Meanings
nountoothette (plural toothettes)
plural toothettes
- A swab consisting of a small sponge on a stick, used for oral hygiene.
Assist the patient with brushing the teeth and cleaning the mouth, using a soft toothbrush, a toothette, or a gauze-padded tongue blade.
1986, Kathleen Hoerth Belland, Mary Ann Wells, Clinical Nursing Procedures, page 161 more example
If you are attempting to force the toothbrush in, use a toothette. The sponge tip will not cause injury to the lips or gums. Use toothettes with caution.
2016, Douglas Scharre, Long-Term Management of Dementia, page 145
Origin
Trade name, from tooth + -ette.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
toothette. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/toothette
MLA
“toothette.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/toothette. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “toothette,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/toothette.
Source: toothette on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.