Body Language: Dent, Dont ("Tooth")

Sink your teeth into this list of words that derive from the Latin word dens and the Greek word odon, both meaning "tooth."

Want to dissect more English words related to anatomy? Here are links to our complete set of Body Language lists:
Corp ("Body") / Capit, Capt ("Head") / Or, Os ("Mouth") / Dent, Dont ("Teeth") / Gastr, Gastro ("Stomach") / Neur ("Nerve") / Man ("Hand") / Ped, Pod ("Foot") / Derm ("Skin") / Carn ("Flesh") / Os, Osteo ("Bone") / Cor, Cord, Cardio ("Heart") / Psych ("Mind")
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. dental
    of or relating to the teeth
    Seymour said the damage from dental disease goes beyond teeth. Washington Post (Aug 19, 2019)
  2. denture
    a medical appliance that artificially replaces missing teeth
    In a glass cabinet against the wall three rows of dentures grinned at her with crooked teeth, overlapping teeth, notched teeth. The Westing Game
  3. dentistry
    the branch of medicine dealing with the anatomy and development and diseases of the teeth
    Giant teeth used at dentistry schools are displayed, opposite clever and artsy toothpaste advertisements, posters of public health campaigns and the ever-dreaded dentist’s chair. Economist (May 16, 2018)
  4. dentist
    a person qualified to practice dentistry
    They hurried through the gym, where 40 dentists were working side by side to extract teeth. Washington Post (Jun 22, 2019)
  5. orthodontist
    a dentist specializing in irregularities of the teeth
    With a good orthodontist, this man's smile can be made even better!
    ortho ("straight; correct") + odontos ("tooth") + ia ("disease") + ist (suffix meaning "one who does")
    The root odont comes from Greek, rather than Latin.
  6. periodontal
    of or relating to parts of the mouth that support and surround the teeth
    Periodontal disease – a fancy term for gum disease, including gingivitis – can cause swollen gums, irritation and bleeding. US News (Dec 22, 2014)
    peri ("around") + odontos + al (suffix forming adjectives)
  7. dentifrice
    a substance for cleaning the teeth
    When we read the composition of the tooth-powders and dentifrices used in early colonial days, we wonder that they had any teeth left to scour. Earle, Alice Morse
    dens + fricare ("to rub")
    Dentifrices are usually rubbed on the teeth with toothbrushes and are more commonly known as toothpastes.
  8. edentate
    having few if any teeth
    Edentate animals, such as the sloth, are without teeth, or at least are without the incisors. Cavins, Elmer W.
  9. edentulous
    having lost teeth
    The condition may only affect a few teeth, or it may spread to them all, in which case the patient may in the course of some years become edentulous. Miles, Alexander
  10. dentition
    the kind and number and arrangement of teeth (collectively) in a person or animal
    Teeth are usually all that paleontologists can find of ancient mammals, because dentition is built to endure punishment, and fossilizes well. Scientific American (May 8, 2011)
    Another definition of "dentition" is "the eruption through the gums of baby teeth," which is more commonly known as "teething." This meaning has a direct connection to the Latin verb dentire, which means "to cut the teeth."
  11. dentine
    hard and dense material that comprises the bulk of a tooth
    The lines provide a record of the tooth’s history: Each line represents the daily deposit of bony tissue called dentine within the tooth’s enamel shell. Science Magazine (Jan 2, 2017)
  12. denticle
    small pointed ridge on the exoskeleton of an arthropod
    Sharkskin is as rough as high grain sandpaper thanks to millions of small toothlike scales called denticles. Science Magazine (May 14, 2014)
  13. indenture
    a contract binding one party into the service of another
    “Per Haskell didn’t buy you. He paid off your indenture. That means you owe him money. A lot of it. But it’s a real contract. Here,” he said, removing Heleen’s document from his coat. Six of Crows
    This word started off as a noun that referred to a toothed or jagged cut into a surface or edge. The connection to the contracts comes from the practice of drawing up contracts on full sheets of parchment, which were then deliberately cut along jagged lines and given to both parties. If the "teeth" of the sheets lined up, then the contract was proven real.
  14. indentation
    a concave cut or depression in a surface or edge
    Most footholds are nothing more than an indentation on the wall. Seattle Times (Jan 9, 2015)
Created on Thu Jun 04 14:38:11 EDT 2015 (updated Thu Aug 22 10:21:25 EDT 2019)

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