a trip to the dentist can be lots of fun

A Trip to the Dentist Can Be Lots of Fun! (1999)

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9780545891462

Scholastic Inc.

29 December 2015

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A trip to the dentist can be lots of fun. (DVD)

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(1999). A trip to the dentist can be lots of fun . R. Wortzel.

1999. A Trip to the Dentist Can Be Lots of Fun . R. Wortzel.

A Trip to the Dentist Can Be Lots of Fun R. Wortzel, 1999.

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A Trip To The Dentist Can Be Lots Of Fun

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SIMILAR ITEMS (based on metadata)

Pinatta's View: A Trip to the Dentist

(2000) 30 min. $14.95. Big Kids Productions (800-477-7811; <a href="http://www.bigkidsvideo.com/">www.bigkidsvideo.com</a>). PPR. Color cover. ISBN: 0-9700068-0-1. 1/30/2001

January 16, 2001

Rating: 3 of 5

Combining a very elaborate and deftly staged puppet show with live action footage and songs, Pinatta's View , which follows 4-year-old Emily on a trip to the dentist with her mom, features a nice interactive twist--by putting on the pretend Boggle Goggles, the audience can see what Emily sees and hear what Emily hears. Young viewers will learn about brushing and cleaning and plaque and flossing, and even though the “POV” shots through the Boggle Goggles of Emily having her teeth cleaned occasionally brought back unwanted flashbacks of scenes from Marathon Man , this video is in fact soothing and calming and should have the effect of relaxing any child who is making a first trip to the dentist. In addition, it's nice that the creators included the obligatory wait in the dentist's office as part of the video, although the interview with kids at the end of the tape about what they “liked best” about the tape seemed superfluous. Recommended, especially for those without similar fare such as A Trip to the Dentist Can Be Lots of Fun! ( VL -11/00). Aud: P. ( R. Ray )

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It’s time for Peppa and George to go to the dentist!Peppa and George are going to the dentist today. It’s George’s first visit, so he’s a little nervous but Peppa shows him that a trip to the dentist can be lots of fun!

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5 Ways to Make Your Child’s Trip to the Dentist Fun

5 Ways to Make Your Child’s Trip to the Dentist Fun: Unusual noises. Strange smells. People whose faces are hidden behind surgical masks. For a child, a trip to the dentist can cause some anxiety, but it doesn’t have to be that way.  It’s important to make your child’s trip to the dentist as comfortable as possible to set the groundwork for a lifetime of healthy habits. If you’re looking for ways to make dental visits fun, try some of the following tips.

1. Be sure to use a  pediatric dentist  who is great with children.

Does your dentist specialize in treating young patients? This can make a huge difference. The dentist you go to may not be the best choice for your child. However, there are some dentists who treat both adults and children, focusing on family dentistry. Many of them have treated three generations of patients!

2. Show off a “dental report card.”

Your child may be afraid that the dentist will find cavities, which lead to fillings. This worry can make them nervous. To encourage your children to develop good oral health habits,  print out this nifty calendar,  perhaps using stickers to show how well they’ve brushed their teeth. When it’s time to visit the dentist, proudly show off this report card! The health care team will be thrilled that your child is doing a great job, and positive reinforcement is incredibly effective.

3. Let your child wear a special shirt or costume when going to the dentist.

Who wouldn’t want to wear a Superman cape or princess gloves when going to the dentist? This may give children an extra dose of courage if they’re feeling a bit nervous. As long as the costume isn’t bulky and doesn’t make it difficult for the dentist to conduct an examination, it can provide a splash of fun. It’s a good chance to emphasize that dental health care professionals are part of a super team that stops the “bad guys” from harming teeth.

4. A few days before the appointment, introduce your child to Dudley the Dinosaur

Dudley is the official Jurassic ambassador of the American Dental Association (and he’s a lot friendlier and cuddlier than his “cousins” from the movies). Dudley’s adventures involve his first trip to the dentist, losing teeth and why it’s important to use a mouth guard. He always brushes his teeth. After all, a T-Rex has to have healthy gums!  You can follow his video adventures  before seeing the dentist. There are also several  tooth-related games and quizzes  that make waiting rooms more entertaining.

5. Plan a fun and educational reward.

If your child has consistently brushed his or her teeth and behaves well at the dental office, why not give him or her a reward that involves the whole family. A visit to the Fleet Science Center or New Children’s Museum would be a great educational opportunity, particularly if there’s a scheduled exhibit on germs, microbes or anatomy. Those present a great opportunity to reinforce the importance of healthy habits.

Don’t forget the train!

Of course, it helps a lot if your dentist has a kid-friendly office. Bright colors, cartoons, and a friendly atmosphere go a long way. At Dental Express, we’re partial to trains—and we’ve found that they’re popular with children of all ages. Most important, remember that your children take a lot of their cues from you. If you don’t demonstrate the importance of good oral health, how can you expect your children to do so? There are several ways to make a trip to the dentist more entertaining; the key is to select the one that is most effective for your child.

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Dentist Trip (Peppa Pig) Kindle Edition

• Part of series Peppa Pig
• Print length 24 pages
• Language English
• Grade level Preschool - Kindergarten
• Lexile measure AD480L
• Publisher Scholastic Inc.
• Publication date December 29, 2015
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• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00YD46DZ0
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scholastic Inc.; Nov edition (December 29, 2015)
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 29, 2015
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 2262 KB
• Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Not enabled
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• Print length ‏ : ‎ 24 pages
• #38 in Children's Pig Books (Kindle Store)
• #229 in Children's New Family Experiences Books
• #478 in Children's Pig Books (Books)

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• Publisher Scholastic Inc.
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Brushing Up on Dental English: How Role Plays Can Help Adult ESL Students Prepare for a Trip to the Dentist

A trip to the dentist can be a nerve-wracking experience when you speak the same language.  Now imagine sitting in that chair when you don’t speak the same language as the dentist! (Been there, done that; not fun!) Not only do you have to worry about the potential pain or discomfort that may come with the appointment, but you also have to navigate the language barrier. This is where role-play can come in handy!

Article Contents

What are role plays, and what’s their purpose in the classroom?

Role play is a language learning technique in which students act out a scene or conversation in order to practice their language skills. Role play can be an especially effective tool when it comes to preparing adult ESL students for a trip to the dentist. It allows students to practice the language they’ll need to use at the appointment and helps them feel more confident and prepared for the real thing.

By the way, make sure your students also understand the purpose of role-play and how it can be used to prepare them for a trip to the dentist. Now, let’s take a look at some practical tips for making role-play a successful tool in the classroom.

4 Tips for Making Role Play a Successful Tool in Preparing Adult ESL Students for a Dental Visit

So, how can you use role play to prepare adult ESL students for a trip to the dentist? Here are a few ideas:

Write a script. 

Writing a script is an important first step in using role play to prepare adult ESL students for a trip to the dentist. A script serves as a guide for the role play and helps students practice the language they’ll need to use during their appointment.

To write a script, start by listing the key phrases and questions that students will need to use during a trip to the dentist. This might include introductions, such as “Hello, my name is [name]” and “I’m here for a cleaning,” as well as questions they might have for the dentist, such as “Is this going to hurt?” and “How long will it take?”  Here are some more questions students might need or want to ask at the dentist’s:

• How often should I come in for a cleaning?
• Is it normal to feel some pain after a cleaning?
• What should I do if I experience a toothache outside of office hours?
• Is it safe to whiten my teeth?
• Do you accept my insurance plan?
• Can you give me a detailed estimate of how much this will cost?

You can also include any specific instructions or information that the dentist might give, such as instructions for aftercare or recommendations for at-home oral hygiene.  Here are some more sentences you might want to include in a role-play script:

• After your filling, avoid eating hard or crunchy foods for the next 24 hours.
• Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste to brush your teeth twice daily.
• Floss between your teeth at least once daily to remove plaque and prevent gum disease.
• Avoid sugary drinks and snacks to reduce your risk of cavities.
• Use a mouthwash to help kill bacteria.
• If you experience any discomfort or sensitivity after your cleaning, take an over-the-counter pain reliever and contact us if the issue persists.
• Don’t forget to schedule your next cleaning in 6 months.
• If you experience a toothache, rinse your mouth with warm water and use a cold compress on your cheek to reduce swelling. Contact us as soon as possible to schedule an appointment.
• Make sure to follow any post-surgery instructions provided by our staff to ensure a successful recovery.

Keep in mind that a script doesn’t have to be overly long or complicated. The goal might be to provide students with a basic outline of the conversation and give them the opportunity to practice using the language necessary for a trip to the dentist. As they become more comfortable with the script, you can encourage them to add their own words and ideas to make the role-play feel more natural and spontaneous. Of course, for some students, scripts they can use as is are the better option. You know your students. Choose accordingly.

But what if you don’t have the time or the mental energy to create scripts?  I know what that’s like! My students always LOVED it when I gave them scripts ready to use, but they had no idea how long it took me to craft those.

I’ve got a role-play resource perfect for practicing for a trip to the dentist!  It has scripts, scenario cards, vocabulary, dialogue prompts, and more. This takes the guesswork out of what to create and returns some free time to your life.

Use props: 

Using props can be a simple but effective way to make role play feel more realistic and engaging for adult ESL students preparing for a trip to the dentist. Props can help students get a better sense of the environment they’ll be in and give them something tangible to interact with during the role play.

Some props that students might bring in for a role play about a trip to the dentist could include a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, or mouthwash. You could also encourage them to bring in items like a dental mirror or a set of dental tools if they want to add a bit more realism to the role play.

Something else to consider is asking local dentists to donate oral care kits. These can be used as props for the role plays, and students could take home and use any unopened props.

In addition to helping students get a feel for the environment, using props can also be a fun and creative way to engage students in the role play. 

Incorporate some humor: 

While it’s important to cover the necessary language, it’s also okay to have some fun with a role-play about a trip to the dentist. For example, you could include a joke where the dentist tells the patient that she only has to floss the teeth that she wants to keep.  Here are some more examples of how you can incorporate humor and have fun with a dental role-play:

• Use props to create comedic situations: For example, the “dentist” could accidentally knock over a jar of dental instruments, or the “patient” could accidentally spill a (plastic) jar of cotton balls all over the floor.
• Include funny dialogue: You can encourage students to come up with their own jokes or funny lines to use during the role play. For example, the “dentist” could say something like, “I see you’ve been eating a lot of candy lately. Looks like we’ll have to get the drills out!”
• Add some physical comedy: You can encourage students to use facial expressions, gestures, and body language to add some humor to the role play. For example, the “patient” could act scared or nervous, while the “dentist” could act overly confident or silly.

By incorporating humor and having fun with the role play, you can make the learning experience more enjoyable and engaging for your students. Just be sure to still cover the necessary language and don’t play on any common fears a dentophobe might have.

Prepare for negative situations: 

While we hope our students’ dental appointments go smoothly, we should prepare them for any potential hiccups that may arise during a trip to the dentist. For example, you might role-play a scenario in which the student has a toothache or needs a filling. This will help them feel more prepared in case something unexpected comes up. Here are some more ways to prepare for negative situations in a dental role play:

Practice common phrases and vocabulary.

You can teach your students useful phrases and vocabulary they might need to communicate during a dental appointment, such as “I have a toothache,” “I need a filling,” or “I’m allergic to ___ medication.”

Role-play common negative scenarios.

Here are some potential negative scenarios that students could role-play to prepare for a trip to the dentist:

• A toothache: In this scenario, students can role-play experiencing a bad toothache and how to communicate their symptoms to the dentist. This might involve practicing language related to pain, swelling, and discomfort.
• A filling: students role-play needing to get a filling (or get one replaced) and asking questions about the process, such as the length of the procedure, how pain will be prevented, what the filling is made from, and how to care for the filling afterward.
• A tooth extraction: On a day when this specific one was in my lesson plan, I happened to have a student who had just had a tooth pulled the previous day. He was most convincing in portraying someone in pain and confused about the procedure. He came up with questions I hadn’t anticipated, and the result was that another student facing the same procedure at the end of the week felt more confident in making it out of there alive. (His words, not mine.)
• A crown that needs to be replaced: In addition to the usual questions as stated above, students can also practice asking about the cost of the replacement crown and any payment options.
• A dental emergency: In this scenario, students can role-play a situation in which they experience a dental emergency, such as a knocked-out tooth, and need to communicate the situation to the dentist and ask for immediate treatment. Tip: If you have particularly dramatic students, emphasize the gentleness needed if acting out how the emergency occurred. (Don’t ask.)
• A negative reaction to a numbing agent or pain medication: In this scenario, students can role-play a situation in which they have a negative reaction to a treatment, such as a severe allergic reaction to a medication, and need to communicate their symptoms to the dentist and ask for help. This is one I have personal experience with during a wisdom tooth extraction in Korea. I ended up in the ER next to what my co-worker kept saying was a dead body. Not fun. But it made a great story to engage students in creating their own!

Encourage students to ask questions and express their concerns.

Encouraging students to ask questions and express their concerns during the role play can be an effective way to help them feel more prepared for real-life situations. It can also help them practice using the language necessary to communicate their needs and concerns to the dentist.

Here are some specific ways you can encourage students to ask questions and express their concerns during the role play:

• Model it. Show students how to ask questions and express concerns by acting out a scenario in which you are the patient, and they are the dentist. This can help them see how to form questions and use appropriate language to communicate their needs.
• Give the exact language. Give students a list of common questions and concerns that they might have during a dental appointment, along with the vocabulary needed to ask those questions. This can help them feel more confident in their ability to communicate their needs.
• Limit yes/no. Encourage students to ask open-ended questions rather than yes/no questions. This will allow them to practice using more complex language and will also give them the opportunity to ask follow-up questions if needed.
• Encourage students to express their concerns. Your students might need to be told or reminded that it’s okay to express their concerns or ask for clarification if they don’t understand something. Encourage them to use phrases like “I’m sorry, could you repeat that?” or “I’m not sure I understand. Could you explain that in more detail?” to communicate their needs. This is especially crucial if they are from a culture that doesn’t question authority figures.

By preparing for negative situations in the role play, you can help your students feel more confident and better prepared for unexpected events that may arise during a real-life dental appointment.

Customizing Your Role Play: Tips for Tailoring to Various Language Proficiency Levels

There are several ways you can adapt a role-play activity to accommodate different levels of language proficiency in your class:

• Modify the length and complexity of the script: For lower-level learners, you may want to start with a shorter, simpler script that focuses on basic phrases and vocabulary. As students become more proficient, you can gradually increase the length and complexity of the script to challenge them.
• Use visual aids: Visual aids such as pictures or props can help support language learning and make the role play more accessible to learners at all levels. For example, you could use flashcards or a picture of a toothbrush to help students understand and practice new vocabulary.
• Encourage learners to use their own words: Rather than providing a script for learners to memorize, you can encourage them to use their own words to communicate in the role play. This can be especially helpful for more advanced learners ready to practice more spontaneous, authentic communication.
• Provide support and scaffolding: For lower-level learners, you may want to provide additional support and scaffolding to help them understand and participate in the role play. This could include providing a list of key vocabulary words, offering prompts or hints during the role play, or breaking the role play into smaller, more manageable chunks.
• Differentiate roles: You can assign different roles to learners based on their language proficiency level. For example, you could assign a more advanced learner to play the role of the dentist, while a lower-level learner could play the role of the patient. This can help ensure that learners are challenged at an appropriate level.

Overall, the key to adapting role-play activities for different levels of language proficiency is to be flexible and adjust the activity to meet the needs of your learners. By modifying the length and complexity of the script, using visual aids, encouraging learners to use their own words, providing support and scaffolding, and differentiating roles, you can help ensure that all learners are able to participate and benefit from the activity.

In conclusion, role play is an effective tool for helping adult ESL students feel more prepared and confident for a trip to the dentist. By using props, incorporating humor, and practicing for potential negative situations, you can create a dynamic and realistic role-play experience that helps students practice the language they’ll need and feel more comfortable during their actual appointment. By leveraging the benefits of role-play, you can help your students feel more confident and capable of handling the challenges that may arise during a real-life trip to the dentist.

Keep reading about using role plays in adult ESL!

• The Amazing Power of Role Plays in Adult ESL
• Role Plays for Adult ESL: 4 Impressive Reasons to Use Them
• Everyday Role Plays Perfectly Tailored for Adult ESL: 3 Easy Steps

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The Unrelenting Shame of the Dentist

He seems reluctant to let my teeth go home with me.

This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here.

My dentist is my enemy. But first, here are three new stories from The Atlantic :

• The truth about organic milk
• Britain is leaving the U.S. gender-medicine debate behind.
• Trump has transformed the GOP all the way down.

Clean Teeth, Weak Spirit

When you’re a kid, the dentist’s office is a frightening place full of loud noises and sharp instruments. But at least people speak softly to you, and at the end of all the scraping and scrubbing, you get a pat on the back and a little prize from a treasure box.

When you are an adult, there are no prizes. There is only pain.

The dentist’s office is the only place in the modern health-care system where I still expect to be unrelentingly shamed. My normal doctor tolerates me well enough, and the nurse who takes my blood pressure there is always warm and kind. My dermatologist laughs at my jokes. But my dental hygienist? She would never.

Seconds after entering the exam room, the hygienist—let’s call her Deb—is annoyed. She looks at the screen to see what she is dealing with and sighs as if to say, You again . She snaps on her rubber gloves. “All the way up,” Deb says, because I am not yet reclined on the chair. I smile nervously and go horizontal, as instructed, my legs sticking to the vinyl.

It’s important to mention, before we go any further, that I have a decent set of chompers. They are relatively straight, and a color I will call “pleasantly off-white.” I have never had a cavity as an adult; I do not drink soft drinks; I do not regularly eat candy. My breath is … fine, I think. Could I be flossing more? Sure. Should I be brushing more gently? Probably. But I am, at least in my own estimation, a pretty good—if not ideal—dental patient. Deb does not agree.

If I am due for an X-ray, Deb will spend the next few minutes jamming pointy shapes into all corners of my mouth, ignoring when I wince. Surely an X-ray would be a cinch , you might think to yourself. But you would be wrong. Normal body X-rays are straightforward, painless. Dental X-rays are stabby, pinchy. How have we, as a society, not yet found a pain-free way to send electromagnetic waves through jaws? I cannot ask Deb this question, because she is elbow-deep in my mouth, wedging plastic into my gums.

Next, we begin the cleaning process, which is very complex and involves more sighing from Deb. First, she scrapes the plaque off of my teeth with a tool that is ominously called a “scaler” and sounds like nails on a chalkboard. Then she uses her mechanical brush to grind gravelly mint toothpaste across my molars. So far, so good , I tell myself, breathing through it. Then the flossing begins. Deb performs the first vigorous round with regular floss, which breaks at least once. My gums burn and bleed. “Are we flossing regularly?” Deb asks, tilting her head to give me a better view of her judgmental frown. “Yes, but not this hard,” I reply. Then Deb does a second round of flossing with some kind of ice-cold water spout, and I dissociate.

After my soul has returned to my body, Deb offers to do a fluoride treatment for an additional $30 out of pocket. “No, thank you,” I reply politely, spitting blood into the sink. Deb frowns and says, “Next time.”

Now the dentist appears. In real life, I might find this smiling, bespectacled man sweet. But here, in this place, he is my enemy. He studies my X-rays and tells me the good news: no cavities, all clear. I start to feel hopeful; he starts to sell me Invisalign. He tells me how small and dangerously close together my teeth are. “You don’t have any issues now, but without Invisalign, you could have some serious problems down the road,” he says, a grave expression on his face. But I have already fallen for this once, when I purchased an ill-fitting Invisalign night guard for $300. “No, thank you,” I say again. I just want to go home.

“Get a new dentist!” you might advise. I have thought of this, my friend. Shopping for a new health-care provider requires time and motivation that I simply don’t have. But much more important, a new dentist doesn’t seem likely to solve the problem. Because the problem is with dentistry itself. It goes beyond the judgy bedside manner: The whole industry seems too focused on selling products and too eager to overtreat patients with expensive procedures. Plus, many standard dental treatments are “not well substantiated by research,” as Ferris Jabr once wrote in this magazine.

The dentist digs around in my mouth for a while, his cold metal tools clinging and clanging together. After a moment, he clears his throat and asks the very last question I am expecting to hear: “So, do you think Donald Trump could really win?” It is kind of my dentist to remember that I work as a political reporter; I’m sure he’s trying to brighten up this experience for me. But the only thing more unpleasant than trying to talk with your mouth full of sharp metal instruments is trying to talk about the 2024 presidential election with your mouth full of sharp metal instruments. I force a smile, as my mouth hangs open like a snake’s unhinged lower jaw. “Who knows!” I muster.

Finally, it’s over. My teeth are glimmering, but my spirit is weak. When I leave the room, Deb and the dentist watch me, their eyes downcast, as though they’re reluctant to let my teeth go home with me.

My ego will be sore for a week. So will my mouth. I have a cap on one of my front teeth because of an unfortunate apple incident a few years back. Two weeks ago at the dentist’s, that cap came loose after some overeager flossing and digging. I can feel it right now, wiggling slightly in the front of my mouth, taunting me. I’m trying to ignore it, because the truth is hard to face: The only fix is a return to the dentist.

• The truth about dentistry
• Why dentistry is separate from medicine

Today’s News

• The House passed a modified surveillance bill that reauthorizes a section of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act for two years, two days after some House Republicans voted against an earlier version of the bill.
• President Joe Biden canceled $7.4 billion in student-loan debt, affecting roughly 277,000 people. The move is separate from his announcement earlier this week about a large-scale plan to forgive some or all student loans for some 30 million people.
• A driver ran an 18-wheeler truck into a Department of Public Safety office in Brenham, Texas, seriously injuring multiple people. The suspect is in custody, according to police.
• The Books Briefing : The Children’s Bach , by Helen Garner, is an oblique and beautiful book , Gal Beckerman writes.
• Atlantic Intelligence : AI has drastically improved voice recognition —a technology that researchers have long struggled with, Caroline Mimbs Nyce wrote this week.

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Evening Read

Tupperware Is in Trouble

By Amanda Mull

For the first several decades of my life, most of the meals I ate involved at least one piece of Tupperware. My mom’s pieces were mostly the greens and yellows of a 1970s kitchen, purchased from co-workers or neighbors who circulated catalogs around the office or slipped them into mailboxes in our suburban subdivision. Many of her containers were acquired before my brother and I were born and remained in regular use well after I flew the nest for college in the mid-2000s … The market for storage containers, on the whole, is thriving … But Tupperware has fallen on hard times. At the end of last month, for a second year in a row, the company warned financial regulators that it would be unable to file its annual report on time and raised doubts about its ability to continue as a business, citing a “challenging financial condition.” Sales are in decline. These should be boom times for Tupperware. What happened?

Read the full article.

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Stephanie Bai contributed to this newsletter.

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