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
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Phonetics. a dental sound.
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
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phonetics a dental consonant
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Relating to the teeth.
Other Word Forms
- dentality noun
- dentally adverb
- postdental adjective
Etymology
Origin of dental
1585–95; < Medieval Latin dentālis, equivalent to Latin dent- (stem of dēns ) tooth + -ālis -al 1
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.
Researchers say CANECPI-5 is especially promising because it both protects enamel and helps regulate oral bacteria, making it valuable for future dental treatments.
From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026
"When I make it to a cafe table, even for a few minutes, I can almost believe the world hasn't ended," said Fatemeh, a 27-year-old dental assistant.
From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026
Those building practices from scratch are typically borrowing $3 million to $3.5 million, according to Lindsay Harkey, head of healthcare financing at Wilmington, N.C.-based Live Oak Bank, which lends to a lot of dental practices.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
Wealth managers prowl dental conferences for prospective clients.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
Sullenly he packed a travel kit with his toothbrush, dental floss, razor, shaving cream, and a jumbo bottle of aspirin.
From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen
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.