9:53am Tuesday 28th November 2006
By Charlotte Percival
WHAT is the worst thing you could do when you have a hangover?
Forget running a marathon or facing a greasy full English - try having your teeth drilled with a belly-full of vodka and after only three hour's sleep.
If you go to Poland for dental care, by all means make the most of the whirlwind nightlife, but not the day before a painful treatment - trust me.
I learned this lesson in Szczecin, a bustling Polish city built of dark stone, gothic architecture and grand squares.
Over the past few years, hordes of Germans and Scandinavians have cut their dental and cosmetic bills by having their treatment in Szczecin. Now the clinics want a slice of the UK market too.
Coronation Street's Blanche recently skipped the NHS waiting list by travelling overseas for her hip replacement. You can have this surgical procedure done privately in Szczecin, or a knee replacement, or a tummy tuck, for a fraction of what you would pay to go outside the NHS in the UK.
For those seeking cosmetic enhancement, facelifts, nose and boob jobs are available. Or, for £2,500, you could bulk up your bum to J-Lo proportions and enjoy round-the-clock care from a dedicated team of surgeons, doctors and nurses.
Dental treatments cost around £20 for fillings and extractions, £170 for veneers and £200 for bleaching.
You don't have to go home in pain, however.
For considerably less, you could enjoy a full body massage, a revitalising non-surgical facelift or a chocolate body wrap. Now that's how to spend a day of post-vodka agony.
My two-day trip to Szczecin was a chance to try out a teeth whitening treatment and taste city life.
It's worth remembering that these treatments take time and if you're travelling specifically to have your teeth bleached, check their condition first. I needed four fillings and after that there wasn't time to spruce them up. If I had been around for a bit longer, it wouldn't have been a problem. Choose a dentist who can speak good English too, especially if you are nervous.
I got the chance to chat to a few of the dentists first, and chosen one at the European Dental Centre. A check-up revealed a pressing need for the drill and I was booked in for the morning, before reuniting with the rest of my group (who were much more relaxed than me after their hair cuts, body wraps and facials) and exploring Szczecin by night.
If dancing's your thing, you'll love Szczecin. The most popular night spots, City Hall, Rocker and Can Can clubs, are completely different in appearance, music and atmosphere, but all share one thing - lots of excited, gyrating Poles smiling and having a good time. Their enthusiasm was infectious and after an hour or so of watching we joined in.
That's when I forgot how unpleasant sitting in the dentist's chair can be. Staggering back to my hotel at 4.30am to be out again at 8am quickly reminded me. The others, most of whom were booked into the shooting range, were cursing their sore heads too.
Matters looked up a few hours later, when I sank into a comfy chair at Masumi spa and salon for a facial. The therapist soothed away the aches and pains (on the parts of my face that weren't numbed by anaesthetic) with calming hands and vitamin creams, ultrasound and steam and face masks.
Masumi, in the city centre, is new and features a hair salon, spa, sun shower and dry, infrared and steam saunas. There is also a salt chamber stacked with two tonnes of salt. A session in there is equivalent to five days of breathing sea air, we were told.
Polish cuisine is worth a try too. I enjoyed Zurek, a creamy soup made from fermented rye flour, and many tasty meat and fish dishes. I stayed clear of the lard sandwiches (though our hosts raved about them) but highly recommend the home-made apple and cheese cakes.
Poland may seem like a long trek for a trip to the dentist, but with its quality service and competitive prices you can combine a city break with both necessity and relaxation - just do it in the right order.
PRICE CHECK
Sample prices from Polish clinics
Liposuction: from £690
Face lift: £1,050
Neck lift: £790
Nose surgery: £1,050
Spider vein surgery: £350
Lip augmentation: from £250
Tummy tuck: from £1,140
Breast implants: from £1,000
What else can you do in Szczecin?
Fact file:
Charlotte travelled to London Kings Cross from York with GNER. Phone GNER on 08457225225 or go to www. gner. co. uk Ryanair run daily flights from Stansted to Szczecin. www.ryanair.com
Polish addresses:
Hotels:
Radisson SAS Hotel; Ibis Szczecin
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