dental formula

noun

: an abridged expression for the number and kind of teeth of mammals in which the kind of teeth are represented by i (incisor), c (canine), pm (premolar) or b (bicuspid), and m (molar) and the number in each jaw is written like a fraction with the figures above the horizontal line showing the number in the upper jaw and those below the number in the lower jaw and with a dash separating the figures representing the teeth on each side of the jaw
the dental formula of the human adult is

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dental formula.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/dental%20formula. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!