Meaning & use

primary dentition

noun·Academic

The full set of a person's first teeth, also called baby teeth, that appear before the permanent teeth.

See it in a sentence

Primary dentition usually begins to appear when a baby is around six months old.

The dentist explained that primary dentition normally falls out completely by age twelve or thirteen.

A note on using this word

A clinical term used mainly in dentistry; "baby teeth" is the everyday equivalent used in casual conversation.

Words with a similar meaning

baby teethdeciduous teeth

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

permanent dentition

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