periodontist

American  

[per-ee-uh-don-tist] / ˌpɛr i əˈdɒn tɪst /

noun

1. a specialist in periodontics.

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Etymology

Origin of periodontist

First recorded in 1915–20; periodont(ics) + -ist

Explanation

If you have gum disease, you don't need a regular dentist — you need to see a periodontist, an expert who specializes in treating the gums and the bones surrounding your teeth. Periodontists are experts in periodontics, the study of conditions that affect the structures around your teeth. So a simple cavity doesn't require a visit to the periodontist, but gum inflammation or the need for a dental implant would warrant a trip to this dental specialist. The word periodontist comes from periodontal, literally "around the tooth," from the Greek roots peri-, "around," and odontos, "tooth."

Example Sentences

My dentist said a molar needed to be yanked because of a cellular breakdown called resorption, and a periodontist in his office recommended a bone graft and probably an implant.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2026

Hirschhorn, 55, began renting the guesthouse in September 2021 from a periodontist in Los Angeles’ Brentwood, the LA Times reported.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 9, 2023

As one periodontist in Bryn Mawr, Pa., told Philadelphia Magazine last year, “Some days, cracked teeth is all I do.”

From Washington Post • Feb. 1, 2022

As far as one of her girlfriends, a periodontist, could tell, Mr. Marcus was also ready to settle down.

From New York Times • Oct. 29, 2021

His father was Muscatine’s periodontist and adapted easily to his new country, liking small-town America.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French