Lesson 49

 

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The phone is ringing

Doctor: Hello. “Dentus” Dental Surgery. How can I help?

The patient’s mother: Hello, Doctor. Here is Iwona Kowalska speaking. I’m your patient. I’m calling about my daughter. Today at school children had a talk and my daughter asked me, why her teeth have not been sealed, if she’s already seven years old.

Doctor: Indeed. At the age of 7 she should have her first permanent teeth that should be sealed to prevent caries. Sealant isolates fissures from bacteria and sweets and thus they do not decay. If you would like to perform this procedure with your daughter, then we can make an appointment.

The patient’s mother: Yes. I would like to do it. When can we come?

Doctor: Maybe tomorrow at 5 p.m.

The patient’s mother: Perfect. My daughter is after school, and I am finishing work at 3 p.m. It fits our schedule. By the way, is this procedure commonly carried out?

Doctor: Yes. This procedure is commonly used. You can seal not only the first molars, but also the second molars and premolars. This procedure is particularly recommended for children who have dental caries in primary teeth.

The patient’s mother: I understand. My daughter Ania had her milk teeth treated by you, so I think it’s better to seal her permanent teeth. Is this procedure painful? How much does it cost?

Doctor: The cost is not high. Preserving 4 teeth will be as much as one filling is. And of course, this treatment is completely painless. So, I’ll see you tomorrow.
 
The next day

The patient’s mother: Good afternoon, Doctor. We are here.

Doctor: Hello, Ladies. Ania sit on the chair, please. Open your mouth wide, yes that’s right. Let me check your teeth carefully before I do anything. Everything is fine. The grooves are healthy, so I can seal them.

Patient: And is it going to hurt?

Doctor: No, it will not. I told your mom that yesterday. You’ll just have to sit still, because I have to keep an ideal dryness during the procedure.

Patient: OK, Doctor.

Doctor: Can I have a word with you Madam? Your daughter already has all 4 molars. They are healthy, so I can seal them. I’ll apply sealant on the first two teeth, what will take approximately 20 minutes, and if it turns out that your daughter handles it well, I’ll apply sealant on the other two teeth. Then you’ll not have to come to see me again.

The patient’s mother: That would be great. Next week holidays are starting and we’re planning to go for a short vacation.
 
After 45 minutes
Doctor: Ania was so patient that I sealed all 4 teeth.

The patient’s mother: I am glad to hear that. Won’t this sealant wipe off?

Doctor: Of course it’ll wipe off a little. That’s why you need to take regular check­‍‑ups and if it turns out that the sealant wiped off, it is sufficient to reapply it.

The patient’s mother: So should we see a dentist on a regular basis?

Doctor: A check­‍‑up should come once every six months.

The patient’s mother: Therefore, we will come in six months. Goodbye, Doctor!

Doctor: Goodbye!
 
 

VOCABULARY PRACTICE

Match the following titles with a proper explanation of the Tooth Sealing Process step. Put the steps of the procedure in the right order

  • CURING THE SEALANT
  • CLEANING THE TOOTH
  • CHECKING THE BITE
  • CONDITIONING THE TOOTH’S SURFACE
  • APPLYING THE SEALANT
  • EVALUATION OF THE ETCHING STEP
  • EVALUATING THE SEALANT


A.
_____________________________

After washing the etching gel off, and using his/her air gun to blow the tooth dry, the dentist will check how the tooth looks like. The part of the tooth that has been treated should look frosty and dull. Now the dental sealant is able to stay in place because it can grasp onto (bond to) this roughened surface.

B. _____________________________

The dentist will spread “etching” gel over that area where the dental sealant will be placed.

Once he/she gets it positioned properly, he/she will allow the gel to sit for 60 seconds or so, and then wash it off. This step prepares the tooth’s surface so the sealant will be able to bond to it.

C. _____________________________

The dentist will also need to check the way other teeth bite against the tooth. The dentist doesn’t want the sealant’s thickness to interfere with the way things normally close together.

D. _____________________________

When the liquid sealant is positioned properly, the dentist will set it.

E. _____________________________

While the tooth is still dry, the dentist will dab the sealant (a liquid plastic) into the grooves of the tooth.

F. _____________________________

When the dentist has finished curing the sealant, it’s fully hardened and ready to be used.

Of course, the dentist will want to evaluate their work. For example, they’ll check to see that all of the grooves have been filled in sufficiently.

G. _____________________________

The dentist will place a small brush in their dental drill to remove all debris from the grooves and fissures so the sealant bonds to the surface of the tooth properly.

 

Proper order of the Tooth Sealing Procedure is:

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4 

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rearrange these words to create pieces of advice or information for your patients.

  1. teenagers/children/and/are/candidates/for/obvious/sealants.

…........................................................................................................................................................

  1. it/sealant/only/a few/for/your/takes/each/minutes/or/hygienist/to/apply/the to/seal/tooth/dentist.

…........................................................................................................................................................

  1. teeth/can/decay/protect/the/from/years/to/sealants/for/up/10.

…........................................................................................................................................................

  1. as/as/the/remains/long/the/from/tooth/sealant/surface/will/be/intact,/protected/decay.

…........................................................................................................................................................

  1. the/of/decay/risk/significantly/sealant/after/decreases/application.

…........................................................................................................................................................


Write a word to complete the definition. The initial letter is provided as a hint.

1. F____________ – a developmental break or fault in the tooth enamel.

2. C____________ L__________ – a piece of dental equipment that is used for polymerization of light cure resin based composites.

3. B____________ (verb) – to combine, unite, strengthen.

4. G_____________ – a small linear depression on the surface of a tooth.

5. D ____________ H__________ – a licensed dental professional. They are a primary healthcare professional who works independent of, or alongside dentists and other dental professionals in a team to provide full oral health care.

Lesson 49 answers Lesson 49 answers