Periodontics
/ˌpɛriəˈdɒntɪks/noun
The branch of dentistry concerned with the gums and other tissues that support the teeth.
Did you know?The dental combining form odont- comes from Greek odóntos, “of a tooth,” whose unusual form preserves an ancient grammatical alternation that also connects to words such as mastodon.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₃dónts
“Tooth”
Ancient Greek
Greek
odoús, odóntos
“Tooth; of a tooth”
Ancient Greek
Greek
perí + odoús
“Around the tooth”
19th Century
Medical Greek/Latin
periodontium
“The tissues surrounding and supporting a tooth”
20th Century
English
periodontics
“The dental specialty focused on the tissues around and supporting the teeth”
Modern English
English
periodontics
“The study and treatment of the gums and tooth-supporting structures”