Okuzeka
Dentistry vocabulary · Patient Communication and Instructions

Open wide

Meaning in dentistry, with examples

phraseCore term

In dentistry, open wide means: A short instruction asking the patient to open the mouth as far as is comfortable, so that the dentist can see and reach the back teeth.

In Turkish: ağzınızı iyice açın, geniş açın

How it is used

Said many times a day at the dental chair, usually softened with 'please' or 'for me': 'Open wide for me.' Related instructions are 'a little wider', 'close halfway' and 'turn towards me'.

Example sentences

  1. Open wide for me, please. A little wider... lovely.

  2. If it's hard to keep your mouth open wide, raise your hand and we'll take a break.

Common collocations

  • open wide for me
  • open a little wider
  • open as wide as you can
  • bite downTo close the teeth together firmly, for example on a piece of gauze after an extraction or on a holder while an X-ray is taken.
  • rinseTo move water or another liquid around the mouth and then spit it out. As a noun, it can mean a mouthwash or the act of rinsing.
  • numbUnable to feel anything in part of the body for a while, as the lip, tongue and cheek are after a local anesthetic. It is also a verb: to numb an area.
  • mouth mirrorA small round mirror on a handle used to see surfaces that are hard to view directly, reflect light into the mouth and hold the cheek or tongue out of the way.

More terms: Patient Communication and Instructions

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.