Long Listening · Section 5

Dentist

Personally, I don't like this topic at all because I don't like going to the dentist.

Level: A2 · 61 sentences

Transcript

  1. Personally, I don't like this topic at all
  2. because I don't like going to the dentist.
  3. But it's a pretty important topic,
  4. so why don't we talk about it?
  5. In the US, going to the dentist is a normal part of people's lives.
  6. Many people go to the dentist once,
  7. twice, or three times a year for routine checkups.
  8. During a normal checkup, the dentist cleans your teeth
  9. and checks to see if you have any major problems.
  10. I hate the way that dentists clean teeth
  11. because for me, it feels really uncomfortable.
  12. First, they use a tool to scrape off all the plaque.
  13. Plaque is the stuff
  14. that forms on your teeth from eating things such as sugar.
  15. It's not good to have a lot of plaque,
  16. so the dentist removes it during your checkup.
  17. I think it's uncomfortable when they do this, but I know it's necessary.
  18. Sometimes, the dentist needs to remove plaque from around your gums.
  19. Your gums are the pink parts above and below your teeth.
  20. If your gums are unhealthy, they can bleed
  21. when the dentist cleans your mouth.
  22. When I was younger, my gums would always bleed during my dentist appointments.
  23. So after the dentist removes your plaque,
  24. they usually brush and floss your teeth. Then they check for cavities.
  25. If you don't take good care of your teeth,
  26. it's easy to develop cavities. Children often get a lot of cavities
  27. because they eat a lot of sugar
  28. and they don't clean their teeth well.
  29. I had three cavities when I was younger,
  30. but now I take better care of my teeth.
  31. I hope I don't get any more cavities in the future.
  32. Nowadays, I usually brush my teeth twice a day
  33. and I floss twice a day too.
  34. In the US, it's normal for people
  35. to brush their teeth in the morning
  36. and at night, but many people don't floss.
  37. I rarely flossed when I was younger,
  38. and it was the same for most of my friends.
  39. But now it feels really weird
  40. if I don't floss because I've developed the habit.
  41. How about you? How often do you brush and floss your teeth?
  42. So another reason why people go
  43. to the dentist or orthodontist is for braces.
  44. I got braces when I was 21
  45. and I had them until I was 23.
  46. I really hated having braces.
  47. They looked horrible and they made it really hard to clean my teeth.
  48. I remember how much I hated flossing when I had braces.
  49. I'm glad I don't have them anymore.
  50. Lastly, let's talk about the price of going to the dentist or orthodontist.
  51. In the US, many people have dental insurance,
  52. which covers most of the cost.
  53. But if you don't have insurance, it can be really expensive.
  54. In other countries, it's much cheaper.
  55. For example, in Mexico, it's cheap
  56. and easy to see a dentist or get braces.
  57. You probably don't need insurance because the price usually isn't that high.
  58. But of course, some procedures are more expensive than others,
  59. and it could be a lot of money
  60. if you need a lot of work done on your mouth.
  61. But overall, dental care is much more expensive in the US.