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Dentistry vocabulary · Patient Communication and Instructions

Bite down

Meaning in dentistry, with examples

phrasal verbCore term

In dentistry, bite down means: To close the teeth together firmly, for example on a piece of gauze after an extraction or on a holder while an X-ray is taken.

In Turkish: ısırmak, dişleri kapatmak, dişleri sıkmak

How it is used

A chairside instruction. Dentists say 'bite down gently', 'bite down on this' or 'bite together' when checking the bite with articulating paper. With an object, 'bite on' is also common: 'bite on the gauze'.

Example sentences

  1. Bite down firmly on this gauze for twenty minutes.

  2. Bite down on the blue paper and slide your teeth from side to side.

Common collocations

  • bite down gently
  • bite down on the gauze
  • bite down on the holder
  • bite together
  • open wideA short instruction asking the patient to open the mouth as far as is comfortable, so that the dentist can see and reach the back teeth.
  • extractionThe removal of a tooth from its socket in the bone. A simple one uses forceps and elevators; a surgical one may need a cut in the gum or removal of some bone.
  • occlusionThe way the upper and lower teeth fit together when the jaws close, and how they touch during chewing and other jaw movements.
  • bitewingAn X-ray that shows the crowns of the upper and lower back teeth together on one image. The patient bites on a tab or holder to keep the sensor in place.

More terms: Patient Communication and Instructions

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.