Booking an appointment
Most dental clinics take bookings by phone, and many now also take them online, which is worth using if your listening is still developing. The phone call is short: say it is your first visit, say what the problem is in one line, and take the time offered.
Say whether it is urgent. Clinics keep space for pain cases, and itami ga aru, I am in pain, will often get you seen the same day where a routine cleaning would be booked two weeks out.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 予約をお願いしたいのですが。 | Yoyaku o onegai shitai no desu ga. | I would like to make an appointment. |
| 初めてなんですが、大丈夫ですか。 | Hajimete na n desu ga, daijōbu desu ka. | It is my first visit. Is that all right? |
| 歯が痛くて、できれば早めにお願いしたいです。 | Ha ga itakute, dekireba hayame ni onegai shitai desu. | My tooth hurts, so I would like to come as soon as possible. |
| 今週の夕方は空いていますか。 | Konshū no yūgata wa aite imasu ka. | Do you have anything in the evenings this week? |
| 保険証を持っていきます。 | Hokenshō o motte ikimasu. | I will bring my insurance card. |
| クリーニングだけでもお願いできますか。 | Kuriiningu dake demo onegai dekimasu ka. | Could I book just a cleaning? |
Describing the problem
Three pieces of information cover almost any dental complaint: which tooth, what kind of pain, and when it happens. Pointing handles the first, and the second and third have small fixed vocabularies.
The distinction that matters clinically is between pain on contact with something and constant pain. Tsumetai mono ga shimiru, cold things sting, is a different problem from zukizuki suru, a throbbing ache, and saying which one you have shortens the diagnosis considerably.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| この歯が痛いです。 | Kono ha ga itai desu. | This tooth hurts. |
| 右の奥の歯です。 | Migi no oku no ha desu. | It is the back tooth on the right. |
| 冷たいものがしみます。 | Tsumetai mono ga shimimasu. | Cold things make it sting. |
| 噛むと痛いです。 | Kamu to itai desu. | It hurts when I bite. |
| ずきずきします。 | Zukizuki shimasu. | It is throbbing. |
| 一週間ぐらい前からです。 | Isshūkan gurai mae kara desu. | It started about a week ago. |
| 詰め物が取れました。 | Tsumemono ga toremashita. | A filling has come out. |
| 歯茎から血が出ます。 | Haguki kara chi ga demasu. | My gums bleed. |
Shimiru is the specific verb for the sharp sting from cold or sweet things. It has no direct English equivalent and dentists ask about it constantly.
The instructions you will hear in the chair
Once treatment starts you cannot easily ask for a repeat, so these are worth learning in advance. They are short, they are the same at every clinic, and there are only about eight of them.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| お口を開けてください | okuchi o akete kudasai | Please open your mouth |
| もう少し大きく | mō sukoshi ōkiku | A little wider |
| 噛んでください | kande kudasai | Please bite down |
| うがいしてください | ugai shite kudasai | Please rinse |
| 痛かったら手を上げてください | itakattara te o agete kudasai | Raise your hand if it hurts |
| 麻酔をします | masui o shimasu | I will apply anaesthetic |
| 少しチクッとします | sukoshi chiku tto shimasu | There will be a small prick |
| 水が出ます | mizu ga demasu | Water is coming |
| はい、終わりました | hai, owarimashita | All right, we are finished |
Understanding the treatment plan
Ask two questions before treatment starts: how many visits it will take, and whether it is covered by insurance. Both answers change how you plan and both are asked routinely by Japanese patients.
The multiple-visit structure is normal and is not a sign of a problem. A root canal in particular is typically several appointments. Knowing that in advance prevents the common foreign-resident experience of thinking something has gone wrong.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 何回ぐらいかかりますか。 | Nan-kai gurai kakarimasu ka. | About how many visits will it take? |
| 保険は適用されますか。 | Hoken wa tekiyō saremasu ka. | Is it covered by insurance? |
| だいたいいくらぐらいになりますか。 | Daitai ikura gurai ni narimasu ka. | Roughly how much will it cost? |
| 今日は何をしますか。 | Kyō wa nani o shimasu ka. | What will you do today? |
| 自費の場合はいくらですか。 | Jihi no baai wa ikura desu ka. | How much if it is not covered? |
| 次の予約はいつがいいですか。 | Tsugi no yoyaku wa itsu ga ii desu ka. | When should the next appointment be? |
| 抜かないといけませんか。 | Nukanai to ikemasen ka. | Does it have to be extracted? |
Jihi means at your own expense and is the word for anything outside insurance. Asking about jihi options up front avoids a surprise at the counter.
The vocabulary
Dental vocabulary is small and stable, and the words below cover nearly everything you will hear at a clinic.
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| Tooth | 歯 | ha |
| Gums | 歯茎 | haguki |
| Cavity | 虫歯 | mushiba |
| Filling | 詰め物 | tsumemono |
| Crown | 被せ物 | kabusemono |
| Extraction | 抜歯 | basshi |
| Anaesthetic | 麻酔 | masui |
| Cleaning, scaling | クリーニング / 歯石取り | kuriiningu / shisekitori |
| Plaque and tartar | 歯垢・歯石 | shikō, shiseki |
| Wisdom tooth | 親知らず | oyashirazu |
| Root canal treatment | 根管治療 | konkan chiryō |
| X-ray | レントゲン | rentogen |
Cleanings and check-ups
Routine cleaning is covered by insurance in Japan when it is treated as part of managing gum health, and many clinics will suggest a schedule of visits. A cleaning appointment often comes with instruction on brushing, which is delivered seriously and is worth listening to.
You can book a cleaning without a problem to report, and doing so is the easiest possible first visit to a Japanese dentist: no pain, no urgency, and a chance to get used to the clinic and its vocabulary before you need it.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 歯のクリーニングをお願いしたいのですが。 | Ha no kuriiningu o onegai shitai no desu ga. | I would like a dental cleaning. |
| 定期検診をお願いします。 | Teiki kenshin o onegaishimasu. | I would like a regular check-up. |
| 歯石を取ってもらえますか。 | Shiseki o totte moraemasu ka. | Could you remove the tartar? |
| 磨き方を教えてください。 | Migakikata o oshiete kudasai. | Please show me how to brush. |
| どのくらいの頻度で来ればいいですか。 | Dono kurai no hindo de kureba ii desu ka. | How often should I come? |
| 特に問題はありませんか。 | Toku ni mondai wa arimasen ka. | Is there anything in particular to worry about? |
Leaving, paying and coming back
Payment is at the counter as you leave, and with insurance the patient share for a routine visit is usually modest. You will be given a receipt and, if medicine was prescribed, a prescription to take to a pharmacy.
The next appointment is normally booked before you leave, which is why the multi-visit structure works. If you cannot commit, say so; clinics are used to rescheduling and will call to arrange.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| お会計をお願いします。 | Okaikei o onegaishimasu. | The payment, please. |
| 次回の予約を取りたいのですが。 | Jikai no yoyaku o toritai no desu ga. | I would like to book the next appointment. |
| 来週の同じ時間は空いていますか。 | Raishū no onaji jikan wa aite imasu ka. | Is the same time next week available? |
| 痛み止めは出ますか。 | Itamidome wa demasu ka. | Will I be given painkillers? |
| 今日は食事に気をつけることはありますか。 | Kyō wa shokuji ni ki o tsukeru koto wa arimasu ka. | Is there anything to be careful about with eating today? |
| ありがとうございました。失礼します。 | Arigatō gozaimashita. Shitsurei shimasu. | Thank you very much. Goodbye. |
Asking about eating is worth doing after any filling or anaesthetic. The answer is usually a specific number of hours, and it is easy to miss if it is said while you are still numb.