What does dentition mean?
Dentition refers to the development of teeth and their arrangement in the mouth — specifically, the type, number, and placement of teeth characteristic of a species or individual. In dentistry and zoology, terms like 'permanent dentition' and 'primary dentition' distinguish the adult set of thirty-two human teeth from the twenty deciduous ('baby') teeth that precede them. In an older or more literary sense, dentition can also mean the very process of teeth erupting through the gums, what we would colloquially call teething. The word appears most often in clinical, scientific, and academic writing: paleontologists reconstruct an animal's diet from its dentition, orthodontists assess malocclusion by examining it, and pediatricians once attributed fevers to difficult dentition. Though rarely heard in casual conversation, it is a precise and useful term for anyone writing about teeth with technical accuracy.
The arrangement, type, and number of the teeth of a person or animal.
"The rodent's dentition, with continuously growing incisors, reflects its gnawing lifestyle."
Commonly qualified as primary (deciduous), mixed, or permanent dentition in dental contexts.
The eruption or cutting of new teeth, especially the teething of an infant.
"In the eighteenth century, various ailments were blamed on difficult dentition."
This sense is now largely historical or medical; 'teething' is the usual modern term.
Rarely used in the plural; when it does occur, it typically contrasts the tooth sets of different individuals or species, rather than referring to multiple sets within one mouth.
"Comparing the dentitions of these two fossil species revealed striking dietary differences."
Your baby teeth and adult teeth are technically two different 'dentitions' — humans are diphyodonts, meaning we grow just two sets of teeth in a lifetime, unlike sharks, which replace theirs endlessly.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dentition
Dentition derives from the Latin 'dentitio', meaning 'a teething', which in turn comes from 'dens' (stem 'dent-'), the Latin word for tooth. It entered English in the early seventeenth century, borrowed either directly from Latin or through French. It shares this root with a whole family of tooth-related words, including 'dental', 'dentist', and 'dentifrice'.
How dentition is actually used
Primarily a technical term used in dentistry, zoology, and paleontology; in everyday speech about infants, 'teething' is far more common than 'dentition'. The word carries a formal, scientific register.
Easily confused with dentition
A denturist is a professional who fits dentures, whereas dentition refers to the set or growth of teeth itself.