dentition

American  

[den-tish-uhn] / dɛnˈtɪʃ ən /

noun

1. the makeup of a set of teeth including their kind, number, and arrangement.

2. the eruption or cutting of the teeth; teething; odontiasis.

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dentition British  

/ dɛnˈtɪʃən /

noun

1. the arrangement, type, and number of the teeth in a particular species. Man has a primary dentition of deciduous teeth and a secondary dentition of permanent teeth

2. teething or the time or process of teething

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dentition Scientific  

/ dĕn-tĭsh′ən /

1. The type, number, and arrangement of teeth in an animal species. In mammals, dentition consists of several different types of teeth, including incisors, canines, and molars. The dentition of toothed fish and reptiles usually consists of only one kind of tooth.

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Etymology

Origin of dentition

1605–15; < Latin dentītiōn- (stem of dentītiō), equivalent to dentīt ( us ) (past participle of dentīre to cut teeth, teethe) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

More baby boomers reached 60 with “a relatively intact dentition at that age than any generation in history,” the CDC says.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 22, 2024

Imagine a walrus-like creature with dentition remarkably similar to modern walruses: A quartet of post-canine teeth, a large lower canine tooth and a short, fused vertical midline on their lower jaw.

From Salon • Aug. 15, 2024

Using the novel technique, the research team tried to determine the closest fit of the teeth's appearance to other dinosaurs with well-known dentition.

From Science Daily • Mar. 12, 2024

The fossil dolphin’s dentition was unlike anything seen in living cetaceans.

From New York Times • Jun. 13, 2023

In the gorilla, the nearest to man in dentition, there is a very distinct approach to the saddle shape.

From Degeneracy Its Causes, Signs and Results by Talbot, Eugene S.