pyorrhea

American  

[pahy-uh-ree-uh] / ˌpaɪ əˈri ə /

Or pyorrhoea

noun

1. Pathology. a discharge of pus.

2. Also called Riggs' disease.  Also called pyorrhea alveolaris.  Dentistry. a chronic form of periodontitis occurring in various degrees of severity, characterized in its severe forms by the formation of pus in the pockets between the roots of the teeth and their surrounding tissues, and frequently accompanied by the loosening and subsequent loss of the teeth.

---

Other Word Forms

• pyorrheal
  adjective
• pyorrheic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of pyorrhea

First recorded in 1785–90; from New Latin; pyo-, -rrhea

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pyorrhea

Larger use of the X-ray by dentistry and more definite study of dental decay and pyorrhea as manifestations of something going wrong elsewhere in the body are necessary to real progress in the profession.

From Time Magazine Archive

Strikingly in contrast to its rivals' advertisements have been those for Colgate which declared: ''Colgate's has never claimed to cure pyorrhea, to correct an acid condition of the mouth—things no toothpaste can do.

From Time Magazine Archive

You have one of the worst pyorrhea cases I have ever seen.

From Time Magazine Archive

With it he reported cures of pyorrhea, Addison's disease, such baffling bleeding diseases as forms of hemophilia, purpura hemorrhagica and hemorrhagica nephritis.

From Time Magazine Archive

Of course, you don’t understand, but the point is that I’ve persuaded Doctor Hadley to bring in Doctor Granville, who is a dentist and a pyorrhea expert. 

From Michael, Brother of Jerry by Jack London