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

Many plans offer eligible members benefits that may include transportation, post-discharge meals, grocery allowances, telehealth, and dental, vision, and hearing services, depending on the plan and individual eligibility. — Aimée K. Dailey, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Haircuts were just one of the offerings at this year’s Back-2-School Summer Jam, said Tasha Williams, who brought her 12-year-old son to get a free dental cleaning and a few vaccines. — Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026

Beyond standard grad school loans, Sallie Mae has loans specifically for students in MBA, medical, dental, health professions and law school programs. — Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026

Others suffer from dental and kidney disease, complications from declawing and injuries that never healed properly. — ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026

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