Chinese Dentist Vocabulary and Phrases

In this post I will provide vocabulary and phrases you will need when visiting a dentist.

Be sure to check out my post on how to use your credit card for payment in Chinese.

How to say one tooth or two teeth in Chinese

The measure word for teeth, otherwise known as a classifier, is the character 颗kē (kē) and is pronounced kē. When you want to say “one tooth” or “two teeth” you would write this as:

• One tooth: 一yī颗kē牙yá齿chǐ (yī kē yáchǐ)
• Two teeth: 两liǎng颗kē牙yá齿chǐ (liǎng kē yáchǐ)

As you may know, in Chinese you do not modify the worth when talking about one tooth or multiple teeth, in both cases it is 牙yá齿chǐ (yáchǐ).

If you want to know more about classifiers, check out my post on Chinese Classifiers: What are they and how to use them as well as my complete list of Mandarin Chinese classifiers and measure words.

Types of Teeth in Chinese

• incisors, your very front teeth are 门mén齿chǐ in Chinese and pronounced ménchǐ, literally “doorway – teeth”
• canines, the teeth on either side of your incisors are 犬quǎn齿chǐ in Chinese and pronounced quǎnchǐ, literally “canine – teeth”
• molars are your very back large teeth and are 臼jiù齿chǐ in Chinese and pronounced jiùchǐ, literally “mortar – teeth”
• premolars are the teeth between your canines and molars and are 前qián臼jiù齿chǐ in Chinese and pronounced qián jiùchǐ, literally “infront – molars”

Chinese Vocabulary for visiting the Dentist

English	Chinese	Pinyin Pronunciation	Literal Translation
tooth ache	牙yá疼téng	yá téng	tooth – pain
filling	补bǔ牙yá	bǔyá	to repair – tooth
filling	補bǔ牙yá	bǔyá	to path/repair – tooth
to make a big deal / drama out of something	小xiǎo题tí大dà做zuò	xiǎotídàzuò	small – problem – big – act (ado/fuss)
bad tooth	坏huài牙yá	huài yá	bad – tooth
to pull out (extract) a tooth	拔bá牙yá	báyá	pull – tooth
to pull out (extract)	拔bá掉diào	bá diào	pluck – lose
pull out a tooth	拔bá掉diào一yī颗kē坏huài牙yá	bá diào yī kē huài yá	pull – one unit of – bad tooth
tooth	牙yá齿chǐ	yáchǐ	tooth – tooth
to rinse your mouth	漱shù口kǒu	shù kǒu	to rinse – mouth
to spit out	吐tǔ掉diào	tǔ diào	to spit – drop
mouth wash	漱shù口kǒu水shuǐ	shù kǒushuǐ	to rinse – mouth – water
fouride	氟fú	fú	flourine
gingivitis	牙yá龈yín炎yán	yáyín yán	tooth – gum – flame
pain	疼téng痛tòng	téngtòng	hurt – pain
root canal	根gēn管guǎn	gēn guǎn	root – pipe
tootache	牙yá痛tòng	yátòng	tooth – pain
abscess	脓nóng肿zhǒng	nóngzhǒng	puss – swollen
cavity	蛀zhù牙yá	zhùyá	terminte – tooth
chew	咀jǔ嚼jué	jǔjué	chew – chew
false teeth (dentures)	假jiǎ牙yá	jiǎyá	fake – teeth
erosion	侵qīn蚀shí	qīnshí	to encroach – to enrode
loose (tooth)	松sōng动dòng	sōngdòng	loose – to move
dental chair	牙yá科kē椅yǐ	yákē yǐ	dentistry – chair
dental chair (dentist diagnosis chair)	牙yá医yī的de诊zhěn疗liáo椅yǐ	yáyī de zhěnliáo yǐ	tooth doctor – diagnosis – chair
X-ray	XX 射shè线xiàn	X shèxiàn	X – shoot – line
dental x-ray	牙yá科kēXX光guāng	yákē X guāng	dentistry – X – light
sealant	封fēng闭bì剂jì	fēngbì jì	seal – close up – dose

Chinese Phrases for visiting the Dentist

English	Chinese	Pinyin Pronunciation
How much did your trip to the dentist cost?	你nǐ到dào牙yá医yī那nà边bian晃huàng一yī圈quān花huā了le多duō少shǎo钱qián？?	nǐ dào yáyī nà biān huǎngyī quān huāle duōshǎo qián?
See the dentist regularly. Go at least once a year.	经jīng常cháng看kàn牙yá医yī，,每měi年nián至zhì少shǎo一yī次cì。.	Jīngcháng kàn yáyī, měinián zhìshǎo yīcì.
His mother took him to the densit’s clinic	他tā的de妈mā妈ma带dài他tā到dào牙yá医yī诊zhěn所suǒ。.	Tā de māmā dài tā dào yáyī zhěnsuǒ.
The desntist told me I need to get a filling.	牙yá医yī告gào诉sù我wǒ需xū要yào去qù补bǔ牙yá。.	Yáyī gàosù wǒ xūyào qù bǔyá.
I have a bad toothache.	我wǒ牙yá疼téng得de厉lì害hai。.	Wǒ yá téng dé lìhài.
I’ve got to make an appointment to see my dentist	我wǒ得děi跟gēn牙yá医yī预yù约yuē一yī下xià去qù看kàn看kan。.	Wǒ dé gēn yáyī yùyuē yīxià qù kàn kàn.
See your dentist at least once a year.	每měi年nián至zhì少shǎo见jiàn一yī次cì你nǐ的de牙yá医yī。.	Měinián zhìshǎo jiàn yīcì nǐ de yáyī.
I’ve got to see the dentist tomorrow.	我wǒ明míng天tiān得děi去qù看kàn牙yá科kē医yī师shī。.	Wǒ míngtiān dé qù kàn yákē yīshī.
The dentist injected the anesthetic into my gums.	牙yá医yī注zhù射shè麻má醉zuì剂jì进jìn我wǒ的de牙yá龈yín	Yáyī zhùshè mázuìjì jìn wǒ de yáyín
I completely forgot.	我wǒ全quán给gěi忘wàng了le..	wǒ quán gěi wàngle.
She is going to be a dentist when he grows up.	她tā长zhǎng大dà后hòu打dǎ算suàn当dāng牙yá科kē医yī生shēng。.	Tā zhǎng dà hòu dǎsuàn dāng yákē yīshēng.
When was the last time you had your teeth cleaned by a dentist?	您nín最zuì后hòu一yī次cì洗xǐ牙yá是shì什shén么me时shí候hou	Nín zuìhòu yīcì xǐ yá shì shénme shíhòu
The dentist rid him of the pain by taking out his bad tooth.	牙yá科kē医yī生shēng把bǎ他tā的de坏huài牙yá拔bá掉diào，,使shǐ他tā免miǎn除chú痛tòng苦kǔ。.	yákē yīshēng bǎ tā de huài yá bá diào, shǐ tā miǎnchú tòngkǔ.
The dentist took out his bad tooth yesterday.	昨zuó天tiān医yī生shēng拔bá掉diào了le他tā的de一yī颗kē坏huài牙yá｡｡	Zuótiān yīshēng bá diàole tā de yī kē huài yá.
When you go to the dentist, bring your insurance card with you.	到dào牙yá医yī必bì须xū带dài上shàng你nǐ的de保bǎo险xiǎn卡kǎ。.	Dào yáyī bìxū dài shàng nǐ de bǎoxiǎn kǎ.
I have to go to the dentist at 1:30.	我wǒ要yào在zài一yī点diǎn半bàn去qù看kàn牙yá。.	Wǒ yào zài yīdiǎn bàn qù kàn yá.
You should talk to your dentist	跟gēn你nǐ的de牙yá医yī谈tán谈tán吧ba。.	Gēn nǐ de yáyī tán tán ba.
Incisors are the eight teeth at the front of your mouth — four at the top, and four at the bottom.	门mén牙yá是shì分fēn布bù于yú口kǒu腔qiāng前qián部bù的de八bā颗kē牙yá齿chǐ，,四sì颗kē在zài上shàng，,四sì颗kē在zài下xià。.	Ményá shì fēnbù yú kǒuqiāng qián bù de bā kē yáchǐ, sì kē zài shàng, sì kē zàixià.
One of my incisors is loose	我wǒ的de一yī颗kē门mén牙yá松sōng动dòng。.	Wǒ de yī kē ményá sōngdòng.
Does the back tooth ache?	这zhè颗kē臼jiù齿chǐ疼téng吗ma？?	Zhè kē jiùchǐ téng ma?
Adults have eight premolar teeth, next to each canine tooth in the upper and lower jaw.	成chéng人rén长zhǎng有yǒu八bā颗kē前qián臼jiù齿chǐ，,分fēn别bié位wèi于yú上shàng下xià颚'è犬quǎn齿chǐ的de后hòu端duān。.	Chéngrén zhǎng yǒu bā kē qián jiùchǐ, fēnbié wèiyú shàng xià’è quǎnchǐ de hòu duān.

Chinese Teeth and Brushing Vocabulary

English	Chinese	Pinyin Pronunciation	Literal Translation
Floss (Dental floss)	牙yá线xiàn	yá xiàn	tooth – thread
to clean	清qīng洁jié	qīngjié	clean – clean
to pick/floss your teeth)	剔tī牙yá	tì yá	to pick – tooth
tooth paste	牙yá膏gāo	yágāo	tooth – paste
to sqeeze toothpaste	挤jǐ牙yá膏gāo	jǐ yágāo	to press – tooth – paste
tube (of toothpaste)	管Guǎn子zǐ	guǎnzi	tube
gum	牙yá龈yín	yáyín	tooth – gum
cup	被bèi子zi	bèizi	cup
enamel	珐fà琅láng质zhì	fàlángzhí	enamel – white
breath	口kǒu气qì	kǒuqì	mouth – air

Chinese Teeth and Brushing Phrases

English	Chinese	Pinyin Pronunciation
My teeth are going yellow.	我wǒ的de牙yá齿chǐ有yǒu点diǎn黄huáng。.	Wǒ de yáchǐ yǒudiǎn huáng.
Remember to floss your teeth every morning.	记jì得de每měi天tiān早zǎo上shang都dōu要yào用yòng牙yá线xiàn来lái清qīng洁jié牙yá齿chǐ。.	Jìdé měitiān zǎoshang dōu yào yòng yá xiàn lái qīngjié yáchǐ.
Use floss to clean your teeth	用yòng牙yá线xiàn洁jié牙yá。.	Yòng yá xiàn jié yá.
Did you floss your teeth?	你nǐ用yòng牙yá线xiàn剔tī牙yá吗ma？?。.	Nǐ yòng yá xiàn tì yá ma?.
squeeze the last bit of toothpaste	挤jǐ出chū最zuì后hòu一yī点diǎn牙yá膏gāo。.	Jǐ chū zuìhòu yīdiǎn yágāo.
How much is the tube of toothpaste?	这zhè管guǎn牙yá膏gāo多duō少shǎo钱qián？?	Zhè guǎn yágāo duōshǎo qián?
A (one) tooth brush	一yī支zhī牙yá刷shuā。.	Yī zhī yáshuā.
How much is a tooth brush?	这zhè一yī支zhī牙yá刷shuā多duō少shǎo钱qián？?	Zhè yī zhī yáshuā duōshǎo qián?
A (one) tube of toothpaste	一yī管guǎn牙yá膏gāo。.	Yī guǎn yágāo.

Types of Dentist in Chinese

This is a list of some of the ways to say dentist or other types of Dentist in Chinese

English	Chinese	Pinyin Pronunciation	Literal Translation
Dentist	牙yá医yī	yáyī	tooth – doctor
Dentistry	牙yá科kē	yákē	tooth – field/division
Dentist	牙yá科kē医yī师shī	yákē yīshī	dentistry – doctor
dental technician	牙yá科kē技jì师shī	yákē jìshī	dentistry – technician
dental surgeon	牙yá医yī生shēng	yá yīshēng	tooth – doctor
orthodontist	整zhěng牙yá医yī生shēng	zhěng yá yīshēng	repair – tooth – doctor