is on par with Moscow prices, but unfortunately the salaries have not caught up. It is hard to make a living when your salary only pays for half the rent and nothing else, but they are managing somehow. People help each other. Neighbours lend money to each other, take care of each other’s kids when needed, when they get some groceries from relatives in the villages they share some of it with neighbours, etc.
All in all, Russia is not a paradise by any means, but it is obvious that things are getting better all the time, which is much more than I can say for the western countries. There are new buildings everywhere, new roads, which means new jobs. All the west has been doing for the last 15 years is printing money, while Russia is quietly buying gold in tonnes. You can decide for yourself what that means.
Uncle Bob 1:
Search for Russian youtubers creating content in English. There are some excellent channels out there with great stuff – showing Russia from the perspective of ordinary citizens. Russia Beyond the Headlines (RBTH) also offers some insights into Russian life.
If you don’t care about the language or would be okay to use auto translate, then simply search for Russian youtubers. You’ll find everything from handcraft to cooking or travel reports.
When you finally found some interesting channel you should also check the section “Featured Channels” and “Related Channels” on the right side of the page. Another place worth looking for videos is rutube (to some extent ok.ru as well).
I”ve been sick while here Uncle Bob1. I”ll write you about my experiences – you’re welcome to share them here :-)
Fascinating.
Really enjoying these articals.
The three visits, with anesthetics, xrays, tomography total came to 11’950 Rubles (about 220 CHF).
The implant preparatory surgery is estimated at 35’000 and the final implant and crown about the same six months later, total 70’000 Rubles or about 1250 CHF.
The dentist asked Natasha to stay to interpret for us (I obviously did not say much, just nodded my head one way or the other). Expect to speak Russian or have someone translate for you.
Moscow is considerably more expensive because of the higher real estate prices.
The train from Moscow to Yaroslavl return is about 2000 Rubles if you go midday. You can get tickets on-line on the Russian Railways website (English) at
http://www.russianrailways.com/ for the trip. Book in advance for cheaper tickets and to get a seat as the trains are very popular (I think it is much more comfortable than an airport shuttle bus).
The train has free electrical outlets and internet WIFI. Get a Russian SIM card for your mobile phone beforehand. I chose Beeline prepaid for 200 Rubles. You will get your WIFI access code on the phone. You must present your passport and have an address to get a SIM card. Natasha did the formalities for me.
There is tea, sandwiches and a restaurant car on-board. Clean, reasonable price, good quality and friendly service. There is a staff person for each car.
The local marschrouteka costs 23 Roubles per trip. The old, yellow Ukrainian models have all disappeared replaced by white minibuses. A half-hour taxi ride with luggage was 200 or 300 rubles.
You will need to add something for food, accommodation and tourist activities, depending on the length of your stay. Travel in comfortable shoes (girls – leave the high heels in your bag) and I hope your luggage has wheels.
I, for one, would like more info about contemporary life in Russia. I worked there in the insane 90s and visited about 10 years ago.
I have been to Ukraine many times, beginning with the first Maidan. I smelled the demise even then. Lord, the stories I could tell.
Planning to find a place to spend my remaining years, far from the US. Russia and ukraine are the lands of my ancestors and I feel a calling.
Some VERY cheap property for sale in Ukraine now. 200K gets you a 2-300m2 2-3 level near new house on 600-1000m plot of land. 100k still gets you a better than average western style era house. Apartments very cheap – good area (not Kreshchatik Street) 3 room 70m 45k.
Thats their “asking” prices – so prob get 10-20% off that.
But – where will prices be in another 5 years time ???
Whilst on Ukraine (Kiev)
My wife got a heap of dental work done there 2005-2009
Compared to New Zealand standards – like chalk and cheese
You put on plastic over shoe slipper (disposable) Clinic is spotless – staff are – beautiful – professional – friendly offer coffee continually for partner waiting (me)
All latest German technology/equipment etc
Went to dentist here last month and need tooth “out” dirty – grumpy – old equipment – HUGE bill – and would pull it out because it was swollen to much. Too afraid they might get sued if something goes wrong. Ukraine would pull it out in a heartbeat.
I miss Ukraine so much – just a disaster what has happened to her
Correction, the tomography scan was another 3’000 Rubles.
I spent several weeks in Yaroslavl around 15 years ago. My wife has relatives there. It was there I got my experience of Russia. To my surprise, I saw old Europe in a sense, a Europe I saw in my youth.
A doctor, very professional, gave me new glasses. One of my neighbours was helped for the first time when he consulted a Russian doctor. These things need to be reported.
T1 wrote:
“I have been to Ukraine many times, beginning with the first Maidan. I smelled the demise even then. Lord, the stories I could tell.”
Please do tell us some of thoe stories! Thanks.
I’ve had dental work done in Ecuador, Mexico, South Africa, and the USA. Service (and price) far better in the first three.
If Galina were my dentist, I wouldn’t need Novocain. I’d just concentrate on her eyes and transcend dental medication!
As a US dentist , I was delighted that read the article. The cost of healthcare delivery is HIGH for dentists in US. For example, we pay much more for implant in the US than our colleagues do in other parts of the world. It is the same thing and made in US, but we pay more! And it is made in US! Go figure.
I too am scared silly of dentists and whilst working in Russia developed a bad tooth. Vodka did not work any more, so off to the scary soviet dentist I went.
To my surprise, my experience was really good! So good in fact, that I considered going back, even though the air fare from Sydney to moscow made it difficult to justify. I heartily recommend dentists in Russia, my sample size includes mine and yours.