dentist
Americannoun
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")
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ist
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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.
See Examples For:
Plus, I was famished with the kind of hunger that accompanies the dissipating stress after leaving the dentist.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
My dentist from a decade ago came through with a picture of a cupcake decked in a sparkler.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
In France, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stood behind Trump looking like a kid going to the dentist, or a babysitter who doesn’t want the gig.
From Salon ● Jun. 19, 2026
For Rusty's next trip, he is going to the dentist with her.
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
Doors were opening up and down the hallway: an insurance agent, the tax assessor, a dentist in a white coat, all poking their heads out to see what the fuss was about.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
In the United States, dentists have used it off-label since 2014, when it was approved as a medical device for reducing tooth sensitivity.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
There are lots of financial advisers who develop an expertise in helping people with unique circumstances — Canadians living in the U.S., teachers, dentists, military families and so forth.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
"We get requests for everything, even dentists, everyone is calling us and asking if they can have a robot as a supporter, because they can't find people," chief executive David Reger told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026
When dentists start getting cold calls about private credit, you know the fad has peaked.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026
His upper canines had never grown in, and the string of holistic dentists my parents had taken him to as a child had failed to notice until it was too late.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
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.
