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

Fluoride has been added to the public water supplies for decades and dental products, such as toothpaste, as a dental cavities prevention measure. —Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today, 22 May 2025

Companies such as Invisalign use 3D printing to create custom-fit aligners for teeth straightening, demonstrating the ability to personalize dental care. —ArsTechnica, 20 May 2025

While Texas ranks at or near the top of many indices measuring overall economic competitiveness, its fares poorly in national rankings measuring access to dental care. —Patrick Gleason, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025

For some low-income families, public drinking water containing fluoride may be their only source of preventative dental care. —Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 17 May 2025

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

Rhymes for dental

• ental
• gentle
• lentil
• mental
• rental
• accidental
• compartmental
• continental
• detrimental
• elemental
• fundamental
• governmental

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