Lesson goal
In this lesson, the student learns to name teeth and gums, as well as describe simple dental problems. The focus of the lesson is basic complaints and the plural form of frequent nouns related to the topic.
New vocabulary
en tann — tooth
tenner — teeth
ei tann / en tann — tooth
tannkjøtt — gums, gum
en visdomstann — wisdom tooth
et hull — hole, cavity
tannverk — toothache
ising — tooth sensitivity
en betennelse — inflammation
ei tannfylling / en tannfylling — filling
en jeksel — molar
en fortann — front tooth, incisor
å gjøre vondt — to hurt, to cause pain
hovent — swollen
rød — red, reddened
Useful phrases
Jeg har tannverk. — I have a toothache.
Det er et hull i tannen. — There is a cavity in the tooth.
Tannkjøttet er rødt. — The gums are red.
Jeg har ising i tennene. — I have sensitivity in my teeth.
Det gjør vondt når jeg tygger. — It hurts when I chew.
Jeg tror jeg har en betennelse. — I think I have an inflammation.
Det gjør vondt i en jeksel. — A molar hurts.
Visdomstannen gjør vondt. — The wisdom tooth hurts.
Grammar
In this lesson, it is important to remember the plural forms of some nouns. The most frequent example is: en tann → tenner. This is a special form and must be learned separately. In speaking about health, the plural is used very often: tenner when talking about teeth in general, and tannen when referring to a specific tooth. It is useful to compare: en tann — one tooth, tenner — teeth, tannen — this tooth, tennene — these teeth. Following the same pattern, forms with the definite article often appear in phrases about symptoms: tannen, tennene, because the patient usually speaks about a specific problem.
Examples
Jeg pusser tennene hver morgen. — I brush my teeth every morning.
En tann gjør vondt. — One tooth hurts.
Tannen er veldig vond. — This tooth hurts a lot.
Jeg har vondt i tennene. — My teeth hurt.
Det er et hull i en jeksel. — There is a cavity in a molar.
Jeg har ising i tennene når jeg drikker noe kaldt. — I have sensitivity in my teeth when I drink something cold.
Tannkjøttet er hovent og rødt. — The gums are swollen and red.
Jeg tror det er en betennelse i tannkjøttet. — I think there is an inflammation in the gums.
Visdomstannen vokser ut. — The wisdom tooth is coming in.
Jeg trenger en tannfylling. — I need a filling.
Fortannen er skadet. — The front tooth is damaged.
Det gjør vondt når jeg spiser. — It hurts when I eat.