noun
dentistry; dental field
Refers to dentistry as a medical field or department; also commonly appears in compounds and labels such as 歯科医, 歯科医院, and 歯科治療.
弟は大学で歯科を学んでいる。
My younger brother is studying dentistry at university.
歯科では虫歯や歯周病を扱う。
Dentistry deals with cavities and periodontal disease.
Refers to medical departments other than dentistry in some administrative or institutional contrasts.
A Sino-Japanese compound: 歯 means 'tooth' and 科 means 'department' or 'field,' so the spelling transparently indicates the dental field.