Odontology
/ˌɑː.dənˈtɑː.lə.dʒi/noun
The scientific study of teeth.
Did you know?Odontology comes from Greek odous, odontos “tooth,” the same ancient root that also gave English words like orthodontics and periodontitis through later medical formation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₃dónts
“tooth”
Ancient Greek
Greek
odous, odontos
“tooth”
Modern Greek/Scientific Greek
Greek
odont-
“tooth- as a combining form”
19th Century
English
odontology
“the scientific study of teeth”
Modern English
English
odontology
“the study of teeth”
Explore more surprising origins