Perfect Phrases for ESL Everyday Situations

Perfect Phrases for ESL Everyday Situations

CHAPTER   image
Making and Keeping a Dental Appointment
Probably nobody likes to go to the dentist, but probably everyone knows that if you need a dentist in an emergency situation, the pain can be unbearable. Therefore, it is important to line up a dental practice or a dental care provider before you really need one. Again, if you are new to the United States, rule one is to ask a friend, a neighbor, a colleague, or a dental referral service for recommendations. The health care benefits at your place of work may include a dental program that lists local dentists. There are also referral services such as 1-800-Dentist and Angie’s List. Be aware when you call that some services charge for joining before giving referrals.
Vocabulary Hint: Terms for People
Nobody = not one person
Everybody = each and every person
Somebody = one person (Somebody, call the dentist.)
Anybody = one person (question form for somebody: Didn’t anybody call the dentist?)
Also used: no one, everyone, someone, anyone.
All these words are singular and take the singular forms of verbs: Everyone is here. Nobody cares.
Phrases to Use to Find a Dental Office or Dentist
image    Can you recommend a good dentist?
image    Could you recommend a dentist you’re happy with?
image    I would like to find a dentist in my area.
image    I would like to find a dentist for my child.
image    I’m looking for a dental hygienist in my city.
image    I need to find a dentist for___________(an appointment, a cleaning, an emergency, my child).
image    I___________(don’t have, have) dental insurance.
You can tell a lot from a regular cleaning appointment at a dentist’s office—about the dentist, the hygienist, the staff, the office space itself, and the condition of the equipment. If you aren’t comfortable with any of these, you may decide to try another dental office before continuing if/when you need more-involved dental work.
Phrases to Say on the Telephone Before the Dental Appointment
image    Yes, I will bring my dental records.
image    Yes, I can bring my previous x-rays.
image    I have my insurance card and a photo ID.
image    I can send for my documents.
image    Is there any other information from my dentist in ___________(your country) that you___________(need, have to have translated)?
Phrases to Say About Insurance
image    I___________(have, do not have) dental insurance.
image    My policy is with___________(name of your insurance company), and my policy number is___________(policy number on your insurance card).
image    Do you accept this insurance?
image    Is there a co-pay, or will you accept what my insurance pays?
image    If you don’t accept my insurance, how much is ___________(a dental checkup, an x-ray, a cleaning)?
image    Since you don’t accept my insurance, could you recommend ___________(a clinic, a dental school, a dentist who might accept my insurance), please?
Grammar Hint: Tooth (One) vs. Teeth (More than One)
You always say “toothache,” never “teethache,” even if more than one tooth hurts. If more than one tooth hurts, you say, “My teeth ache.”
It’s always toothpaste, never teethpaste, and toothbrush, never teethbrush.
Say, “I have a toothache,” or “My tooth hurts,” or “My tooth aches,” or “I have a pain in my tooth,” or “My teeth hurt,” or “My teeth ache.”
Phrases to Describe Your Problem
image    I need a dental checkup.
image    I need a cleaning.
image    When may I make an appointment?
image    I have a___________(slight, bad, very bad) toothache.
image    My tooth hurts.
image    My teeth ache.
image    My gums are bleeding.
image    My tongue is swollen.
image    My jaw is sore.
image    I have trouble___________(chewing, biting, biting down).
image    I have a problem with eating cold foods.
image    I experience discomfort drinking hot drinks.
image    My gums are sensitive.
image    I have discomfort when I swallow.
image    I have a problem swallowing.
image    I grind my teeth when I sleep.
image    At night, I bite the inside of my mouth.
image    I feel pain in my jaw when I wake up.
Phrases You May Hear from the Dentist
image    When was your last___________(dental appointment, cleaning, visit to a dentist)?
image    Where was this appointment?
image    Did you have dental___________(x-rays, films) taken?
image    Are you pregnant?
image    Do you have your___________(x-rays, films, dental records) with you?
image    Please___________(open, open wide, open your mouth).
image    Please turn your face (toward me, away from me).
image    Please open your mouth more.
image    Please___________(close, close your mouth, close a little).
image    Now you can___________(rinse, spit into the basin, spit into the bowl, take some water and rinse out your mouth).
image    Please point to where the pain is.
image    Show me where it hurts.
image    Touch where it is tender.
image    Does it hurt when you___________(chew, bite down, drink hot/cold beverages)?
image    Do you want/need___________(to be put to sleep, me to use gas, to be injected with Novocain) before I ___________(drill, pull the tooth, work on your gums, start the root canal)?
image    Are you allergic to___________(any medications, anything)?
image    Have you ever had a reaction to Novocain?
image    I’d like you to see aNo___________ (periodontist, oral surgeon, prosthodontist).
image    We’ll give you___________(a prescription for pain medication, a prescription for antibiotics, another appointment).
image    Here is___________(a special toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, mouthwash).
Phrases to Use During the Dental Appointment
image    I need a cleaning.
image    Do I need x-rays?
image    I don’t want x-rays, because I___________(am/may be pregnant, just had them six months ago).
image    I have a___________(terrible, bad, slight, constant) toothache.
image    The pain is___________(constant, intermittent, sharp, dull).
image    This is where the pain is.
image    This is where it___________(hurts, is tender, is sore, aches).
image    I have___________(false teeth, a bridge, an upper bridge, a lower bridge, an implant, veneers).
image    I___________(am allergic to, have an allergy to, have a reaction to)___________(names of medications).
image    My___________(jaw, mouth, lips, gums) are numb.
image    Will I need___________(a root canal, a tooth pulled, a cavity filled, any other dental work)?
image    Will I need to___________(come back, have a return visit)?
image    Do I need a prescription for___________(pain, swelling, bleeding)?
image    Can you recommend an orthodontist for my___________ (child, son, daughter)?
image    My daughter’s teeth are coming in crooked. I may need an orthodontist.
image    He/She may need___________(braces, a retainer, orthodontic work).
image    Can you recommend a good pedodontist in the area?
Idioms and Other Vocabulary
Aches: dull, not sharp pains
Aware: have knowledge of
Basin: sink
Be allergic to (also have an allergy to): experience a negative reaction to food, medicine, material, etc.
Beverages: drinks—hot or cold, alcoholic or not
Bite (also bite down): press your teeth onto
Braces: wires used to straighten teeth
Bridge: artificial teeth connected with metal to other teeth in the mouth
Cavity: hole in a tooth caused by decay
Chew: bite down on many times
Clinic: place where dental work is done at a lower cost than at a private dentist
Co-pay: amount a patient with insurance must pay for dental work (The insurance pays for a portion of the dental work, and the patient pays the rest, the co-pay.)
Dental floss: strong, thin string used to clean between teeth
Dental school: a school where dentists study and do supervised dental work at a lower cost than a private dental office
Drill: use an electric tool for making holes in teeth
Dull: not severe, not very bad
Gas: chemical used to put someone to sleep during dental procedures
Gums: parts inside mouth that hold teeth
Hurts: gives pain
Implant: artificial tooth inserted into gum
Injected: put into the body with a needle
Intermittent: not constant
Jaw: bone of the lower face
Line up: arrange for
Mouthwash: liquid used to kill germs or bacteria and make mouth fresh
Novocain: drug used to take away feeling of pain during dental work
Numb: not able to feel pain
Oral surgeon: dentist who operates on the mouth or jaw
Orthodontist: dentist who straightens crooked teeth
Pain: feeling of hurt
Pedodontist: dentist specially trained to treat children
Periodontist: a dental specialist who works on gums
Point to: show with your finger
Practice: professional office
Probably: in most cases, often, more likely
Prosthodontist: dental specialist in replacement of missing teeth and restoration of natural teeth
Pull the tooth: take out the tooth with dental tools
Put to sleep: use gas during dental procedures
Reaction to: bad effect from e.g. skin rash
Recommend: advise
Retainer: object worn in the mouth to hold teeth in place
Rinse: use clean water to remove blood and dental solutions
Root canal: a dental procedure where the root of the tooth is treated and the tooth is not removed
Sharp: sudden and strong
Slight: very little
Sore: painful
Spit: empty your mouth of liquid that accumulates in your mouth
Swallowing: action of making food go down the throat
Swollen: enlarged because of infection or injury
Tender: hurts or is painful if touched
Tooth (singular; plural is teeth): (see sidebar earlier in chapter)
Toothache: (see sidebar earlier in chapter)
Touch: put finger or hand on
Toward: in the direction of
Unbearable: extremely bad or painful
Veneers: thin enamel layers used to cover teeth
Wide: very big from one side to the other