口腔解剖学可视为解剖学下之分支，在牙医学领域中被视为基础知识，在此基点上进一步衍生出临床上的治疗与应用。早期此学科的研究领域局限在口腔中的相关构造，但在日渐发展之后，由于临床应用上的需要，以及技术的进步，研究进而需要扩大涵盖至整个头颈部区域之解剖构造及其相对位置，而更明确的指称口腔解剖学中所涵盖的范围。

此学科的发展与应用影响到牙医学领域中，包括牙科矫正学、口腔颚面外科、耳鼻喉科、语言病理学等等，具有极大的重要性。

Dental anatomy is a field of anatomy dedicated to the study of human tooth structures. The development, appearance, and classification of teeth fall within its purview. (The function of teeth as they contact one another falls elsewhere, under dental occlusion.) Tooth formation begins before birth, and teeth's eventual morphology is dictated during this time. Dental anatomy is also a taxonomical science: it is concerned with the naming of teeth and the structures of which they are made, this information serving a practical purpose in dental treatment.