edentulous
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Having lost teeth: Describes a person or animal that is missing all or most of their natural teeth, typically due to age, disease, or extraction.
Usage
- The word edentulous is a formal, clinical, or technical term used primarily in medical, dental, and biological contexts.
- It is used to describe a state of being toothless. It is not typically used in casual, everyday conversation.
Examples
- Adjective:
- The elderly patient was edentulous and required a full set of dentures.
- The study compared the jawbone density of edentulous individuals with those who had natural teeth.
Advanced Usage
- "Edentulous jaw" or "edentulous arch": Terms used in dentistry to describe a jawbone that no longer supports any teeth.
- The dentist took an impression of the edentulous arch to fabricate a new denture.
Variants and Related Words
- Edentulism (n): The condition of being toothless.
- The prevalence of edentulism has decreased with improved dental care.
Synonyms
- Toothless: The most common and direct synonym, suitable for both formal and informal contexts.
- Dentulous (adj): (Antonym) Having natural teeth.
Notes on Meaning
- Edentulous specifically refers to the absence of teeth. It does not describe the process of losing teeth or having cavities; it describes the resultant state.
- In zoology, it can describe species that naturally lack teeth.
Adjective
- having lost teeth