adj B2 Upper-Intermediate Common

dental

DEHN-tuhl

Dental (adj) means relating to teeth or to the care and treatment of teeth. Example: “She has a dental appointment on Thursday for a check-up.”

adj

Relating to teeth or to the care and treatment of teeth.

"She has a dental appointment on Thursday for a check-up."

"Dental hygiene is just as important for children as it is for adults."

In phonetics, describing a speech sound made with the tongue touching the upper front teeth.

"The "th" sound in "this" is a dental consonant."

How to use dental

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo do with teeth, whether about health care or the way certain sounds are pronounced.

Common pairings

dental care dental appointment dental hygiene dental insurance

Word forms

more dental comparative, dentals plural, most dental superlative

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She has a _____ appointment on Thursday for a check-up.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French dental, ultimately from Latin dens, dentis ("tooth") plus the adjective ending -alis.

Origin: Latin

Rhymes for dental

mental rental parental Oriental elemental accidental ornamental judgmental incidental monumental regimental incremental

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Frequently asked questions

What does “dental” mean?

The word “dental” means relating to teeth or to the care and treatment of teeth. In plain terms, to do with teeth, whether about health care or the way certain sounds are pronounced.

How do you pronounce “dental”?

“Dental” is pronounced DEHN-tuhl (/ˈdɛn.təl/ in IPA).

How do you use “dental” in a sentence?

Here is “dental” used in a sentence: “She has a dental appointment on Thursday for a check-up.”

What part of speech is “dental”?

“Dental” is an adjective.

Where does the word “dental” come from?

The word “dental” comes from Latin. Borrowed from Middle French dental, ultimately from Latin dens, dentis ("tooth") plus the adjective ending -alis.

Is “dental” a common word?

“Dental” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

How many meanings does “dental” have?

“Dental” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: relating to teeth or to the care and treatment of teeth.

What is the difference between "dental" and "orthodontic"?

"Dental" is a broad adjective relating to teeth and their general care and treatment, while "orthodontic" refers specifically to correcting the position of the teeth and jaws. All orthodontic work is dental, but not all dental work is orthodontic.

When is a speech sound described as "dental" in phonetics?

In phonetics, a sound is called "dental" when it is made with the tongue touching the upper front teeth, such as the "th" sounds in English. This contrasts with alveolar sounds, where the tongue touches the ridge just behind the teeth.

What nouns commonly follow the adjective "dental"?

"Dental" frequently pairs with words like "dental care," "dental hygiene," "dental floss," "dental practice," and "dental surgery." It is used before a noun to describe things relating to teeth rather than to describe a person directly.

What is the difference between "dental" and "dentist"?

"Dental" is an adjective relating to teeth and their care, while "dentist" is a noun naming the professional who treats teeth. You would say "a dental appointment" with the dentist, not "a dentist appointment" in formal usage.