bitewing

[ bahyt-wing ]

noun

, Dentistry.

1. a holder for x-ray film with a projecting fin that is held between the teeth so as to show the crowns of the upper and lower teeth in one picture.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bitewing¹

First recorded in 1935–40; bite + wing

Example Sentences

The office charges $90 for a cleaning, an exam and bitewing X-rays — about half the national average fee and a third of what many big-city dentists would charge for the same services.

From Washington Post

My colleague Aaron Carroll and I have recently written Upshot articles questioning the need for annual bitewing X-rays for some patients and the efficacy of other dental practices.

From New York Times

“Would you like bitewing X-rays? It’s been a year since your last ones. Your insurance will cover them annually.”

From New York Times

If there are no spaces between the teeth, bitewing X-rays of the rear teeth should be taken at the initial examination.

From Washington Post

The researchers found that people who had had a meningioma were more than twice as likely as those who had not to have had at least one bitewing X-ray.

From Economist