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Glite Dictionary
dental handpiece

dental handpiece

6.2
A small powered tool that holds and spins a round or pointed tip to shape, clean and polish a tooth
  • noun
  • /ˈdɛntəl ˈhændˌpis/
  • Specialized
translation icon : pieza de mano dental
  • The dental handpiece is essential for any dental procedure.

Examples

  • Sterilizing the dental handpiece is essential to prevent cross-contamination.

  • The dentist picked up the dental handpiece to begin polishing the patient's teeth.

  • Modern dental handpieces offer variable speeds for different procedures.

  • A dental handpiece can be used for polishing teeth.

  • The dentist used a dental handpiece to clean the patient's teeth thoroughly.

  • During the procedure, the hygienist operated the dental handpiece for polishing the fillings.

  • With the dental handpiece, the dentist efficiently prepared the tooth for a crown.

Synonyms

handpiece
vsdental handpiece
  • Specialized
3 6.6

A small part you hold to control a machine for detailed work like in dentistry

is a powered instrument used in dentistry that rotates burs to prepare teeth

How Powerful

dentist's drill
  • Specialized
1 3.7
dental handpiece
  • Specialized
6.2
scaler
  • Specialized
6.6

Surface Forms

dental handpiece singular
dental handpieces plural

Morphology

dental + handpiece

The compound is transparently built from 'dental' (relating to teeth) + 'handpiece' (a handheld tool), so a learner who knows both words can readily infer it denotes a handheld dental instrument used in dental procedures. This is a straightforward noun–noun composition common across languages and does not require idiomatic or metaphorical knowledge.

Etymology

The compound dental handpiece combines dental, which means about 'teeth', with hand and piece, meaning a small part you hold in your hand. It names the small powered 'tool' a dentist holds to work on or polish 'teeth', so the name matches how it is used today.