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October 4, 2022 by Luis F. Dominguez Spanish Vocabulary 2 comments

At the Dentist: Dental Terminology in Spanish

Imagine that you need to go to the dentist while on vacation in sunny Cancún; what dental terminology in Spanish would you use? 

Learning a language implies learning a lot of different vocabulary, even when you don’t need it at the moment. If you were to learn only words that you need when you need them, your language skills would be very limited. 

For that reason, today I’ll introduce you to some of the most useful and specific dental terminology in Spanish, including dental problems and procedures, anatomy, instruments, and materials.  

Why Learn Dental Terminology in Spanish?

Learning dental terminology in Spanish—or any health-related terminology in Spanish—is key if you’re planning to spend time in a Spanish-speaking country in the near future. You never know when an emergency may arise, and you need to be able to communicate with your dentist wherever you may be. 

However, you don’t only learn dental terminology in Spanish to prepare for a hypothetical emergency, you also do it simply to keep growing your vocabulary by learning specific terms about different areas of life. 

This improves your general knowledge of the language. You may not love football, yet you could still learn about football in Spanish. Same thing here, you study dental terminology in Spanish precisely because it’s in Spanish, and that’s the language you’re learning. 

Dental Terminology in Spanish

By “dental terminology in Spanish,” I’m referring to all kinds of words that may be said in a visit to the dentist, including the different areas at the dental office; parts of the tooth and mouth; dental problems and procedures; the dentist’s instruments and materials; and other dental general terms.

Dental Terminology in Spanish

At the Dentist’s Office

Let’s start by exploring the dental office, its different parts, and the people you’ll find there.

el consultorio dental dental office
el laboratorio dentaldental laboratory
el/la dentistadentist
el/la técnico dentaldental technician
la sala de esperawaiting room
la sala de operacionesoperating room
la silla dentaldental chair
el bañorestroom
el escritoriodesk
el/la asistenteassistant
los rayos XX-rays
la máquina de radiografíasradiographic machine
el/la recepcionistareceptionist
el/la higienista hygienist
la escupideracuspidor
el succionadorsuction
la recetaprescription

Parts of the Tooth

When it comes to dental terminology in Spanish, the parts of the tooth is one of the most important sections—and one of the lesser known.

la raíz dentaldental root
la pulpa dentaldental pulp
la dentinadentine
el esmalteenamel
el canal radicularroot canal
la encíagum
la maxila, el hueso maxilarmaxilla
la mandíbulajaw
el nervionerve
la recetaprescription

Teeth and Mouth

Every tooth has its own name and it’s important to know them both in English and in Spanish to be able to communicate with your dentist properly. This section also includes the different parts of the mouth. 

los dientes de lechefirst dentition, baby teeth
la muela del juiciowisdom tooth
el incisivoincisor
el colmillo, el caninocanine, cuspid
los dientes superiores/de arribaupper teeth
los dientes inferiores/de abajolower teeth
los dientes anterioresanterior teeth
la muelamolar
el primer premolarfirst premolar
el segundo premolarsecond premolar
el dientetooth
los dientesteeth
la dentadura postizadenture
la lenguatongue
el labio superiorupper lip
el labio inferiorlower lip
el paladar palate
la campanilla uvula
las amígdalastonsils
el frenillo de la lenguatongue frenulum
la salivasaliva
las papilas gustativastaste buds
la gargantathroat

Dental Problems

Perhaps the main reason to learn dental terminology in Spanish is to be able to tell your dentist what is the problem you might be experiencing. Here’s a list of the most common dental problems: 

la cariescavity, tooth decay
el abscesoabscess
la encía sensitivasensitive gum
los dientes sensiblessensitive teeth
el dolor de muelastoothache
el mal alientobad breath
el aftacanker sore
el sarrotartar
la inflamación de las encíasgingival swelling
el diente flojoloose tooth
la gingivitisgum disease
la placa dentaldental plaque
la candidiasisyeast infection
la úlceraulcer

Dental Procedures

Now, let’s focus on some of the most common dental procedures.

el tratamiento dentaldental procedure
la cirugíasurgery
el relleno, el empastefilling
la endodonciaroot canal treatment
la limpieza dentaldental cleaning
el puente dentaldental bridge
la biopsiabiopsy
la amalgamaamalgam
la anestesiaanesthetic
el antibióticoantibiotic
la ortodonciaorthodontics
el relleno temporaltemporary filling
la inyeccióninjection
el blanqueamiento dentalteeth whitening
la obturaciónobturation
el analgésicopainkiller
la extracciónextraction
la coronacrown
la pulpectomíapulpectomy
el tratamiento del nervionerve treatment
el implanteimplant

Dentist’s Instruments and Materials

Dentists’ instruments have a name; let’s learn what they’re called in Spanish. I’m including some of the materials dentists use, too. 

el taladro dental dental drill
el separador dentaldental retractor
el espejo dentaldental mirror
la ortodonciaorthodontics
el aspirador de secrecionesaspirator
la jeringasyringe
el hilo dentaldental floss
la pasta dentaltoothpaste
el cepillo de dientestoothbrush
el selladorsealant
la cubierta protectoraprotective paint
el cementocement
el fluorurofluoride
el óxido nitrosonitrous oxide
la nariz de gomarubber nose
la gasagauze
el jugo para dormirsleepy juice
la resinacomposite

Dental-related Verbs

These are some verbs commonly used when you visit your dentist.

morderto bite
lavarto wash
sangrarto bleed
escupirto spit
enjuagarto rinse
cepillarto brush
respirarto breath
restaurarto restore
extraerto extract
arreglarto fix
cubrirto cover
comerto eat
beberto drink
masticarto chew
tragarto swallow
abrirto open
cerrarto close
rellenarto fill
sentarto sit
enderezarto straighten
suturarto suture
inflamarto swell

General Dental Terms

Last but not least, we’ll conclude our lesson on dental terminology in Spanish with general dental terms.

los frenosbraces
la citaappointment
la heridawound
el tejidotissue
la puntadastitch
la infeccióninfection
la salud dentaldental health
los guantesgloves
las medicinasdrugs
la sangreblood
la alergiaallergy
el doctor/la doctoradoctor
el seguroinsurance
el dolorpain
la emergenciaemergency

Don’t Forget to Brush Your Teeth and Practice Spanish!

Just like brushing your teeth, developing your Spanish should be a daily habit. Try to introduce this dental terminology in Spanish into real-life conversations and that way you’ll be ready to use it when the occasion arises. Sign up for a free class with one of our certified, native Spanish-speaking teachers from Guatemala, and start talking about dental terminology in Spanish today!

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Ready to learn more Spanish vocabulary? Check these out!

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Luis F. Dominguez
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Luis F. Dominguez
Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy
Luis F. Domínguez is a freelance writer and independent journalist interested in travel, languages, art, books, history, philosophy, politics and sports. He has written for Fodor’s, Yahoo!, Sports Illustrated, Telemundo, and Villa Experience, among other brands of print and digital media in Europe and North America.
Luis F. Dominguez
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2 comments on this post

  1. Deandra Rudolfo
    July 15, 2021

    This is so helpful. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Luis F. Dominguez
      July 19, 2021

      Hello! I’m glad you found this blog post useful.

      Reply

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