dental

1 of 2

adjective

den·​tal ˈden-tᵊl 

1

: of or relating to the teeth or dentistry

2

: articulated with the tip or blade of the tongue against or near the upper front teeth

dentally

ˈden-tᵊl-ē 

adverb

dental

2 of 2

noun

: a dental consonant

Examples of dental in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

All Army students, not just athletes, have free tuition, room and board and medical and dental coverage and receive a salary that covers their fees and leaves them with $225 to $625 per month. —Tim Casey, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024

The stock of a dental supply company jumped over 6% on Monday, driven by investor optimism over a potential rise in dental treatments if Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s plan to eliminate fluoride from drinking water succeeds. —Ben Kesslen, Quartz, 18 Nov. 2024

McBride also sponsored legislation to address Medicaid reimbursement rates for home healthcare services and expand access to dental care for low-income Delawareans. —Randall Chase, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2024

The cost of just one dental filling is more than $50. —John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin dentalis, from dent-, dens

First Known Use

Adjective

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1727, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing dental

• dental floss
• dental hygienist
• dental records
• dental school
• dental technician

Kids Definition

dental

adjective

den·​tal

ˈdent-ᵊl

: of or relating to the teeth or dentistry

Etymology

Adjective

from Latin dentalis "relating to the teeth," from dent-, dens "tooth" — related to dandelion, indent, trident

Medical Definition

dental

adjective

den·​tal ˈdent-ᵊl 

1

: relating to, specializing in, or used in dentistry

dental surgery

dental students

2

: relating to or used on the teeth

dental paste

dentally

-ē 

adverb