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Glite Dictionary
bitewing

bitewing

1 8.1
An X-ray film held between the back teeth to show cavities and bone loss
  • noun
  • /ˈbaɪtˌwɪŋ/
  • Specialized
: radiografía interproximal
  • After the bitewing X-ray, the dentist explained I needed a filling.

Examples

  • Two bitewing radiographs were taken and labeled, each exposed film with body number by two dentists.

    Academic text (2007)

  • So please prep the patient for the bitewing x-ray.

    Horrible Bosses (2011)

  • The dentist took a bitewing to check for cavities between my teeth.

  • The dental hygienist showed me the bitewing films that revealed some bone loss.

Surface Forms

bitewing singular
bitewings plural

Morphology

bitewing = bite + wing (semi-transparent) = bite + wing

The components 'bite' and 'wing' are recognizable, but the compound denotes a specialized dental radiograph whose meaning is not obvious from the parts to a general learner.

Etymology

Bitewing comes from the way the X-ray is taken: you bite ('close your teeth around') a small wing ('tab' or flap) of the film that sits between the teeth. So a bitewing is an X-ray film held in the mouth to check for cavities and bone loss.