dental

1 of 2

adjective

den·​tal ˈden-tᵊl How to pronounce dental (audio)
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 adverb

dental

2 of 2

noun

: a dental consonant

Examples of dental in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
This year, more than half of all Medicare beneficiaries—some thirty-three million Americans—enrolled in private plans, which, unlike traditional fee-for-service Medicare, often include dental, vision, and hearing coverage. John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2024 Furthermore, those that are likely to suffer most are those who cannot afford going to a dentist, those that live in rural areas that may not be able to access dental offices easily as well as underserved communities that do not have the luxury to purchase fluoridated water. Omer Awan, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024 Chewing gives dogs a rush of endorphins, and chomping down on dental chew treats can be especially good for stimulating dogs indoors during particularly bad winter weather. Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024 Read on for the most common brushing teeth mistakes to find out if your dental skills are up to snuff. Lisa Desantis, Glamour, 13 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dental 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of dental was in 1594

Dictionary Entries Near dental

Cite this Entry

“Dental.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dental. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

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 How to pronounce dental (audio)
1
: relating to, specializing in, or used in dentistry
dental surgery
dental students
2
: relating to or used on the teeth
dental paste
dentally adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on dental

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