188 - 5-Minute English: Going to the Dentist (+ Orthodontist)
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Hi, everybody. My name is Shauna, and this is the American English Podcast. My goal here is to teach you the English spoken in the United States. Through common expressions, pronunciation tips, and interesting cultural snippets or stories, I hope to keep this fun, useful, and interesting. Let's do it. Have you ever had to explain?

a root canal in English. Maybe you've gone to the dentist and thought, can I really explain what's happening here? Well, if you have struggled in the past with describing anything related to going to the dentist or dental care, then you're in the right place. In today's episode, we're going to talk all about going to the dentist and also the orthodontist.

You'll hear a short story that includes useful vocabulary, phrases, and collocations. And by the end of this five-minute English lesson, you'll be able to talk about office visits with confidence and maybe a laugh or two. So, yeah, let's dive in. Hello and welcome back. How are you today? What's new?

There's quite a bit new for us. Last weekend, we went to Nashville as a family for the first time, and that was great. What a fun, fun place to visit if you're coming to the United States. It's known as the Music City, and I have never seen so much live music in my lifetime, let alone so much talent.

There are so many great singers, guitar players. It just feels like the city is so alive with music. So definitely worth checking out. But yeah, other than that, what else has been happening? Let me think. Hmm. Yes, my daughter Julia lost her first tooth.

She's so excited, and at the same time, she's a bit sentimental, like she just lost an important part of her body. My husband Lucas, as many of you know, is not a native English speaker, and when we were talking about it, he asked me,

Do you call the small teeth that you have when you're a baby and a small kid, do you call those milk teeth? And I paused for a moment. I'd honestly never heard of milk teeth before. I've always said baby teeth.

But of course, I looked it up, and believe it or not, in British English, it's common to say milk teeth when referring to the first little teeth we have as children. But here in the U.S., we almost always say baby teeth. That's the standard term used by dentists, parents, and even the tooth fairy.

Speaking of the tooth fairy, Julia put her baby tooth under her pillow the night she lost it, and the tooth fairy paid her a visit. She was glowing with happiness the next morning, holding up a crisp $5 bill. That's the amount the tooth fairy had left her under her pillow, which is a lot of money, isn't it? $5 for a tooth?

I had to have a talk with the tooth fairy. Apparently, first teeth are worth more. Who knew? When I was a kid, the going rate for a tooth was 50 cents, two quarters. And boy, was I excited for those two quarters. I remember pulling them out from under my pillow and putting them in my piggy bank. And Julia did the exact same thing.

She shoved her $5 into her piggy bank and told everybody, probably even the mailman. Now, I'm curious, does the tooth fairy visit your country? Or is there another tradition when children lose a tooth? Let me know on this week's Instagram post. You can find me at American English Podcast.

So let's get into today's topic. Obviously, I was inspired by Julia losing a tooth. We'll be talking about going to the dentist. In episode 465 of the Easy German podcast, they took a poll with the question, Geht ihr gerne zum Zahnarzt? Which means, do you enjoy going to the dentist?

640 listeners responded. 37% said yes, very much. 34% no, absolutely not. And 27% said I don't really care. Which is interesting. There's almost an even divide between the lovers, the haters, and the people who are like whatever. So which one are you? Do you like going to the dentist?

I'll be honest, I do. But I can understand why some people do not. So whether you're going in for a checkup, a deep cleaning, or something a little more intense, like a root canal or a wisdom tooth extraction, there's a whole lot of vocabulary that you'll be exposed to in today's episode. The good, the bad, and the neutral.

You'll learn must-know phrases you'll likely hear during an appointment, like rinse and spit, and you'll be introduced to all of the terms you need to discuss this topic with your friends. If you'd like the bonus material that goes along with this episode, which includes a pronunciation video, the annotated transcript, so you get the words highlighted and the definitions,

as well as quizzes, exercises, and a challenge, be sure to sign up to season four. You'll find the link in the episode notes. So sit back, relax, and let your mind come with me to the dentist. Once again, I do tell my story, but the whole point is to prepare you to tell your story. All right? I care a lot about dental hygiene.

On a daily basis, I floss, brush with fluoride toothpaste, and gargle with mouthwash. Unlike some people who dislike going to the dentist, my experience as a patient at the dentist or at dental clinics has been positive. My first memorable appointment was when I was about six years old.

I remember walking nervously into the bright white dental clinic, holding my mom's hand. My brother was with us. The receptionist gave us a warm smile and told us to take a seat in the waiting room. As my mom flipped through magazines, I sat in the chair next to her, focusing on the strange smell of the place.

It was a weird mix of toothpaste, mouthwash, and cleaning products. When it was my turn, the dental assistant led me to the exam room and told me to sit down in the dental chair. A dental hygienist greeted me while snapping on a pair of rubber gloves and a mask. She then put on my bib. Yes, a bib, just like a baby, so I wouldn't get wet.

But even at six years old, I felt silly. She leaned the chair back and flashed the blinding overhead light in my face. While staring down at me from close up, she told me to open wide. I listened. I never understood why my dental hygienist insisted on chatting with me while my mouth was open. Where do you go to school? She'd ask. Oh, I'm in kindergarten at K.O. Jones, I said.

Meanwhile, she used a dental mirror and probe to check for plaque, tartar, and cavities. My mom had warned me about cavities before. She said I'd get cavities if I ate too many sweets and didn't brush my teeth. But plaque and tartar? The soft white stuff? And hard whitish-yellowish stuff? Gross.

Let's just say that during my deep cleaning, the hygienist informed me that to keep them at bay, I needed to floss more regularly. She scraped the tartar away with a scaler, squirted water into my mouth, and had me rinse and spit into a suction tool that she jokingly called Mr. Thirsty. After finishing a fluoride treatment and polishing my teeth, the dentist came in.

I wiped the drool off my face and looked at him. Dr. Lum was a family friend, and he wore a white lab coat that made him look like a scientist. He showed me the x-rays of my teeth on a large screen and complimented me on my pearly whites. Because I had no cavities, I got a Polaroid picture taken of me, and it was hung on the wall. As a kid, I felt very proud.

Then they sent me home with a goodie bag containing a toothbrush, floss, toothpaste, and a sticker. Overall, it was nothing to complain about. This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. Every day we make priorities. But when life gets busy, mental health tends to fall off the priority list. Which doesn't make sense because that's when we need it most.

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Meanwhile, in the other examination room, my brother wasn't so lucky. His gums were swollen and bleeding, and his x-ray revealed tooth decay in not one, not two, but three molars. The dentist came in and gave him the news. He had cavities and would need to get fillings, or he would need to have his cavities filled.

I remember watching from across the hall as he got his shot of local anesthesia. When his mouth went numb, they started to drill and fill. The buzzing drill and the dental tray full of shiny tools made it seem like he was going through an intense surgery, and I was so glad it wasn't me. On the ride home, he groaned.

While my mom convinced him that if he hadn't gotten rid of his cavities, he would have ended up with a major toothache and maybe a root canal. I don't know if that's true. My mom is not a dentist. Lucas's cousin Ederson is, though. When it comes to extractions, implants, root canals, crowns, fixing cracked teeth…

And ordering dentures? He's your man. He can even take out wisdom teeth. He's what we'd call a dentist, but also an oral surgeon. Fortunately, we haven't needed his expertise yet. Knock on wood. When I lost my baby teeth, my permanent teeth started to grow in.

All over the place. The bottom ones were not only crowded, but crooked, and my two front teeth pushed through the gums, large and in charge. They were what we'd call buck teeth. To straighten them out, I eventually went to an orthodontist to get braces. He also gave me neck gear to correct my overbite. Oh, the memories.

At our monthly checkups, the highlight was choosing my rubber band colors, but getting braces tightened was the worst. My teeth were so sore I could barely eat. My mom likes to remind me of the time I cried over a chicken sandwich from Burger King. Embarrassing, right?

After two years of wires and rubber bands on my teeth, my orthodontist took a mold and finally got me a retainer. It was sparkly and blue, and it disappeared at some point because I never put it back in its case. We all lost our retainers at one point, didn't we? Since childhood, my dental work has been anticlimactic, other than a few issues here and there.

When I'm stressed, sometimes in my sleep, I grind my teeth. And I should probably wear a night guard, but I don't. Occasionally, my teeth are sensitive, which could be due to the grinding. But I still blame the sensitivity on whitening. Did you know that you can go overboard with whitening your teeth? After white comes see-through.

Anyway, in high school, I had an odd addiction to crest white strips, and my teeth have never been the same. Moral of the story is don't overuse whitening strips. Brush, floss, and use a tongue scraper to make your mouth clean. And of course, visit your dentist regularly. That's it for the five-minute section.

Quite honestly, doing this episode brought back some memories as a kid. Maybe it will help you remember some of your memories also. Maybe I'm bringing back horrible memories, in which case I'm sorry. I'd honestly forgotten about my neck gear. Gosh, I was so embarrassed by that thing. My orthodontist insisted that I wear it to school.

So 24-7, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And I fought my mom about it. Truly. I said, no, absolutely not. I am not wearing that thing to school because I thought it was so nerdy. Was headgear and neckgear common in your country? Honestly, I haven't seen anybody wear them in years.

I'm wondering if they're not used anymore, if there's an alternative. I guess they fell out of fashion. Well, I guess they were never really fashionable. Before you hear the story one last time, I thought I'd share 10 interesting facts about our mouths. It's not often we talk about these sorts of things, but I looked up some information and some of it surprised me.

Number one, tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body. What's enamel? Hmm, it's the hard, white outer layer of your teeth. It's like a shield and it protects the inner parts of your teeth when you're chewing, biting, or just from daily use.

But despite its strength, enamel can actually be damaged by acid from soda, juice, and even fruit. And the problem is that once the teeth are eroded, your body can't regenerate enamel because it doesn't have living cells. So protect your enamel, treat it like treasure because it cannot be regenerated. Number two.

Your teeth are as unique as your fingerprints. So each person has their own shape, size, and spacing of teeth, making your smile truly one of a kind. Dental records are actually used in forensic investigations to identify unknown individuals.

Even identical twins who share the same DNA have slightly different teeth due to environmental factors, like maybe sucking their thumbs or maybe injuries they experienced. So next time you look in the mirror, give yourself a little smile. You have a smile like nobody else. Number three, morning breath isn't just gross.

There's a science behind it. During the night, your mouth becomes dry because spit, so that liquid in your mouth, we also call that saliva, right? So the saliva production slows way down. Saliva is what helps clean out bacteria during the day. So when it's missing, bacteria thrive. These bacteria release sulfur compounds.

The same stuff that makes rotten eggs smell bad. That's why brushing your teeth before bed, not just in the morning, makes a huge difference. Do you have morning breath? We all do, don't we? It's sort of gross though, isn't it? I don't like to think about the reason being bacteria. Anyway, number four, braces have been around since ancient times.

Archaeologists discovered that some Egyptian mummies had metal bands on their teeth, possibly made from gold wire. Hmm, could that be early braces? In the 1700s, early versions of orthodontics included headgear and devices made from cat gut. Yes, the animal intestine.

Thankfully, braces have come a long way. Now we have sleek metal brackets, clear aligners like Invisalign, and way fewer animal materials in our mouths. Number five, your mouth is home to over 700 types of bacteria.

Lovely. So don't worry, not all of them are harmful. Some are essential for breaking down food and protecting you from bad bacteria. But when you don't brush or floss, the bad guys multiply and create plaque, which leads to cavities and gum disease.

So think of brushing your teeth like cleaning up your mouth's ecosystem. You're helping the good bacteria stay in charge. Number six, babies are born with teeth. Sort of. Even though you can't see them, babies are born with all 20 baby teeth hidden under their gums. Some babies are even born with a visible tooth poking out.

It's rare, but it happens. These are called natal teeth, and sometimes they have to be removed if they're loose or sharp. Of course, the rest usually start showing up around six months old. It's a process we call teething. It's not fun. If you're a parent, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Number seven, the average person spends about 38.5 days brushing their teeth over a lifetime. Now that's more than a month of brushing. And yet, most people don't brush for the full recommended two minutes each time. So there's a tip here that I really like. They say to pick a song that you like that is two minutes long.

or maybe a segment of a song that is two minutes long, and brush to it. That'll ensure you're getting those full two minutes of brushing. Eczema isn't always obvious, but it's real. And so is the relief from Evglyss.

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You should not receive a live vaccine when treated with Epglys. Before starting Epglys, tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. Searching for real relief? Ask your doctor about Epglys and visit epglys.lily.com or call 1-800-LILY-RX or 1-800-545-5979. Number eight, sharks can grow thousands of teeth in a lifetime. Unlike humans, shark teeth are constantly being replaced. When one falls out, another just pops into its place.

Some sharks can go through 20,000 to 30,000 teeth over their lifetime. Crazy. Number nine, electric toothbrushes really do clean better.

Multiple studies have shown that electric toothbrushes remove more plaque and reduce gum disease better than manual brushes, especially the oscillating ones that rotate in circles. 10. Fear of the dentist is super common and totally normal.

About 36% of Americans have some level of dental anxiety, and 12% have extreme fear. The sounds, the smells, the bright light, it can feel overwhelming. But modern dentistry is much more patient-friendly nowadays. Lots of places like turning on calming music. If you're really afraid, you can use calming techniques.

And yeah, just be aware that you're not alone and your dentist probably wants you to feel comfortable. All right. So what's your takeaway from that list? I'm going to take care of my enamel and recharge my electric toothbrush. I like the idea also of turning on a song to ensure you brush for the full two minutes. I like that. What did you like from the list?

All right, it's time to hear the five-minute portion one last time. Perhaps this time you'll pick up more words from context. And once again, if you would like the bonus material for this episode so that you can get the pictures of key words, a video to practice your pronunciation, the transcript, and everything else, be sure to check out the links in the episode description.

they'll all be there. Without further ado, here's the lesson one last time. I care a lot about dental hygiene. On a daily basis, I floss, brush with fluoride toothpaste, and gargle with mouthwash. Unlike some people who dislike going to the dentist, my experience as a patient at the dentist or at dental clinics is

has been positive. My first memorable appointment was when I was about six years old. I remember walking nervously into the bright white dental clinic, holding my mom's hand. My brother was with us. The receptionist gave us a warm smile and told us to take a seat in the waiting room.

As my mom flipped through magazines, I sat in the chair next to her, focusing on the strange smell of the place. It was a weird mix of toothpaste, mouthwash, and cleaning products. When it was my turn, the dental assistant led me to the exam room and told me to sit down in the dental chair. A dental hygienist greeted me while snapping on a pair of rubber gloves and a mask.

She then put on my bib. Yes, a bib. Just like a baby. So I wouldn't get wet. But even at six years old, I felt silly. She leaned the chair back and flashed the blinding overhead light in my face. While staring down at me from close up, she told me to open wide. I listened.

I never understood why my dental hygienist insisted on chatting with me while my mouth was open. Where do you go to school? She'd ask. Oh, I'm in kindergarten at K.F. Jones, I said. Meanwhile, she used a dental mirror and probe to check for plaque, tartar, and cavities.

My mom had warned me about cavities before. She said I'd get cavities if I ate too many sweets and didn't brush my teeth. But plaque and tartar? The soft white stuff? And hard whitish yellowish stuff? Gross. Let's just say that during my deep cleaning, the hygienist informed me that to keep them at bay, I needed to floss more regularly.

She scraped the tartar away with a scaler, squirted water into my mouth, and had me rinse and spit into a suction tool that she jokingly called Mr. Thirsty. After finishing a fluoride treatment and polishing my teeth, the dentist came in. I wiped the drool off my face and looked at him. Dr. Lum was a family friend, and he wore a white lab coat that made him look like a scientist.

He showed me the x-rays of my teeth on a large screen and complimented me on my pearly whites. Because I had no cavities, I got a Polaroid picture taken of me, and it was hung on the wall. As a kid, I felt very proud. Then they sent me home with a goodie bag containing a toothbrush, floss, toothpaste, and a sticker. Overall, it was nothing to complain about.

Meanwhile, in the other examination room, my brother wasn't so lucky. His gums were swollen and bleeding, and his x-ray revealed tooth decay in not one, not two, but three molars. The dentist came in and gave him the news. He had cavities and would need to get fillings, or he would need to have his cavities filled.

I remember watching from across the hall as he got his shot of local anesthesia. When his mouth went numb, they started to drill and fill. The buzzing drill and the dental tray full of shiny tools made it seem like he was going through an intense surgery, and I was so glad it wasn't me. On the ride home, he groaned.

While my mom convinced him that if he hadn't gotten rid of his cavities, he would have ended up with a major toothache and maybe a root canal. I don't know if that's true. My mom is not a dentist. Lucas's cousin Ederson is, though. When it comes to extractions, implants, root canals, crowns, fixing cracked teeth…

And ordering dentures? He's your man. He can even take out wisdom teeth. He's what we'd call a dentist, but also an oral surgeon. Fortunately, we haven't needed his expertise yet. Knock on wood. When I lost my baby teeth, my permanent teeth started to grow in.

All over the place. The bottom ones were not only crowded, but crooked, and my two front teeth pushed through the gums, large and in charge. They were what we'd call buck teeth. To straighten them out, I eventually went to an orthodontist to get braces. He also gave me neck gear to correct my overbite. Oh, the memories.

At our monthly checkups, the highlight was choosing my rubber band colors, but getting braces tightened was the worst. My teeth were so sore I could barely eat. My mom likes to remind me of the time I cried over a chicken sandwich from Burger King. Embarrassing, right?

After two years of wires and rubber bands on my teeth, my orthodontist took a mold and finally got me a retainer. It was sparkly and blue, and it disappeared at some point because I never put it back in its case. We all lost our retainers at one point, didn't we? Since childhood, my dental work has been anticlimactic, other than a few issues here and there.

When I'm stressed, sometimes in my sleep, I grind my teeth. And I should probably wear a night guard, but I don't. Occasionally, my teeth are sensitive, which could be due to the grinding. But I still blame the sensitivity on whitening. Did you know that you can go overboard with whitening your teeth? After white comes see-through.

Anyway, in high school, I had an odd addiction to crest white strips, and my teeth have never been the same. Moral of the story is don't overuse whitening strips. Brush, floss, and use a tongue scraper to make your mouth clean. And of course, visit your dentist regularly.

That's it for today. Now go floss your teeth, brush your tongue, take care of your dental hygiene. I guarantee you won't be the only one benefiting from it, especially if you want to go give someone a big fat kiss tonight. Enjoy the rest of your day. Bye.

Thanks and hope to see you soon.

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Six months from now, you could be running a 5K, booking that dream trip, or seeing thicker, fuller hair every time you look in the mirror. Through HERS, you can get dermatologists-trusted, clinically proven prescriptions with ingredients that go beyond what over-the-counter products offer.

Whether you prefer oral or topical treatments, hers has you covered. Getting started is simple. Just fill out an intake form online and a licensed provider will recommend a customized plan just for you. The best part? Everything is 100% online. If prescribed, your treatment ships right to your door. No pharmacy trips, no waiting rooms, and no insurance headaches. Plus, you don't have to worry about your health.

Treatments start at just $35 a month. Start your initial free online visit today at forhers.com slash talk. That's F-O-R-H-E-R-S dot com slash talk. Tom Pounder products are not FDA approved or verified for safety, effectiveness, or quality. Prescription required. Price varies based on product and subscription plan. See website for full details, restrictions, and important safety information.