dental

[den-tl]

adjective

1. of or relating to the teeth.

2. of or relating to dentistry or a dentist.

3. Phonetics.

   1. (of a speech sound) articulated with the tongue tip touching the back of the upper front teeth or immediately above them, as French t.

   2. alveolar, as English t.

   3. interdental.

noun

1. Phonetics.,  a dental sound.

dental

/ ˈdɛntəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the teeth

2. of or relating to dentistry

3. phonetics

   1. pronounced or articulated with the tip of the tongue touching the backs of the upper teeth, as for t in French tout

   2. (esp in the phonology of some languages, such as English) another word for alveolar

noun

1. phonetics a dental consonant

dental

1. Relating to the teeth.

Other Word Forms

• dentality noun
• dentally adverb
• postdental adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of dental¹

1585–95; < Medieval Latin dentālis, equivalent to Latin dent- (stem of dēns ) tooth + -ālis -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of dental¹

C16: from Medieval Latin dentālis, from Latin dens tooth

Example Sentences

Throughout Updike’s life he had a panoply of discouraging but not-terribly-threatening illnesses: asthma, dental failures and, above all, psoriasis.

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Another explorer, Martin Nweeia, a dental surgeon, discovered that a narwhal’s tusk, whose purpose was a mystery to scientists, is actually a sensory rod that helps it measure salinity, temperature and water pressure.

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My disability pension is about $4,110 per month tax-free, with lifetime medical and dental insurance.

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You can take money out of your HSA tax-free if you use it for qualified medical expenses, such as doctor and hospital visits, vision and dental care, prescriptions and over-the-counter medications.

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A much smaller number of public schools have entire health centers on campus or next door, sometimes in partnership with local clinics; they offer medical and dental services along with mental health care.

Read more on Los Angeles Times