den·tal / ˈdentl/ • adj. 1. of or relating to the teeth: dental health. ∎  (abbr.: dent.) of or relating to dentistry: dental councils.2. Phonet. (of a consonant) pronounced with the tip of the tongue against the upper front teeth (as th) or the alveolar ridge (as n, d, t).• n. Phonet. a dental consonant.DERIVATIVES: den·tal·ize / ˈdentlˌīz/ v. ( Phonet. )den·tal·ly adv.

dental XVI. — medL. dentālis, f. L. dēns, dent-TOOTH; see -AL 1.
So dentifrice toothpaste or -powder. XVI. — F. dentifrice — L. dentifricium, f. dēns, dent- + fricāre sub. dentine XIX; see -INE 4. dentist XVIII. — F.; whence dentistry XIX. dentition cutting of the teeth XVII; arrangement of the teeth XIX. — L. dentītiō, -ōn-, f. dentīre teethe. denture set of (artificial) teeth. XIX.

DENTAL. In PHONETICS, a term referring to sounds like /ɵ/ (the th in thirty) and /ð/ (the th in those), made with the tip of the tongue in the region of the upper front teeth. See ARTICULATION, LABIAL.