Everyday Dialogues

Going to the Dentist

In this lesson, you will learn useful vocabulary
and expressions to use at the dentist’s office.
Make sure that you know how to describe your
pain or discomfort before you see a dentist.

Pre-Reading
A. Warm-Up Questions

1. What do you NOT like about going to the dentist?

2. Why is it important to visit a dentist regularly?

3. H
 ow do you feel before
AND after you visit a dentist?

B. Vocabulary Preview

Match the words on the left with the correct meanings on the right.

1. X-ray a) a picture of the inside of your body

2. floss b) wires worn to straighten your teeth
3. toothpaste c) to clean between your teeth
4. fluoride d) a paste used to brush your teeth
5. braces e) dental records
6. chart f) a liquid used for deep cleaning at the dentist’s office
7. hygienist g) a dental assistant
8. needle h) to pull out (a tooth)
9. antibiotics i) a sharp metal stick used to freeze the gums
10. extract j) medicine taken to cure an infection

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 Going to the Dentist
Everyday Dialogues

Dialogue Reading
Read the dialogue with your partner a few times. Take turns
being each character. Practice your intonation and pronunciation.
Circle any new words or phrases that you need to practice.

Dentist: Hi, Mr. Peacock. Are you here for your six-month checkup?

Mr. Peacock: Yes, but I also have a sore tooth. I think I might have a cavity.

Dentist: Okay. We’ll do an X-ray before your cleaning. Which tooth is bugging you?

Mr. Peacock: It’s a molar on the bottom right side.

Dentist: I see the one. Actually, that’s your wisdom tooth.

Mr. Peacock: Will it need to come out?

Dentist: I won’t know for sure until I see the X-ray. Have you been flossing regularly?

Mr. Peacock: Not as often as I should, I’m afraid.

Dentist: It’s really important to take care of your gums.

Mr. Peacock: I know. I brush twice a day, but I just forget to floss sometimes.

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 Going to the Dentist
Everyday Dialogues

Practice
Work with your partner. Role-play the dialogue on page 2,
substituting the different expressions below. Then switch roles.

1. Are you here for your six-month checkup? 5. Actually, that’s your wisdom tooth.

• Is there a special reason for your visit? • That’s your eyetooth.

• What brings you in today? • That’s your molar.
• You’re here for a cleaning, right? • That’s a baby tooth.

2. I also have a sore tooth. 6. Will it need to come out?

• I also have swollen gums. • Are you going to pull the tooth?
• I have pain in my jaw, too. • Do I need an extraction?
• I have a loose tooth.
• I have a chipped tooth. 7. Have you been flossing regularly?
• I think I have a cavity.
• Do you brush twice a day?
• It hurts when I chew.
• Do you rinse with mouthwash?
• I have a sensitive tooth.
• It hurts when I eat something cold.
8. Not as often as I should, I’m afraid.
• I have a toothache.
• I wish I could say yes.
3. We’ll do an X-ray before your cleaning. • Not exactly.
• I’m afraid not.
• Open your mouth wide.
• Let’s take a look inside.
9. It’s really important to take care of your gums.

4. Which tooth is bugging you? • Flossing is actually more

important than brushing.
• Which tooth is bothering you?
• You should get into a habit of flossing daily.
• Where does it hurt?
• Try to make your gums a top priority.
• Where are you feeling the most pain?

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 Going to the Dentist
Everyday Dialogues

Listening Practice
Listen to the recording of the dialogue from page 2. Fill in the missing
words as you listen. Listen again. Now look back at page 2 and check your
work. Did you fill in the correct words? Did you spell everything correctly?

Dentist: Hi, Mr. Peacock. Are you here for your six-month ?

Yes, but I also have a tooth.

Mr. Peacock:
I think I might have a .

Okay. We’ll do an before your cleaning.

Dentist:
Which tooth is bugging you?

Mr. Peacock: It’s a on the bottom right side.

Dentist: I see the one. Actually, that’s your .

Mr. Peacock: Will it need to ?

I won’t know for sure until I see the X-ray.

Dentist:
Have you been regularly?

Mr. Peacock: Not as as I should, I’m afraid.

Dentist: It’s really important to take care of your .

Mr. Peacock: I know. I brush twice a day, but I just forget to sometimes.

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 Going to the Dentist
Everyday Dialogues

Write Your Own Dialogue

Write a dialogue with a partner using phrases from page 3.
One of you will be a patient and one of you will be a dentist.
Practice and present the dialogue to your class.

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 Going to the Dentist
Everyday Dialogues

Review
Task 1

LISTEN & ANSWER

Listen to the conversation and answer the questions.

Your teacher will tell you if you have to write or say the answers.

1. How long has it been since Mr. Peacock’s last visit to the dentist?

2. What two reasons did Mr. Peacock have for going to the dentist?

3. What is the dentist going to do first?

4. According to the dentist, why is flossing important?

5. Describe Mr. Peacock’s daily dental routine.

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 Going to the Dentist
Everyday Dialogues

Review cont.
Task 2

I NEED A DENTIST

List five problems you could have with your teeth.

Write (or say) them as if you are talking to a dentist.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Task 3

CALLING THE DENTIST

Pretend to call a dentist’s office

during off-hours. Leave a message
on an answering machine about
why your child or spouse needs
an appointment with the dentist.
State your name and the name of
your family member. Then list at
least two dental concerns. Make
sure to leave a phone number so
the dentist office can call you back.
Example
Answering Machine: 
Hello. You have reached Squeaky Clean Dentists. Our office is now closed.
Please leave a detailed message after the tone and we will return your call.
If this is a dental emergency, please call 1-800-M-Y-T-E-E-T-H.
Message:
Hello. This is Marsha Adams. I’m calling about my son, Carson.
Carson’s back molars are bugging him. I think he might have a cavity.
He is also due for a cleaning. Can you please call me back at 444-9990
to make an appointment. Thank you.

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 Going to the Dentist
Everyday Dialogues

Answer Key
LESSON DESCRIPTION: LEVEL: Low Int – Int

In this lesson, a patient speaks with the dentist TIME: 1.5 hours
in the dentist’s office. Students learn vocabulary
TAGS:  dialogues, dentist, going to the dentist, teeth, brush, floss
and expressions to use when going to the dentist.

Pre-Reading Listening Practice

A. WARM-UP QUESTIONS Have students complete the dialogue by listening

to the recording or by having two students read
Discuss as a class or in small groups. Answers will vary.
the completed dialogue from page 2.

B. VOCABULARY PREVIEW
Write Your Own Dialogue
1. a 3. d 5. b 7. g 9. j
2. c 4. f 6. e 8. i 10. h Encourage your students to use vocabulary from the model.

Dialogue Reading (continued on the next page...)

Give your students time to read the dialogue in pairs.

Practice

Have your students read the dialogue again and

practice subbing in some of the different expressions.

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 Going to the Dentist
Everyday Dialogues

Answer Key cont.

Review (Assessment Tasks)

TASK 1

The following tasks can be used for assessment purposes

and/or review practice. You can save all of the tasks until the
end or assess your students throughout the lesson.

Play the audio from this lesson. Then assign the questions. You
can decide if you want your students to say or write the answers.

1. It has been six months since Mr. Peacock visited the dentist.
2. Mr. Peacock went to the dentist because
he needed a cleaning and he had a sore tooth.
3. The dentist is going to take an X-ray before doing the cleaning.
4. T he dentist says flossing is important because you
have to take care of your gums to have healthy teeth.
5. Mr. Peacock brushes twice a day,
but sometimes forgets to floss.

TASK 2

Answers will vary. Use this task to assess vocabulary retention

and speaking or writing skills. For a speaking assessment, you
(the teacher) can pretend to be the dentist.

TASK 3
Answers will vary. For this task, you could get your students to
make a recording of their message and send it to you. Or, you could
have one student read the dentist’s answering machine message
out loud and have another student leave a message.

SPELLING NOTE:

This lesson shows the American spelling of the word Practice.

Most other English-speaking countries spell it this way: Practise
(when used as a verb; Practice when used as a noun). Make it a
challenge for your students to find this word in the lesson and
see if they know the alternate spelling.

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 Going to the Dentist
Everyday Dialogues

Copyright 2016, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( LO W I N T – I N T / V E R S I O N 4 .1) 10