interdental

American  

[in-ter-den-tl] / ˌɪn tərˈdɛn tl /

adjective

1. between teeth.

2. Phonetics. articulated with the tip of the tongue between the upper and lower front teeth, as the fricatives (th̸) and (th) of thy and thigh.

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interdental British  

/ ˌɪntəˈdɛntəl /

adjective

1. situated between teeth

2. phonetics (of a consonant) pronounced with the tip of the tongue lying between the upper and lower front teeth, as for the th sounds in English thin and then

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Other Word Forms

• interdentally adverb

Etymology

Origin of interdental

First recorded in 1870–75; inter- + dental

Example Sentences

Of course, no one likes flossing, but Dr Sharma says using interdental brushes, particularly rubber ones, can make it easier and less painful.

From BBC • Nov. 2, 2025

If you really dislike flossing, try and interdental brush.

From Time • Dec. 6, 2016

In 2015, Evidence-Based Dentistry summarized a Cochrane Review of seven randomized controlled trials looking at how interdental brushing in addition to tooth brushing compared with toothbrushing alone or toothbrushing with flossing.

From New York Times • Aug. 29, 2016

I don't floss but use an interdental brush once a day.

From New York Times • Aug. 29, 2016

Dental: s, z, post-dental ṣ, ẓ, interdental possibly �, �.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 4 "Grasshopper" to "Greek Language" by Various