1.
dental clinic; dentist's office
A medical facility specializing in dental care. In Japan, most dental practices are small private clinics rather than large hospital departments.
歯科医院を予約した。
I made an appointment at the dental clinic.
駅前に新しい歯科医院ができた。
A new dental clinic opened in front of the station.
子どもの頃から通っている歯科医院が来月閉院するらしい。
The dental clinic I've been going to since childhood is apparently closing next month.
Composed of 歯科 (dentistry) + 医院 (clinic). The standard term for a private dental practice in Japan. Japan has one of the highest densities of dental clinics in the world, with over 60,000 nationwide.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 歯科医院に通う: to visit a dental clinic regularly
- 歯科医院を予約する: to make a dental appointment
- 歯科医院で治療を受ける: to receive treatment at a dental clinic
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 歯医者: dentist — the casual, everyday word; also used to refer to the clinic itself colloquially
- 歯科: dentistry — the field itself, or used as a prefix (e.g., 歯科医師 = dentist)
- 医院: clinic — a general medical clinic; 歯科医院 specifies dental