dental work
11
3.4
- noun
- /ˈdɛntəl wɜrk/
:
tratamiento dental
- Many people avoid going to the dentist because they fear dental work will be painful.
- do dental work
- need dental work
- extensive dental work
They were all getting spayed as well as dental work.
- They were all getting spayed as well as dental work.
- A lot of us have been very vocal against the use of metals or mercury in amalgam dental fillings and other dental work.
- Organ transplants, joint transplants, open heart surgery with childbirth, dental work over and over again.
Examples
-
And come to think of it, the boy could use some dental work, too.
Blog text (3) -
I'm still trying to pay for this dental work.
-
I have had a lot of dental work done myself, and so has my husband.
Blog text (18) -
"So he'll be getting a little dental work on that tomorrow."
Blog text (4) -
I went in for a cleaning, came out with dental work having to be done.
-
Surely you have had some serious dental work since your last visit?
Fiction book (1991) -
He's only here for some dental work.
-
I've spent four thousand marks on dental work so I can laugh with my mouth open.
Academic text (2007) -
I've had that dental work done by local dentists here.
-
A former patient sued her dentist for $400 because the dental work was unsatisfactory.
Academic text (1994)
Synonyms
8
2.1
To keep teeth healthy by brushing, flossing, and visiting a dentist
1
3.6
A treatment a dentist does on your teeth, gums, or mouth
How Complex
- Specialized
1
3.7
11
3.4
- Specialized
17
3.5
- Specialized
3
7.0
- Specialized
14
3.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'procedures and treatments performed by a dentist' is directly derivable from combining 'dental' (pertaining to teeth/dentists) with 'work' (tasks or procedures). This follows a common English pattern where 'X work' denotes tasks relating to X, a compositional and cross-linguistically transparent structure that a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand.
Etymology
Dental work comes from the simple image of dental meaning 'about teeth' and work meaning 'jobs a dentist does'. Think of a dentist fixing or cleaning teeth with tools, and that's why the phrase means 'treatments' to keep or restore your teeth.