orthodontics

American  

[awr-thuh-don-tiks] / ˌɔr θəˈdɒn tɪks /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

1. the branch of dentistry dealing with the prevention and correction of irregular teeth, as by means of braces.

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orthodontics British  

/ ˌɔːθəʊˈdɒntɪks, ˌɔːθəʊˈdɒntɪə /

noun

1. Also called: dental orthopaedics.  (functioning as singular) the branch of dentistry concerned with preventing or correcting irregularities of the teeth

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Other Word Forms

• orthodontal
  adjective
• orthodontic
  adjective
• orthodontist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of orthodontics

First recorded in 1905–10; orth- + -odont + -ics

Compare meaning

How does orthodontics compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• orthodontia vs. orthodontics

Explanation

Someone who specializes in straightening teeth is an expert in orthodontics. If you have braces, you know a lot about orthodontics, from brackets and rubber bands to the nasty retainers you're forced to wear after the braces have been shed. Dentists who focus on correcting crooked teeth are in the field of orthodontics. Sometimes orthodontics are as straightforward as a year of metal braces, but in other cases a patient might require surgery to correct the problems with their teeth and jaw. These procedures, as well as retainers and braces, are known as orthodonture, and the expert in charge is an orthodontist. The Greek roots of all these words are orthos, "straight," and odont, "tooth."

Example Sentences

Ting allegedly used his position as orthodontics chair to lower section expenses, including seeking to cut pay for part-time instructors in the clinic, to preserve faculty profit-sharing payments, according to the report.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 19, 2025

Emails show that if payments for the student were not received by a certain date, orthodontics faculty and staff threatened to suspend his activities.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 19, 2025

It is calling on watchdogs in the UK to ensure any firm providing orthodontics directly to patients in the UK are held to high standards.

From BBC • Dec. 11, 2023

The company said that its release form was modeled on one used by the orthodontics industry and that it already had plans to “tailor the nondisclosure provision more narrowly.”

From New York Times • Jun. 22, 2023

“It’s all for fetching some good revenue,” says a professor of orthodontics at an Indian university who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals.

From Science Magazine • Jun. 6, 2023