PLAYERS

PLAYERS: The Teeth Time^™ deck is intended for 2 to 6 players. For more players, additional decks may be required.

OBJECT: To be the first to play all cards onto the playing field. The winner is the player with the lowest total score.

EQUIPMENT: One deck of 124 cards: 26 each of red, blue, yellow, and green cards labeled “A” through “E,” and “1” through “8,” plus several multicolor face cards: one “Dentist” (Take Penalties) card, one “Tooth Fairy” (Take Primary) card, one “Gumpster” (Draw to Ten) card, two “Prevention” (Reverse) cards, two “Cavity” (Draw 2) cards, two “Broken Tooth” (Draw 4) cards, four “Implant” (Wild) cards, four “Bridge” (Wild) cards, two “Toothache” (Skip) cards, and one Meld/Scoring card.

PLAY: One player is chosen to be the dealer, who shuffles the deck and deals out a hand of ten face down cards, one at a time, to each player. Players hold their ten cards in hand so that other players cannot see them. The remaining deck is placed face down in the center of the play area, to become the draw pile. The top card of the draw pile is placed face up next to the draw pile to become the discard pile. If the draw pile begins with a face card, the first player may pick it up, but the action of the card does not apply to that player. The game starts with the player to the left of the dealer, and progresses to the left. In turn, a player draws one card - either the top card from the draw pile, or the top card from the discard pile - and adds it to the player's hand. The player ends the turn by discarding one card of choice onto the discard pile. If the draw pile runs out, the discard pile is shuffled and turned over to become the new draw pile. Play begins with each player trying to complete the minimum initial Meld specified for that hand. Melds are composed of letter and/or number Sets and Runs, each with a minimum of 3 or 4 cards, depending on the hand. During the turn that a player successfully makes the initial Meld in hand, they may “go down” (lay the Meld face up on the playing field in front of them). During that turn, and for all remaining turns in the game, the player may add additional cards to their initial Meld, create new 3+ card Sets and Runs, or add cards to other Sets and Runs that have been played on the field. A player may play any face card (except a “Wild” card) during any turn; however, a player may not lay any tooth card down on the field, except a discard, prior to making the initial Meld. The Meld must be complete before laying it down. During a turn, no card may be played prior to taking a draw card.

EXAMPLES: A player making an initial Meld of a Set of “6’s” and a Run of “2,” “3,” “4,” and “5” may also immediately play a “1” to extend the Run. The next player in the same hand lays down an initial Set of “2’s” and a Run of “A,” “B,” “C,” and “D.” If that player has a “6,” it may be played on the first player's Set of “6's,” or it may extend the “1,” “2,” “3,” “4,” and “5” Run.

The Melds for the eight hands of a match are:

CHOOSING THE GAME SKILL LEVEL: Game play difficulty may be adjusted according to the skill level of the players. All participants must play using the same chosen skill level.

BEGINNER: Sets and Runs are made with no restrictions on the colors of the cards. “Wild” cards may not be taken from played Sets or Runs.

INTERMEDIATE: Sets and Runs are made with no restrictions on the colors of the cards. During a turn, “Wild” cards may be taken from Runs on the playing field (see “Wild Cards”). “Wild” cards may not be taken from Sets.

ADVANCED: Sets may be any combination of colors, but all cards in a Run must be the same color. During a turn, “Wild” cards may be taken from Runs on the playing field (see “Wild Cards”). “Wild” cards may not be taken from Sets.

PULLING A TOOTH: When a player places a card onto the discard pile, and another player desires it, that player may immediately call “Pull It!” indicating their wish to have the discarded card. If the next player does not wish to draw the discarded card, then prior to that player’s normal draw, the first person that called out may take the discard for a penalty of one additional card to be drawn from the draw pile along with the “pulled” card. The “pulling” player does not discard, and play resumes as normal with the next player drawing the next card from the draw pile only. Players may “pull” as many cards as desired in a hand. Only the last discarded card may be pulled.

SETS: A Set is made of three or more cards of any color, with the same number or letter. As long as there is at least one tooth card, there is no limit to the number of “Wild” cards in a Set. “Wild” cards in a Set are always considered “dead” and may not be removed.

RUNS: A Run is made of three or more cards, numbered or lettered in order. There can be no more than 5 cards (A-E) in a primary Run, and no more than 8 cards (1-8) in a permanent Run, even if “Wild” cards are used. Letters and numbers may not be mixed.

EXAMPLE: A Run of 3 could be “B,” “C,” and “D,” or “2,” “3,” and “4.”

FACE CARDS: Face cards in the deck are: Bridge, Implant, Toothache, Cavity, Broken Tooth, Gumpster, Dentist, Tooth Fairy, and Prevention. When a player has, or draws, a face card, the player may play it immediately during their turn, discard it, or save it for a later turn. All face cards, except “Wild” cards (Bridge and Implant), may be played during any turn, regardless of Melds. Any face card may be used as a normal discard with no action taken, and, if desired, the next player may pick it up as their normal draw card.

WILD CARDS: “Wild” cards (Implant or Bridge) may be used in place of any number or letter card, of any color, in any position. As long as there is at least one tooth card, any number of “Wild” cards may be used in a Set or Run. A player may not play a “Wild” card anywhere else on the field before their initial Meld is laid down. A “Wild” card may be used to extend a Run on the field in order to connect to another card from a player's hand. Players may take a “Wild” card from a Run by replacing it with the card for which the “Wild” card is substituting (except when playing the “Beginner” skill level). A “Wild” card captured in this way may be held in hand, used during the same turn to make a new Set or Run, or added to a Set or Run already on the field.

EXAMPLES: A player wants to make a Run of 4, but only has cards “2,” “3,” and “5.” The player may use a “Wild” card as a “4” to complete the Run. When there is an “A,” “B,” “C” Run on the field, a player may place a “Wild” card in the “D” position and then play an “E”at the end of the Run.

NOTE: As long as there is as least one tooth card, there is no limit to the number of “Wild” cards that may be used to complete, or add to, a Set or Run, up to the maximum number of cards allowed in the group. “Wild” cards played in a Set are considered “dead” and cannot be taken.

PENALTY CARDS: Penalty cards (Skip, Draw, and Gumpster) may be played on any opponent during the player’s turn, regardless of whether or not any player has made the initial Meld. The penalty action is performed before the normal draw on the receiving player’s next turn, unless rescued by the dentist, or the game ends. Multiple penalty cards may be played in a turn; however, no more than one penalty card may be played on any one player in a single turn. If a player receives more than one penalty card before their next turn, all action is taken during their next turn in the order the penalties were received, except “Skip Turn,” which is always performed after all other penalty actions are completed.

SKIP CARDS: When played face up in front of an opponent, a “Skip” card causes that opponent to lose their next turn. If a player receives other penalty cards along with a “Skip,” all of the penalty actions are performed during the skipped turn. To avoid confusion, once the player has skipped their turn, the “Skip” card is turned face down to show that the action has been taken.

DRAW CARDS: When played face up in front of an opponent, a “Draw” card causes that opponent to draw the specified number of cards from the draw pile on their next turn, just before their normal draw. To avoid confusion, once the player has drawn the indicated number of cards, the “Draw” card is turned face down to show that the action has been taken.

GUMPSTER CARD: When played face up in front of an opponent, the “Gumpster” card causes that opponent to draw from the draw pile the number of cards needed to bring their hand up to ten cards total (not including any cards that have been laid on the playing field). The “Gumpster” draw is made on the player’s next turn, just before their normal draw. To avoid confusion, once the player has drawn the indicated number of cards, the “Gumpster” card is turned face down to show that the action has been taken.

DENTIST CARD: When played face up in front of the holder during a turn, the player states, “I am the Dentist!” and immediately picks up all penalty cards (Skip, Draw, and Gumpster) that have been played on the field - even ones that have not yet been acted on. These are placed in a pile with the “Dentist” card in front of the holder. The “Dentist” card and all retrieved penalty cards will subtract points from the holder's score at the end of the hand. Only penalty cards that have been played in previous turns may be picked up in this way, not any cards played in the same turn. Once the “Dentist” card has been used, it cannot be used again to pick up additional cards in the same hand. Note: A player that has a “live” penalty card taken by the dentist is no longer required to perform the penalty action on their next turn.

TOOTH FAIRY CARD: When played face up in front of the holder during a turn, the player states, “I am the Tooth Fairy!” and immediately picks up all primary (letter) cards that have been played on the field (including all “Wild” cards acting as primary teeth). These are placed in a pile with the “Tooth Fairy” card in front of the holder. The “Tooth Fairy” card and all retrieved primary cards will subtract points from the holder's score at the end of the hand. Only primary and “Wild” cards that have been played in previous turns may be picked up in this way, not any cards played in the same turn. Once the “Tooth Fairy” card has been used, it cannot be used again to pick up additional cards in the same hand.

PREVENTION CARD: The “Prevention” card may be played face up in front of the holder during a turn to immediately REVERSE the direction of play, or it may be held for use as the “WHAMMY” - When a penalty card (Skip, Draw, or Gumpster) is played on an opponent who holds the “Prevention” card in hand, the opponent may lay the “Prevention” card face up in front of them, which causes the penalty card to be reversed and placed face up in front of the original player, who must draw the specified number of cards from the draw pile on their next turn, or skip their next turn, as indicated. Then, to avoid confusion, once the player has drawn the indicated number of cards, or skipped their turn, the penalty card is turned face down to show that the action has been taken. If used as the “whammy,” the Prevention card does not reverse the direction of play. If an opponent reverses a penalty card with a “Prevention” card, and the original player also has a “Prevention” card, the original player may lay the “Prevention” card face up in front of them. In that case, the players take no action, and the penalty card is placed in the discard pile where it is considered “dead” and cannot be drawn again.

HITTING: Hitting is a way to get rid of leftover cards in the hand after making the initial Meld. A player makes a hit by laying down a card directly on a Set or Run already laid down. The card must properly fit with the cards already down.

EXAMPLES: A player may add a “4” to an existing Set of “4's,” or a “3” to an existing Run of “4,” “5,” “6.” An opponent may also add a “7” to this Run during their turn, if it is in their hand. A player may add a “Wild” card to any of these situations.

A player's initial Meld must be laid down before they may make a hit with a tooth card or “Wild” card. A player may hit only during their turn. Players may hit their own cards, another player's cards, or both. Players may also create new Sets and Runs with their leftover cards.

GOING OUT: The first person to play their last card in hand by discarding, or playing on the field, is said to “go out.” This player thus ends the hand and has a star placed next to their name on the scorecard for that hand. SCORING: Paper and pencil are needed for scoring, and a running total is kept for each player. A player's score may be negative.

All remaining players must add points to their score for cards still in hand, as follows:

5 points for each card lettered A-E
10 points for each card numbered 1-8
20 points for each “Face” card, except the “Gumpster”

Only cards in hand are scored, not cards already laid down, except as noted below:

The played “Tooth Fairy” card, and all primary (letter) and “Wild” cards collected by the Tooth Fairy, count as 5 points each off of a player’s score.

The played “Dentist” card, and each penalty card collected by the Dentist, counts as 10 points off of a player’s score.

After the scores are recorded, the player with the lowest score is the winner of the hand (which may not be the player who “went out”). The player to the left of the dealer becomes the new dealer. All cards are gathered and shuffled, and a new hand is dealt.

THE WINNER: At the end of the eighth hand, the match is over, and the player with the lowest score is declared the winner. If two or more players have equal low scores, the player who has won the most hands (as shown by the number of stars by their name) is declared the winner. To resolve a further tie, the players that tied may play one more hand. The first to go down with a 3 card Set and a 4 card Run is the winner.

HAVING FUN WHILE LEARNING: The Teeth Time™ deck contains a drawing of each tooth, labeled with its name and a smile diagram showing its position in the mouth. The colored geometric shapes behind the teeth indicate tooth position based on the number of sides of the figures, and may be used to pair the permanent (adult) teeth with the primary (baby) teeth they normally replace. For example: upper right baby tooth “E” and its adult counterpart (upper right adult tooth “5”) are both in the fifth position, and a red pentagon backs both. Besides being educational, these colored shapes may also be used for a wide variety of matching-type card games.

VARIATIONS: For added variety, please consider the following game modifications.

1. The players may decide to play the same initial Meld for every hand, or choose their own initial Melds, or number of hands. After the hands have been played, the player with the lowest total score is the winner.

2. The players may decide to end the game once a losing player reaches a certain high score, such as 500. The high score must be decided before play starts.

3. The Teeth Time™ card deck may also be used to play a wide variety of other card games, including classic children's games. For game ideas, strategies, and updated rules, please visit www.DentaGames.com.