Definition

1. Noun:
   • A dental professional: A person who is trained, qualified, and licensed to diagnose, treat, and manage oral health conditions, including diseases of the teeth and gums.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • I have an appointment with the tooth doctor tomorrow for a cleaning.
  • The tooth doctor filled the cavity to prevent further decay.
  • When my tooth hurt, my mother took me to see a tooth doctor.

Advanced Usage

• The term "tooth doctor" is considered informal and somewhat dated. In modern professional and common usage, the terms dentist or dental surgeon are preferred.
  • In casual conversation, a child might say, "I'm scared of the tooth doctor," while an adult would typically say, "I have a dentist appointment."

Variants and Related Words

• Dentist (n): The standard and formal term for a tooth doctor.
  • The dentist recommended flossing daily.
• Dental surgeon (n): A dentist who performs surgical procedures.
  • The dental surgeon extracted the wisdom tooth.
• Orthodontist (n): A dentist who specializes in straightening teeth.
  • The orthodontist put braces on my teeth.
• Pedodontist (n): A dentist who specializes in treating children's teeth.
  • Our pedodontist is very good with anxious kids.

Synonyms

• Dentist: The primary synonym.
• Dental practitioner: A formal synonym emphasizing professional practice.
• DDS/DMD (Doctor of Dental Surgery/Doctor of Dental Medicine): The professional degrees held by a tooth doctor.

Noun

1. a person qualified to practice dentistry