sentences:  The name "dentalium" is based on the scientific name for the genus "Dentalium", but because the taxonomy has changed over time, not all of the species used are still placed in that genus; however, all of the species are certainly in the family Dentaliidae.Dentalium shells were used by Inuit, First Nations, and Native Americans as an international trade item.This usage is found along the western coast of Canada and along the Pacific Ocean coast of the northwest United States extending southward to Southern California.