dentist
Americannoun
-
dentists
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of dentist
1750–60; < French dentiste, equivalent to dent tooth ( see dent 2) + -iste -ist
Explanation
A dentist is a doctor who specializes in teeth, gums, and the mouth. If you get a bad toothache, you should probably go to the dentist to make sure you don't have a cavity. When you visit the dentist, you might have your teeth and gums examined and cleaned, or you may need surgery for an impacted wisdom tooth or x-rays to make sure you don't have cavities. Dentists are health care professionals who attend dental school and train for several years before practicing. Dentist comes from the French dentiste, from dent. or "tooth."
Vocabulary lists containing dentist
Body Language: Dent, Dont ("Tooth")
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ist
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
See Examples For:
Voskanyan had studied in Armenia to be a dentist and later worked a variety of jobs in America including in construction, jewelry and as a dental technician.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
If you didn’t brush your teeth well enough, you will eventually be paying for that at the dentist!
From Slate ● Sep. 14, 2026
Even though it's not routinely offered on the NHS, Ella decided to pay her dentist to inject Botox into her masseter muscles - the ones that control her jaw.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
He also has a sense of dread when it comes to trips to the dentist office.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
“This,” said Dr. B. J. Cigrand, Emeline’s second cousin, the North Side dentist, “in spite of the fact that she was in the habit of writing to her parents two or three times a week.”
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
He also said many of the dentists doing the examinations were often "coming from abroad" and are not registered in the UK.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
The findings come as ministers have pledged to tackle so-called "dental deserts", but dentists say the current deal is not viable.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas have developed a technology that could make it possible for dentists to produce permanent 3D-printed zirconia restorations in a single day.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
Meanwhile, more dentists may identify signs of uncontrolled diabetes and coordinate care with the patient’s physician.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Most of her clients are doctors and dentists.
From "Silent To The Bone" by E.L. Konigsburg
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.
