At the dentist’s

Once I had had a toothache for several days, but I couldn’tpluck up courage to go to the dentist. As a matter of fact I went to his office twice, but just as I got on his doorstep and was going to ring the bell the toothache seemed to have gone away, so I went home again. But at last I had to go back, and this time I rang the bell and was shown into the waiting-room.

There were a number of magazines there, and I had just got in the middle of an exciting story when the maid came in to say Mr. Puller was ready to see me – I’ll have to wait for the next toothache to finish the story.

Well, I went into the surgery (the room where a doctor or dentist gives advice or treatment) and he told me to sit in a chair that he could move up and down, backwards and forwards, and then he had a look at the inside of my mouth. He put a little mirror on a long handle inside my mouth and poked about for a while, then he looked serious and said. “Yes, I’m afraid we can’t save that one, it will have to come out.” I asked him to give me an injection. He filled a syringe with some medicine. I felt a little prick on the gum and then he injected the liquid. He did this in two or three places and waited for a minute or so.

My mouth felt rather dead. Then he took a pair of forceps, gripped the tooth, gave a twist, then a pull, and the tooth was out. I could see it and hear it but I couldn’t feel it. Then he said, “It’s all over. Spit in there and then wash your mouth out with this disinfectant.”

67

Answer the questions.

1. Who did the man consult when he had a toothache?

2. Why was the man reluctant to see the dentist?

3. How did the dentist begin to examine the patient?

4. How did the dentist prepare the patient for an injection?

5. What did the dentist do to pull the tooth out?

6. What did the doctor recommend the patient to do?

68

Explain the meanings of the following words and word combinations in English and use them in situations of your own.

1. to pluck up one’s courage 2. waiting-room 3. to poke about 4. to fill a syringe 5. to feel a prick on the gum 6. to give an injection

7. a pair of forceps 8. to grip a tooth 9. to give a twist 10. to spit in 11. disinfectant 12. surgery

69

Choose the right form.

1. Dentists recommend brushing teeth with a fluoride toothpaste to…… them from decay.

a) arm b) defend c) guard d) protect

2. Have you got toothache? Your face looks ……

a) big b) enlarged c) expanded d) swollen

3. I had to have two ….. when I went to the dentist last week. a) cavities b) fillings c) paddings d) refills

4. She always pays ….. visits to the dentist.

a) customary b) habitual c) normal d) regular

5. The dentist told him to open his mouth ….. .

a) broad b) greatly c) much d) wide

6. He ….. when the dentist touched the bad tooth.

a) alarmed b) dreaded c) laughed d) winced

7. Robert is very ….. about the cost of his dental treatment.

a) ashamed b) pained c) sorry d) worried

8. I'm ….. having to pay yet another visit to the dentist.

a) afraid b) dreading c) frightened d) terrified

9. The ….. in one of my teeth has come out, so I'm going to the dentist.

a) cover b) completion c) filling d) replacement

10. He made a note of the appointment with his dentist in his ….. .

a) diary b) directory c) journal d) register

11. She phoned her dentist to say she was unable to ….. her appointment.

a) arrive b) hold c) keep d) stand

12. She put ….. going to the dentist although her teeth needed attention.

a) away b) in c) off d) out

13. The small girl had to have four teeth ...... because they were so bad.

a) broken b) pulled c) taken away d) taken out

14. The loss of a front tooth has left an unsightly ….. in her teeth.

a) gap b) hole c) slot d) space

15. In some countries more and more young people now need ….. teeth.

a) false b) spare c) unnatural d) untrue

70

Fill in the blanks with the words below. You may need to change the form оf the words. Each word can be used only once.

cavity cement dentist dentures disease equipment

examine fill gums interval lose nerve

pain practice preventive tooth treat treatment