The most common way to say 'teeth' in French is les dents. Simple enough, right? But the French language has a whole mouthful of other words related to teeth that can make your vocabulary much more precise and colorful. Whether you're visiting a dentiste, talking about a baby's first tooth, or complaining about your wisdom teeth, knowing the right word is key to sounding like a local. So, let's sink our teeth into 9 different ways to say 'teeth' in French!

The standard 'teeth' – les dents

The standard word for 'teeth' in French – les dents.

Dent is the fundamental and most common French word for 'tooth'. In its plural form, les dents, it translates directly to 'the teeth'. It's the word you'll hear and use in virtually every situation, from a visit to the dentist to a simple conversation.

It's crucial to know the gender and number, as it affects the articles and adjectives used with it. Remember that dent is a feminine noun:

• une dent: a tooth (singular, feminine)
• la dent: the tooth (singular, feminine)
• des dents: teeth (plural, indefinite)
• les dents: the teeth (plural, definite)

You'll frequently encounter dents in essential daily phrases. For example, 'to brush one's teeth' is se brosser les dents, and having a 'toothache' is expressed as avoir mal aux dents. These are fundamental phrases for everyday life.

Beyond its literal meaning, dent is a key part of many colorful French idioms. For instance, avoir une dent contre quelqu'un literally means 'to have a tooth against someone', but it's used to say you're holding a grudge. Another common one is croquer la vie à pleines dents, which means 'to live life to the fullest'.

Pay attention to the pronunciation. The final 't' in dent (singular) is silent. In the plural form dents, the 'ts' is also silent. The 'en' sound is nasal, similar to the sound in the English word 'song'.

💡 * Je dois me brosser les dents avant de dormir.

• Le bébé a sa première dent.
• J'ai très mal aux dents, je vais appeler le dentiste.
• Il a une dent contre son ancien patron.
• Souris, montre tes belles dents !

The single 'tooth' – une dent

The single 'tooth' – une dent

The French word for a single “tooth” is une dent. It's a feminine noun, so you'll always use feminine articles like une (a) or la (the) with it. This is fundamental for correct sentence structure.

You'll most often use une dent in the context of health and hygiene. For example, if you have a toothache, you would say J'ai mal à une dent. This leads you to visit le dentiste (the dentist).

When talking about more than one tooth, the plural form is les dents. A crucial daily phrase for everyone is se brosser les dents, which means “to brush one's teeth.”

French also uses dent in colorful expressions. A very common idiom is avoir une dent contre quelqu'un, which literally means “to have a tooth against someone.”

This expression has nothing to do with actual teeth; it means to hold a grudge or bear resentment against a person. It’s a great phrase to know to understand native speakers better.

💡 * J'ai une dent qui bouge, je dois voir un dentiste.

• Le petit garçon a perdu sa première dent de lait.
• Brosse-toi bien les dents après avoir mangé des bonbons.
• Il semble avoir une dent contre son ancien patron.
• Les dents de sagesse poussent souvent à l'adolescence.

The 'baby teeth' – les dents de lait

The French term for “baby teeth,” also known as “milk teeth,” is les dents de lait. This is the standard phrase you'll hear in everyday conversation, at the doctor's office, and among families.

Literally, les dents de lait translates to “the teeth of milk.” This poetic expression directly links the first set of teeth to the time in a baby's life when milk is their primary source of nutrition.

The phrase is a plural noun. A single tooth is une dent (feminine). When referring to the entire set of primary teeth, the plural form les dents de lait is always used.

You will often see this term used with verbs like perdre (to lose) or when a tooth tombe (falls out). For example, a parent might exclaim, Tu as perdu une dent de lait ! (You lost a baby tooth!).

In France, when a child loses one of their dents de lait, they don't wait for the Tooth Fairy. Instead, they anticipate a visit from la petite souris (the little mouse), who collects the tooth from under the pillow and leaves a coin or small gift in its place.

💡 * Mon fils a perdu sa première dent de lait hier.

• Le dentiste a vérifié si toutes ses dents de lait étaient tombées.
• N'oublie pas de mettre ta dent de lait sous ton oreiller pour la petite souris.
• À quel âge les enfants perdent-ils leurs dents de lait ?

The 'wisdom teeth' – les dents de sagesse

The French term for 'wisdom teeth' is les dents de sagesse. This phrase literally translates to 'the teeth of wisdom'.

Just like in English, the name is linked to the age at which these molars typically emerge, usually between 17 and 25. This period is often considered l'âge de la sagesse (the age of wisdom), when a person is becoming more mature.

The term is plural and feminine because the noun for tooth, une dent, is feminine in French. When referring to a single wisdom tooth, you would say une dent de sagesse.

You'll most often hear this term in a medical context, particularly when discussing extraction. A common phrase is se faire enlever les dents de sagesse, which means 'to have one's wisdom teeth removed'.

💡 * Mes dents de sagesse me font souffrir. (My wisdom teeth are causing me pain.)

• Le dentiste va m'enlever une dent de sagesse demain. (The dentist is going to remove one of my wisdom teeth tomorrow.)
• Toutes mes dents de sagesse ont poussé sans problème. (All my wisdom teeth grew in without any problem.)
• Avoir les dents de sagesse incluses est assez courant. (Having impacted wisdom teeth is quite common.)

The 'canine teeth' – les canines

To talk about 'canine teeth' in French, you use a direct cognate that's very easy to remember: les canines.

Les canines are the pointed teeth located between the incisors and the premolars. The name is directly linked to the word canin, which means 'canine' (related to dogs), highlighting their characteristic shape.

The word is a feminine noun. For a single tooth, you say une canine. In the plural form, it becomes les canines. For example, Ma canine supérieure est un peu pointue (My upper canine is a bit sharp).

Beyond the dentist's office, you might encounter the expression montrer les canines (to show the canines). This idiom means to show aggression, become threatening, or make one's hostile intentions clear, much like an animal baring its fangs.

Use les canines in any literal context when discussing teeth, especially in a medical or descriptive setting. Remember its figurative use, montrer les canines, to describe a show of aggression.

💡 * Le dentiste a dit que mes canines sont en bonne santé. (The dentist said my canines are healthy.)

• Les lions ont des canines très développées pour chasser. (Lions have highly developed canines for hunting.)
• Face à la compétition, l'entreprise a dû montrer les canines. (Facing the competition, the company had to get aggressive.)
• Mon enfant a mal parce que ses canines poussent. (My child is in pain because their canine teeth are coming in.)

The 'incisors' – les incisives

When discussing teeth in French, particularly the ones at the front of your mouth, the correct anatomical term is les incisives.

The word incisives (pronounced roughly as 'an-see-zeev') is a direct cognate of the English 'incisors'. It refers to the eight sharp, flat teeth at the front of the mouth used for cutting and biting food.

It is crucial to remember that incisives is a feminine plural noun. This affects the articles and adjectives used with it. For a single tooth, you would say une incisive (an incisor). For the group, it's les incisives (the incisors).

This term is used almost exclusively in medical or scientific contexts, such as a visit to the dentist (chez le dentiste). It's a formal, precise term, not something you would use in casual, everyday slang.

💡 * J'ai une petite fissure sur une de mes incisives. (I have a small crack on one of my incisors.)

• Les incisives du haut sont généralement plus grandes que celles du bas. (The upper incisors are generally larger than the lower ones.)
• Attention à ne pas te casser une incisive en mangeant cette pomme. (Be careful not to break an incisor eating that apple.)

The 'molars' – les molaires

The French word for 'molars' is les molaires. This term is used in both medical and everyday contexts to refer to the large teeth at the back of your mouth.

The noun molaire is feminine. Therefore, you would say une molaire for a single molar and les molaires for the plural form. Any adjectives describing them must also be in the feminine form.

You will most commonly hear or use this word when talking about dental health, visiting the dentist, or describing a toothache. It's a specific anatomical term, just like in English.

💡 * Le dentiste a soigné ma molaire hier. (The dentist treated my molar yesterday.)

• Les molaires servent à broyer les aliments. (Molars are used to grind food.)
• J'ai mal à une molaire du fond. (I have a pain in a back molar.)
• Les premières molaires apparaissent généralement vers l'âge de 6 ans. (The first molars generally appear around the age of 6.)

The cute/childish 'pearly whites' – les quenottes

The cute/childish 'pearly whites' – les quenottes

Les quenottes is an informal and affectionate term for 'teeth,' almost exclusively used when speaking to or about children. It’s the direct equivalent of English terms like 'pearly whites' or 'little teeth' and carries a strong endearing connotation.

This word belongs in familiar, informal settings. For instance, a parent might tell their child to brush their quenottes. In a formal or medical context, like at a dentist's office, the standard word les dents would be used instead.

The singular form, une quenotte, refers to a single tooth. It's commonly heard when a baby gets their first tooth or when a child loses one for the 'petite souris' (the French tooth fairy).

💡 * Brosse-toi bien les quenottes avant d'aller dormir. (Brush your little teeth well before going to sleep.)

• Regarde, le bébé a sa première quenotte ! (Look, the baby has his first little tooth!)
• Le petit garçon a perdu une quenotte en jouant. (The little boy lost a tooth while playing.)

1. The French for 'Dentures': Le Dentier

The most common and direct way to say 'dentures' or 'false teeth' in French is le dentier. This is a masculine noun and the standard term used in everyday conversation.

Le dentier can refer to either a full or partial set of false teeth. It's the word you would use when talking about a grandparent's dentures, for example. You might hear phrases like un dentier complet (full dentures) or un dentier partiel (partial dentures).

A more technical or medical term is la prothèse dentaire, which translates to 'dental prosthesis'. This term is more likely to be used by a dentist (un dentiste) or in a formal medical context.

Several key verbs are associated with dentures. These include porter un dentier (to wear dentures), mettre son dentier (to put in one's dentures), and enlever son dentier (to take out one's dentures).

💡 * Mon grand-père porte un dentier depuis des années.

• N'oublie pas de nettoyer ton dentier tous les soirs.
• Elle a perdu son dentier en mangeant une pomme.
• Le dentiste a ajusté sa nouvelle prothèse dentaire.

Are there other ways to say 'teeth' in French?

Are there other ways to say 'teeth' in French?

Our guide features the most common ways to say 'teeth' in French, centered around the word dents. However, French also has a variety of other terms, from informal slang like les quenottes (often used for children's teeth) to more pejorative slang like les ratiches.

You can expand your vocabulary by searching online for "argot pour les dents" (slang for teeth) or by looking up anatomical charts in French to learn more technical terms.

Be mindful of context when using synonyms for dents. Slang terms especially can have strong connotations, so it's always wise to observe how native speakers use them before trying them out yourself.

Pay attention when you watch French films or listen to French music. You might hear these different words for 'teeth' and get a better sense of when and why they are used.

If you're curious about expressions and idioms involving teeth, a great online dictionary like WordReference for the word dent will provide a long list of fascinating examples.

I hope this article has given you a solid bite of French vocabulary. Let's end with a famous French proverb that perfectly illustrates how 'teeth' are embedded in the culture: À cheval donné on ne regarde pas les dents. (Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.)