Dental Care
Pre-Listening
As a general rule, how often do you brush your teeth? Describe your routine.
Listen and Read
Listen to the recording on dental care, answer the questions, and then read along with the audio recording.
Listening Quiz
Select the best answer for each question, then press Check Answers.
Use arrow keys to choose between options within each question.
1. The man brushes his teeth for _____.
2. The man uses an electronic toothbrush.
3. The man keeps his toothbrush his _____.
Every morning, I brush my teeth right after I eat breakfast. I put a little toothpaste on my toothbrush and then brush for about two or three minutes. I brush up and down to reach the spaces between my teeth. I also use dental floss to remove food particles between my teeth. I used to use an electronic toothbrush, but it didn’t work very well.
I’m also using a tooth whitening kit to whiten my teeth because I think a brighter smile will make a better impression on people and will give me more self-confidence. When I finish brushing, I rinse my mouth and my toothbrush. Then, I put my toothbrush away in the bathroom medicine cabinet.
Vocabulary and Expressions From the Audio
- toothpaste (noun): a paste or gel used with a toothbrush to clean teeth
- She squeezed a small amount of toothpaste onto her toothbrush before brushing.
- dental floss (noun): a thin thread used to clean between teeth
- The dentist reminded him to use dental floss every day to remove food from between his teeth.
- particles (noun): very small pieces or bits of something
- Brushing after meals helps remove food particles that can cause cavities.
- tooth whitening kit (noun): a product used at home to make teeth look whiter and brighter
- She used a tooth whitening kit for two weeks before her wedding to brighten her smile.
- rinse (verb): to wash something with water or liquid, usually to clean or remove something
- After brushing, he made sure to rinse his mouth out with water.
- bathroom (noun, US usage): the room in a home where you brush your teeth, shower, and use the toilet
- She keeps all of her dental care products in the bathroom.
- medicine cabinet (noun): a small storage cabinet, usually in the bathroom, used to store personal care and health products
- He grabbed his toothpaste from the medicine cabinet above the sink.
Discussion
What problems can happen if you don’t brush regularly? Do you avoid certain foods or drinks that cause tooth decay?
Online Investigation
Not all toothbrushes and toothpaste are the same. Use the internet to find three different brands of toothpaste and/or toothbrushes and compare the benefits of each.
Online Listening Practice (from www.esl-lab.com):
- Friendly Dental Care: Listening Conversation
- Dental Care: Vocabulary Building