dental
Americanadjective
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of or relating to the teeth.
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of or relating to dentistry or a dentist.
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Phonetics.
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(of a speech sound) articulated with the tongue tip touching the back of the upper front teeth or immediately above them, as French t.
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alveolar, as English t.
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noun
adjective
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of or relating to the teeth
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of or relating to dentistry
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phonetics
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pronounced or articulated with the tip of the tongue touching the backs of the upper teeth, as for t in French tout
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(esp in the phonology of some languages, such as English) another word for alveolar
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noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dental
1585–95; < Medieval Latin dentālis, equivalent to Latin dent- (stem of dēns ) tooth + -ālis -al 1
Explanation
The adjective dental describes things that have something to do with teeth. Dental floss is the waxed string you use to clean between your teeth. A dental hygienist is the dentist's assistant, the one who cleans and polishes your teeth. When your dentist's office calls to remind you about your appointment, they might say, "You have a dental cleaning scheduled for next week." In phonetics, a dental is a sound that's made with your tongue touching your top teeth, like th-. In Middle French, dental means "of teeth," from the Latin dens, "tooth."
Vocabulary lists containing dental
Body Language: Dent, Dont ("Tooth")
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for November 6–November 12, 2021
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carn (flesh), derm (skin), dent (tooth), os (bone)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A painful tooth, or even one that simply feels unusual, could point to more than a dental problem.
From Science Daily • May 16, 2026
In California, Bonta said Aspen Dental had exceeded its role as a support organization and took part in managing dental practices, in violation of California’s corporate-medicine ban.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
In 2018, around 10,000 patients in Sydney were asked to get a blood test after potential HIV and hepatitis exposure at a dental clinic in Haberfield.
From BBC • May 13, 2026
The White House announced on Monday that the president would undergo a medical and dental examination on May 26 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, near Washington.
From Barron's • May 12, 2026
She thought about becoming a dental assistant, but was leaning toward radiation technologist so she could study cancer and help patients who were getting radiation treatment like her mother.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
