Taber's Medical Dictionary
varnish
(var′nish )
To hear audio pronunciation of this topic, purchase a subscription or log in.A solution of gums and resins in a solvent. When these are applied to a surface, the solvent evaporates and leaves a hard, more or less flexible film. In dentistry, varnishes are used to protect sensitive tooth areas such as the pulp, and to apply prophylaxis against caries with fluoride.
SYN: SEE: cavity varnish
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Citation
Venes, Donald, editor. "Varnish." Taber's Medical Dictionary, 25th ed., F.A. Davis Company, 2025. Taber's Online, www.tabers.com/tabersonline/view/Tabers-Dictionary/763640/all/varnish.
Varnish. In: Venes DD, ed. Taber's Medical Dictionary. F.A. Davis Company; 2025. https://www.tabers.com/tabersonline/view/Tabers-Dictionary/763640/all/varnish. Accessed April 27, 2026.
Varnish. (2025). In Venes, D. (Ed.), Taber's Medical Dictionary (25th ed.). F.A. Davis Company. https://www.tabers.com/tabersonline/view/Tabers-Dictionary/763640/all/varnish
Varnish [Internet]. In: Venes DD, editors. Taber's Medical Dictionary. F.A. Davis Company; 2025. [cited 2026 April 27]. Available from: https://www.tabers.com/tabersonline/view/Tabers-Dictionary/763640/all/varnish.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
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T1 - varnish
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ED - Venes,Donald,
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PB - F.A. Davis Company
ET - 25
DB - Taber's Online
DP - Unbound Medicine
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