Going to the dentists

Katrina needs to go the dentist for a check up.

She finds the number for her local dentist on the NHS website.

Katrina rings the dentist and asks for an appointment.

Katrina tells the receptionist (person on the phone) that she has a learning disability.

The receptionist asks Katrina if she needs any reasonable adjustments (helpful changes).

Katrina says she would like to bring someone with her to the appointment to help her be calm.

Katrina says she needs the dentist to not use long difficult words.

She says that she might need extra time to understand everything the dentist says.

The receptionist writes these things down for the dentist.

The receptionist tells Katrina the date and time of her appointment.

Katrina goes to the dentist on the day of her appointment. She brings a friend with her.

Katrina tells the receptionist she has come to see the dentist.

Katrina waits in the waiting room until her name gets called.

When the dentist calls her name, Katrina goes into a treatment room and her friend comes too.

The dentist explains clearly what he is going to do and asks if Katrina has any questions.

Katrina asks the dentist what equipment he is going to use to check her teeth.

The dentist shows Katrina what he is going to use, like a mirror and a light.

The lights are bright, so Katrina wears sunglasses. She has headphones to block out noise.

Katrina doesn’t like the smell of the dentist’s surgery so she brings a scarf that has a smell she is used to.

When Katrina says she is ready, the dentist looks at her teeth.

The dentist also feels Katrina’s neck, under her jaw and around her chin for any lumps.

When the dentist has finished, he tells Katrina that her teeth are healthy. Katrina can go home.

The dentist tells Katrina when he wants her to come back and she makes another appointment.

 If you have trouble spitting or swallowing you might want to use a toothpaste that doesn’t foam.