A middle-aged teacher finds his personal life and political convictions challenged while undergoing a series of dental procedures. Eberhard Starusch, a history teacher in West Berlin, attempts to reconcile his past experiences with the radicalism of his student, Scherbaum, who plans a provocative protest against the Vietnam War. The narrative unfolds through the lens of the dental chair, where Starusch reflects on his history while his dentist, Dr. Fritz Stösser, provides a clinical and often detached counterpoint to his internal monologues. The story operates within a framework of fragmented memories and shifting perspectives, forcing the protagonist to confront the limitations of his own intellectual detachment in a rapidly changing society.

Readers and critics often note the dense, intellectual nature of the prose, which mirrors the protagonist's own analytical rigidity. Discussion frequently centers on the effectiveness of the dental chair as a metaphor for the passive observation of political turmoil. Many highlight the balance between the protagonist's internal moral struggle and the external, often absurd, political climate of the late 1960s. The work is recognized for its challenging structure, which demands active engagement from the reader to piece together the fragmented timeline. Overall, the text is viewed as a significant examination of the complexities inherent in political commitment and personal history.