1. The act of keeping apart or dividing, or the state of being held apart. 2. In dentistry, the process of gaining slight spaces between the teeth preparatory to treatment.
- sternochondral s. s. of the costal cartilage from the sternum, especially of the 2nd to 7th ribs, which are true joints lined with synovial membranes.
- s. of teeth 1. loss of proximal contact of teeth; 2. in orthodontics, the creation of interproximal spaces for the fitting of an appliance.
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sep·a·ra·tion .sep-ə-'rā-shən n
1) the process of isolating or extracting from or of becoming isolated from a mixture also the resulting state
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sep·a·ra·tion (sep″ə-raґshən) 1. the process of taking apart or the state of having been taken apart. 2. the forcing apart of adjacent teeth having tight contact, as with a separating wire prior to banding in orthodontic therapy.Medical dictionary. 2011.