periodontal
Americanadjective
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of or relating to the periodontium.
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of or relating to periodontics.
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of or relating to the periodontal membrane.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of periodontal
Explanation
The adjective periodontal describes anything having to do with the parts of a human mouth that support and surround the teeth. To maintain your periodontal health, don't forget to gently brush your gums! Periodontal literally means "around the tooth," from Greek roots peri-, "around," and odon, "tooth." Mostly, this word refers to gums; periodontal disease is often simply called "gum disease." But the periodontal region of your mouth also includes the bone that holds your tooth sockets and the tiny ligaments that keep your teeth in those sockets. A periodontal specialist is a dentist who pays closer attention to your gums than your teeth.
Vocabulary lists containing periodontal
Body Language: Dent, Dont ("Tooth")
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"This protein really targets RNA for rapid degradation," says Kirkwood, who has spent decades studying obesity, aging, oral inflammation, periodontal disease, and oral cancer progression.
From Science Daily • May 19, 2026
The next phase of the research will examine how bacterial signaling differs across various areas of the mouth and in people with different stages of periodontal disease.
From Science Daily • May 8, 2026
One of the chief bacterial culprits behind periodontitis is Porphyromonas gingivalis, which colonizes biofilms on tooth surfaces and proliferates in deep periodontal pockets.
From Science Daily • May 21, 2024
Work we have done with our collaborators has shown that treating plaque samples from periodontal disease patients with 6.5 mmol of nitrate increased healthy bacteria levels and reduced acidity.
From Salon • Jan. 30, 2024
A periodontal abscess of one of the upper central incisors spreads backwards between the muco-periosteum and the bony palate, causing an elongated swelling in the roof of the mouth.
From Manual of Surgery Volume Second: Extremities—Head—Neck. Sixth Edition. by Miles, Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
