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Dentistry vocabulary · Teeth and Oral Anatomy

Tooth

Meaning in dentistry, with examples

/tuːθ/nounCore term

In dentistry, tooth means: One of the hard, white structures in the jaws used for biting and chewing. Each one has a crown above the gum and one or more roots held in the bone.

In Turkish: diş

How it is used

The most basic word in dentistry. The plural is irregular: one tooth, two teeth. Dentists refer to a tooth by its type (molar, incisor) or its number, and patients say a tooth hurts, feels loose or has broken.

Example sentences

  1. Which tooth is giving you trouble, an upper one or a lower one?

  2. The tooth has a crack running down towards the root.

  3. We'll do everything we can to save the tooth.

Common collocations

  • front tooth
  • back tooth
  • loose tooth
  • lose a tooth
  • save the tooth
  • molarOne of the large, wide teeth at the back of the mouth used for grinding food. Adults have up to twelve, including the four wisdom teeth.
  • incisorOne of the eight thin, flat-edged teeth at the front of the mouth, four upper and four lower, used for biting into food.
  • rootThe part of a tooth below the gum that sits in a socket in the jawbone. Front teeth usually have one, while molars often have two or three.
  • crownA cap made of ceramic, metal or both that covers a damaged tooth completely and restores its shape and strength. The word also means the part of a tooth visible above the gum.
  • enamelThe hard, shiny outer layer covering the crown of a tooth. It is the hardest substance in the human body and cannot grow back once it is lost.

More terms: Teeth and Oral Anatomy

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