Mandarin Monday: Avoid Pulling Teeth With These Phrases to Use at the Dentist

There’s always been a shroud of fear when it comes to dentists. Maybe it’s the pain or the sound of the drill or the sight of a massive needle entering your precious mouth. Who knows. Either way, when you add a language barrier to that existing, wide-spread stigma, the result is that many foreigners living in Beijing put off going to the dentist for as long as possible/forever.

Of course there are fantastic international dental hospitals in Beijing, but the price difference between international and local clinics are jarring. If you’ve got good insurance or are simply loaded, by all means, go to an international hospital. Otherwise, take your broke ass to a local clinic and treat it as a way to learn a bunch of new vocabulary.

Your local options

There are two types of local treatment centers that you can visit in Beijing when the teeth hurt: local hospitals or local private clinics. If you’ve been to a local hospital in Beijing, then you’ll be familiar with the process; it involves a lot of queuing and being passed back and forth. Local hospitals are the cheapest option, but hygiene is not their best suit and the doctors won’t coddle you since they have an unending line of patients. The second option is a local private clinic, which we highly recommend. They are affordable, cleaner than local hospitals, and there’s no queuing involved. Costs vary depending on the clinic, but are still significantly cheaper than at international dental hospitals.

Making an appointment and procedures

If you’re going to a local hospital to seek dental treatment, there's usually appointment required. Simply go to the hospital, take a number, and wait in line. On the contrary, if you’re going to a local private hospital, the process is the same as going to any dentist in the world: you have to make an appointment ahead of time. You can do so by calling ahead or stopping by the clinic yourself. Look for a clinic outside of large hospitals with the words 口腔医院 (kǒuqiāng yīyuàn), simply meaning ‘dental hospital.'

  • I would like to make a dental appointment 我想做牙科预约。 Wǒ xiǎng zuò yákē yùyuē

If you already know which procedure you need, it's best to let the receptionist know and ask for an approximate quote (How much is the price? 价格多少钱?Jiàgé duōshǎo qián?) instead of going into the appointment blindly. Here is how to say some basic dental procedures: 

  • I want to get an oral check up. 我想要口腔检查。 Wǒ xiǎng yào kǒuqiāng jiǎnchá.
  • I have a cavity. 我有虫牙。 Wǒ yǒu chóngyá.
  • I need to get a tooth filling. 我需要补牙。 Wǒ xūyào bǔyá.
  • I need a root canal. 我想要做根管治疗。 Wǒ xiǎng yào zuò gēn guǎn zhìliáo.
  • I need a tooth extraction/wisdom tooth extraction. 我需要拔牙/拔智齿 。Wǒ xūyào báyá/ bá zhìchǐ.
  • I need to get braces. 我需要得到牙套。 Wǒ xūyào dédào yátào.
  • I want to get my teeth cleaned. 我想要清洁牙齿 。Wǒ xiǎng yào qīngjié yáchǐ.
  • I want to get my teeth whitened. 我想要牙齿美白。 Wǒ xiǎng yào yáchǐ měibái.
  • I need veneers. 我需要牙贴。 Wǒ xūyào yá tiē.

Describing symptoms

If you don’t know what’s causing your discomfort, you can explain your symptoms to the dentist. Even if you describe the symptoms poorly, it’s better for the dentist to have a gist of what’s wrong or where the source of the pain is coming from. Most likely, they will do an X-ray (拍x光片 pāi x guāng piàn) to further determine the cause. Here is how to say some basic dental pain symptoms:

  • This tooth hurts. 这颗牙疼。 Zhè kē yá téng.
  • My upper/lower right/left molar hurts. 我的左/右上/下磨牙疼 。Wǒ de zuǒ/yòu shàng/xià móyá téng.
  • I have pain in my front teeth. 我的门牙疼 。Wǒ de ményá téng.
  • This tooth is sensitive to temperature. 这颗牙齿对温度敏感 。Zhè kē yáchǐ duì wēndù mǐngǎn.
  • I broke a tooth. 我破了一颗牙。 Wǒ pòle yī kē yá.
  • My crown fell off. 我的牙冠脱落了。 Wǒ de yá guān tuōluòle.
  • I have a build up of plaque on my teeth. 我的牙齿上有龋齿 。Wǒ de yáchǐ shàng yǒu qǔchǐ.
  • My teeth are yellow and need to be cleaned. 我的牙齿是黄色的,需要清洁。 Wǒ de yáchǐ shì huángsè de, xūyào qīngjié.

Paying

When it comes to paying the bill, make sure you know how much the procedure costs upfront. Like any other hospital, there tend to be additional costs, so be crystal clear on what you’re getting charged for to avoid confusion and imminent "I got ripped off" rage. Local private clinics also have a lot of deals and discounts, so don’t be afraid to ask for one.

  • Do you accept this type of insurance? 您们接受这种类型的保险吗?Nǐnmen jiēshòu zhèzhǒng lèixíng de bǎoxiǎn ma?
  • What type of insurance do you accept? 您们接受什么类型的保险?Nǐnmen jiēshòu shénme lèixíng de bǎoxiǎn?
  • What is this additional cost for? 这附加费用是什么呢?Zhè fùjiā fèiyòng shì shénme ne?
  • Do you accept foreign credit cards? 您接受外国信用卡吗?Nǐn jiēshòu wàiguó xìnyòngkǎ ma?
  • Do you have any discounts at the moment? 您现在有打折吗?Nín xiànzài yǒu dǎzhé ma?
  • Can you give me an invoice? 您能给我发票吗?Nín néng gěi wǒ fāpiào ma?

Going to a local dentist in a country where you don’t speak the language fluently can be very intimidating, but when push comes to shove (aka when the toothache becomes unbearable), some things just need to be done. The truth is, once you overcome the initial fear of dentists in general, all you need to do is memorize or make a note of basic dental terms that are relevant to your condition. After that, all you need to do is have a little courage to step into the clinic (and hope you don't get the window seat).

After you leave your first dental appointment in Beijing, we guarantee a wave of relief will wash over you. You’ll not only feel better physically but also mentally – now that you’ve navigated a local dentist in China, you can pretty much do anything. Just remember: the stigma is real, people, and you mustn’t be afraid to overcome it.

Key Vocab

Appointment 预约 yùyuē
Cavity 虫牙 chóngyá
Dental braces 牙套 yátào
Dental crown 牙冠 yá guān
Dentist 口腔医院 kǒuqiāng yīyuàn
Insurance 保险 bǎoxiǎn
Oral check up 口腔检查 kǒuqiāng jiǎnchá
Plaque 龋齿 qǔchǐ
Root Canal Treatment 根管治疗 gēn guǎn zhìliáo
Teeth cleaning 清洁牙齿 qīngjié yáchǐ
Teeth veneer 牙贴 yá tiē
Teeth whitening 牙齿美白 yáchǐ měibái
Toothache 牙疼 yá téng
Tooth decay 蛀牙 zhùyá
Tooth extraction 拔牙 báyá
Tooth filling 补牙 bǔyá

Types of teeth

Molar 磨牙 móyá
Premolar前磨牙 qián móyá
Canine 犬齿 quǎnchǐ
Front teeth 门牙 ményá

Read more articles by this author here.

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Images: oralanswers, melisa, healthcuretipsomhs

Comments

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Very timely post, as I was suffering from jaw pain and I was thinking how to communicate it to dentist.

I went to the one and she started hitting my teeth one by one. While doing so, she was asking is it hurting, I kept saying no. She then made an other round, by hitting harder, so I had to say yes, it's hurting here. She looked happy to reveal and confirmed by asking, Tooth No. 6 is hurting?

After a thorough checkup she reached to the conclusion that I need some 'cleaning'. I brush daily, twice a day, I told her. Therefore, before going for cleaning (which I didn't ask how much money it will take) I want to try some Mouth-wash. She said Okay, and gave me some antibiotics.

Luckily, the pain has gone and I won't need to go to a dentist in Beijing at least till near future.

~~“Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” ~~.