Definition

A type of disease that causes inflammation in the tissues that support and surround the teeth.

Example

The dentist diagnosed her with periodontitis after noticing the inflammation in her gums.

Conversation

I just found out that I might have periodontitis.

Oh no! What does that mean for your teeth?

It means I need to see a dentist because it affects the supporting tissues.

Definitely get it checked out — it's important to take care of your gums.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Periodontitis → It is formed from "peri-" (meaning around) and "odous" (from Greek, meaning tooth) and "-itis" (meaning inflammation). The word refers to the inflammation of the tissues surrounding the teeth.

Memory Tip

Think of 'peri-' meaning 'around' and 'odous' meaning 'tooth' — this helps you remember that periodontitis is the inflammation of the tissues around the teeth.

Visually Confused Words