At the Dentist

Handling an emergency dental visit while traveling.

You
Buenas tardes. Tengo un dolor de muela terrible. ¿Me pueden atender hoy?
BWEH-nahs TAHR-dehs. TEHN-goh oon doh-LOHR deh MWEH-lah teh-RREE-bleh. meh PWEH-dehn ah-tehn-DEHR oy?
Good afternoon. I have a terrible toothache. Can you see me today?
'Muela' specifically means molar/back tooth. For a front tooth, say 'diente'. Dental care in Latin America is often much more affordable than in the US.
Dentist
Sí, siéntese aquí. Abra la boca. ¿Dónde le duele exactamente?
see, see-EHN-teh-seh ah-KEE. AH-brah lah BOH-kah. DOHN-deh leh DWEH-leh ehk-SAHK-tah-MEHN-teh?
Yes, sit here. Open your mouth. Where exactly does it hurt?
You
Aquí atrás, del lado izquierdo. Creo que se me rompió un diente.
ah-KEE ah-TRAHS, dehl LAH-doh eez-kee-EHR-doh. KREH-oh keh seh meh rohm-pee-OH oon dee-EHN-teh.
Back here, on the left side. I think I broke a tooth.
Useful direction words: 'izquierdo' (left), 'derecho' (right), 'arriba' (top), 'abajo' (bottom), 'atrás' (back), 'adelante' (front).
Dentist
Necesitamos una radiografía. No se preocupe, lo vamos a arreglar.
neh-seh-see-TAH-mohs OO-nah rah-dee-oh-grah-FEE-ah. noh seh preh-OH-koo-peh, loh VAH-mohs ah ah-rreh-GLAHR.
We need an X-ray. Don't worry, we're going to fix it.
You
¿Cuánto va a costar? No tengo seguro dental.
KWAHN-toh vah ah kohs-TAHR? noh TEHN-goh seh-GOO-roh dehn-TAHL.
How much will it cost? I don't have dental insurance.
Always ask about cost upfront. Many dental offices in Latin America offer very reasonable rates and may give discounts for paying in cash.