Haisha

Haisha is the Japanese word for a dentist, written as 歯医者. It is a compound formed from elements meaning tooth, medical, and person, and is used to refer to a dental practitioner who cares for teeth and oral health. In everyday conversation, people commonly say or write phrases like “歯医者さんへ行く” to mean going to the dentist, and may address the professional as “歯医者さん.”

In more formal or professional contexts, the dentist is often described with the terms 歯科医 or 歯科医師, which denote a dental physician or dentist within medical licensing and formal qualifications. The distinction between casual speech and formal terminology reflects a broader pattern in Japanese where everyday language uses a common noun, while official or clinical contexts employ more specialized terms.

Haisha can also appear in transliteration outside Japan, where it may be encountered as a surname or place name in non-Japanese contexts. In such uses, the meaning and origin are not connected to the dental term, and the interpretation depends on the language and regional naming conventions.