Present Simple
This tense is used to talk about actions that happen regularly or facts.
Question: "I usually ____ (brush) my teeth twice a day."
brush
This tense is used to talk about actions completed in the past.
Question: "Yesterday, I ____ (visit) the dentist for a check-up."
visited
This tense describes actions happening right now.
Question: "I ____ (brush) my teeth at the moment."
am brushing
This tense describes actions that were in progress at a specific time in the past.
Question: "I ____ (brush) my teeth when the phone rang."
was brushing
"The ____ is the muscle in the mouth that moves food around and helps with articulation."
tongue
We use the present simple with action verbs for general habits.
Question: "She ____ (floss) after every meal."
flosses
The past simple of "eat" is irregular.
Question: "I ____ (eat) a lot of sugary foods last week."
ate
We use this tense for actions happening at this very moment.
Question: "The dentist ____ (examine) the patient's teeth right now."
is examining
We use the past continuous to describe two actions happening at the same time in the past.
Question: "While the patient ____ (wait) in the lobby, the assistant ____ (prepare) the room."
was waiting and was preparing
"The ____ is the soft tissue at the back of the roof of your mouth that moves during swallowing."
soft palate
This verb is irregular in the present simple third-person singular form.
Question: "He ____ (go) to the dentist every six months."
goes
For regular verbs in the past, you add ____ to the base form of the verb.
Question: "They ____ (clean) their teeth thoroughly yesterday."
cleaned
Present continuous is used for actions that are in progress around the present time.
Question: "She ____ (take) x-rays of the patient’s mouth this afternoon."
is taking
We often use this tense to emphasize the duration of an action in the past.
Question: "She ____ (study) dental anatomy all day yesterday."
was studying
"The ____ is the bony part of the roof of your mouth, located toward the front."
hard palate
The present simple is used to describe general truths, like how often you should perform actions.
Question: "Dentists ____ (recommend) brushing with fluoride toothpaste."
recommend
This sentence describes a completed action in the past using a common irregular verb.
Question: "I ____ (see) the dentist for a cleaning last Friday."
saw
This tense can also describe temporary actions.
Question: "I ____ (study) dental hygiene at this moment."
am studying
This tense is used to show that an action was happening when another event occurred in the past.
Question: "I ____ (clean) my tools when the dentist ____ (arrive)."
was cleaning and arrived
"The ____ is the space inside the mouth that contains the teeth, gums, tongue, and other structures."
oral cavity
This auxiliary verb is used in questions with the present simple tense.
Question: "____ you brush your teeth before breakfast?"
Do
You often use this verb form to describe actions completed in the past with a specific time reference.
Question: "He ____ (finish) his dental hygiene course last year."
finished
This tense describes actions happening right now or around the present time.
Question: "Right now, the dentist ____ (treat) a patient, and the dental hygienist ____ (clean) the tools."
is treating, is cleaning
This sentence involves two simultaneous actions in the past using past continuous.
Question: "While the patient ____ (undergo) a cleaning, the dental hygienist ____ (review) the x-rays."
was undergoing and was reviewing
"The ____ is the small, teardrop-shaped tissue that hangs down from the soft palate."
uvula