interdental

American  

[in-ter-den-tl] / ˌɪn tərˈdɛn tl /

adjective

1. between teeth.

2. Phonetics. articulated with the tip of the tongue between the upper and lower front teeth, as the fricatives (th̸) and (th) of thy and thigh.

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interdental British  

/ ˌɪntəˈdɛntəl /

adjective

1. situated between teeth

2. phonetics (of a consonant) pronounced with the tip of the tongue lying between the upper and lower front teeth, as for the th sounds in English thin and then

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Other Word Forms

• interdentally adverb

Etymology

Origin of interdental

First recorded in 1870–75; inter- + dental

Example Sentences

Of course, no one likes flossing, but Dr Sharma says using interdental brushes, particularly rubber ones, can make it easier and less painful.

From BBC • Nov. 2, 2025

If you really dislike flossing, try and interdental brush.

From Time • Dec. 6, 2016

In addition to brushing for twice the recommended amount of time, I use an interdental brush twice a day and floss once a day.

From New York Times • Aug. 29, 2016

I don’t scrape my tongue, I don’t rinse with mouthwash and I don’t use an interdental brush or Waterpik.

From New York Times • Aug. 29, 2016

The interior of the mouth is examined by holding the head up and inserting the fingers through the interdental space in such a way as to cause the mouth to open.

From Special Report on Diseases of the Horse by Michener, Charles B.