Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
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orthodontics
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orthodontics or·tho·don·tics (ôr'thə-dŏn'tĭks) or or·tho·don·ture (ôr'thə-dŏn'chər)
n.
The dental specialty and practice of preventing and correcting irregularities of the teeth, as by the use of braces. Also called orthodontia.
or'tho·don'tic adj.
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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orthodontics
division of dentistry dealing with the prevention and correction of irregularities of the teeth-generally entailing the straightening of crooked teeth or the correcting of a poor bite, or malocclusion (physiologically unacceptable contact of opposing dentition, which may be caused by imperfect development, loss of teeth, or abnormal growth of jaws). Of significance to the orthodontist is the sequence of eruption (emergence of the tooth from its developmental crypt into the oral cavity), because such knowledge helps to determine the position of the teeth. Human bone responds best to tooth movement before the age of 18, and consequently orthodontic work is usually more beneficial to a child than an adult.
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