At present, there is no secure and unambiguous answer to this question. Amalgam is a very durable filling material that is easy to process. There does neither exist any scientifically recognized evidence for its harmfulness nor for its harmlessness. Due to the 50% mercury proportion, amalgam is increasingly less applied. Gold and ceramic inlays as well as fillings of plastic ceramics (composite) are good alternatives.

For infants, check-ups are recommended already twice a year. They particularly serve for the early diagnosis of caries and malpositions of the teeth and of course for advising their parents as well.

Of course we offer local anaesthetics for every painful treatment. The penetration of the cannula is hardly noticeable and the treatment will pass more relaxed.

In principle, treatment under anaesthesia is possible for very anxious patient, e.g. for infants, disabled persons, in the event of extreme dental phobia or morbidly increased gag reflex. For this purpose, our practice team is regularly supported by an anaesthesiologist who brings along all necessary anaesthetic instruments. Should you not be such extremely scared, a particularly gentle procedure with a treatment under local anaesthesia may be considered as well. Health insurance companies will only pay for a dental treatment under anaesthesia if absolutely required from the medical point of view, i.e. if a treatment in another way is impossible. In contrast, anaesthesia during implantation (insertion of implants) is always a service to be paid by the patient.

It is a fact that the medical progress is also accompanied by a cost increase. While in the past diseased teeth frequently have simply been extracted, we can nowadays avoid tooth diseases thanks to regular prophylaxis, but also build up again even severely damaged teeth. Missing teeth may be perfectly replaced by complex dental prostheses with a high wearing comfort and excellent aesthetics. All this is possible, but not absolutely required in every case. On the other hand, for reasons of contribution stability public health insurance companies are instructed by the legislator only to pay sufficient and really necessary services. Finally, all premium payers benefit from stable rates of contribution. For this reason, it is absolutely plausible to impose the community based on the principle of mutual solidarity only such costs arising by absolutely necessary treatments.

The health insurance company bears the entire treatment expenses for a basic provision with dental prostheses (exclusion made of standard benefits), if your own contribution in the event of a very low family income would mean an undue burden. This so-called hardship provision was established in article 55 (2) SGB V (German Social Security Code). Should the family income scarcely exceed the hardship limit, you will be partly released from your own dentures contribution. In the event of a very high own contribution, we also offer the possibility of partial payment, allowing your dental prostheses to maintain a quality promising a longstanding treatment success.

As a rule, privately insured patients are entitled to the reimbursement of numerous services that are not paid by public health insurance companies. This comprises e.g. inlays, implants, new procedures of modern periodontal therapy and frequently also prophylactic services. However, it is recommended always to read the fine print in the insurance contract, since there also exist restricted service tariffs.

Usually not. However, the high-speed free-grinding of caries using small milling machines of diamond in the so-called turbine in general is not considered very painful. After that, caries may be removed very gently as well using hand instruments, and if required there is also the anaesthetic injection.

At our practice, the waiting time rarely takes more than fifteen minutes. Nevertheless, we kindly ask you to be appreciative of pain patients every now and then disturbing our time schedule.

Please have a look into your regional daily newspaper. In Rostock, there is always a dentist having emergency service outside the normal surgery hours. However, please note that the dentist on duty available via an emergency number at night is only responsible for real emergencies. This comprises accidental injury, post-bleeding or feverish inflammations in the temporomandibular area.

The surgery fee at the dentist becomes due once per quarter. Exceptions: Two check-up examinations per year are free of charge and children are generally released from the surgery fee.

Removal of dental calculus is paid by the public health insurance companies only once per year. Nevertheless, dental calculus is required to be removed once it has developed. Therefore, the frequency of removals of dental calculus as well as the frequency of dental visits should be always individually agreed.

Of course, dental prostheses from abroad - in particular from China - are less expensive than manufactured in the German dental laboratory. However, the cost advantage usually is not as high as expected by the patient, because the dental laboratory work contributes to just the half of the manufacturing costs and the transport from and to China must be paid of course as well. Moreover, the cooperation with a laboratory which is such far away is very difficult, while e.g. a dental technician of the local region may come directly to the practice for individual colour adjustments. The repair of the dental prosthesis that during the period of warranty would be required to take place in China would be really precarious and may take a long time, of course... Thus, the cost advantage is also accompanied by considerable disadvantages, so that the decision in favour of or against dental prostheses from abroad should be well considered.