Key Takeaways
A short Dutch dental visit cost €79.86 and, paired with a same-day traffic fine of €290, strained an already tight week. Rather than dwell on it, that sting became a standing policy: only use a dentist that is walkable in ten minutes or less and, when practical, postpone for treatment in Mexico. Later driving lessons added precision: multi-lane roundabouts require choosing the correct lane before entering, and a police matrix reading “VOLGEN” is an instruction to follow—“VOLGENDE” means “next,” not “follow me.”
Story & Details
The bill that stung, and the line items behind it
What felt like one of the worst choices in years turned out to be a strictly regulated invoice: €28.83 for a periodic check-up (code C002) and €51.03 for cleaning billed in three five-minute blocks (15 minutes total, often coded as M03/X303). The total was €79.86—about €80. With a usual weekly income around €620, the outlay hurt; a traffic fine of €120 plus €170 that same day lifted the incidental total to €370.
From regret to a rule that prevents repeats
The aftermath wasn’t a meditation; it was a guardrail. The dentist contact now carries a practical, always-visible reminder: only if it’s ten minutes on foot or less, around €80 for basic work, and postpone for treatment in Mexico if possible. That single line turns a bad afternoon into a nudge toward calmer choices at the exact moment a new appointment might be made.
Why the numbers look the way they do
In the Netherlands, dental prices are capped by the Dutch Healthcare Authority (Nederlandse Zorgautoriteit, NZa). Preventive cleaning is charged per five-minute unit, and the routine exam has its own tariff. Public rate pages that mirror NZa caps list €17.01 per five-minute cleaning unit and €28.83 for the periodic check-up—matching the shape of the invoice.
The roundabout realization
Another lesson surfaced behind the wheel. A home-made rule—right lane for the first or second exit, left lane for the third or later—works only on multi-lane roundabouts. Many Dutch roundabouts have a single circulating lane; there, the task is to keep the flow and signal before leaving. On multi-lane (including “turbo”) roundabouts, lane choice must be made before entering, because lane changes inside are often restricted by design and markings. Signals matter: right when taking the first exit; right after passing the first exit if going straight; left before entry when taking a later exit, then right after passing the exit before yours.
The police sign, clarified
A final nuance fixed a common mix-up. When a Dutch police vehicle illuminates VOLGEN POLITIE, it instructs the driver to follow the police car, not to stop on the spot. VOLGENDE is different; it means “next,” often as part of a phrase like “VOLGENDE AFSLAG” (next exit). Reading that matrix correctly changes what happens in the next few seconds—and sometimes whether a fine enters the story at all.
Conclusions
Painful costs can linger—meaning they can stay in your mind and feelings for a long time—but precise rules can quiet them. A ten-minute walking limit and a “postpone to Mexico if possible” note lowered future risk without endless reflection. On the road, noticing markings, choosing lanes early, and reading one glowing verb on a police sign did the same. Plan a little earlier, observe a little closer, and let one clear line prevent a dozen new headaches.
Sources
- Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa) — dental-care sector overview and rules: https://www.nza.nl/zorgsectoren/mondzorg
- NZa tariff decision for dental care, 2025 (official document hub): https://puc.overheid.nl/nza/doc/PUC_764375_22/1/
- Tandzorg Amsterdam — NZa-based rates (M03 €17.01 per 5 minutes; C002 €28.83): https://www.tandzorg.nl/tarieven/
- PureCare Tandartsen — NZa-based rates: https://www.purecaretandartsen.nl/en/payments-rates/
- IamExpat — explainer on Dutch dental costs: https://www.iamexpat.nl/expat-info/dutch-healthcare-system/dental-care-netherlands
- iTheorie (driver-education) — roundabouts in the Netherlands: https://itheorie.nl/en/car/learning-theory/en-b-5-2-roundabouts
- Traffic-Rules.com (driver-education) — Dutch roundabout priority and lane choice: https://traffic-rules.com/en/netherlands/traffic-rules/priority-rules
- iTheorie (driver-education) — following directives (“STOP POLITIE” vs “VOLGEN POLITIE”): https://itheorie.nl/en/car/learning-theory/en-b-7-5-following-directives
- YouTube — Rijkswaterstaat (Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure & Water Management agency), “Weginspecteurs” episode on dynamic road control and matrix use (public, no login): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ814L1zb68
Appendix
Periodic check-up (C002)
A standard routine dental examination under NZa-regulated caps; commonly appears as a fixed line item on Dutch invoices.
Teeth cleaning per five minutes (M03/X303)
Preventive cleaning billed in five-minute units; three units indicate fifteen minutes of work. Public clinic pages mirror NZa caps for these increments.
Walkable in ten minutes
A personal threshold for appointments: choose only clinics reachable on foot in ten minutes or less to reduce cost, travel friction, and knock-on risks.
Postpone for treatment in Mexico if possible
A complementary rule for non-urgent care: schedule dental work back in Mexico where equivalent procedures are typically far cheaper and more familiar.
Multi-lane (“turbo”) roundabout
A Dutch design that channels traffic by intended exit and often prevents lane changes inside the circle. Lane selection happens before entry, guided by arrows and signs.
VOLGEN vs. VOLGENDE
“VOLGEN” is the Dutch verb “to follow,” displayed on a police vehicle matrix to instruct a driver to follow. “VOLGENDE” means “next,” as in “next exit,” and does not mean “follow me.”
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 