Root Words, Prefixes and Suffixes Used in Dental Terms

[Pages:2]Root Words, Prefixes and Suffixes Used in Dental Terms

One of the fun parts of learning dental/medical terminology is making difficult, long, impressive-looking words understandable. By learning what the word parts mean, it is much easier to understand what a brand new word is, even if you have never seen or heard it before. Most medical terms originated in either Greek or Latin, so when someone says, "It's Greek to me" ... it really is!

Once again, the prefixes and suffixes that follow are by no means all inclusive, but will provide a starting place of commonly used word parts. There are specific rules for combining words and for the order of the root words within a word, so it would be a good idea to study further to really understand how dental/medical terms are put together and read. Two excellent resources for additional medical terms are Building a Medical Vocabulary or Quick & Easy Medical Terminology both by Peggy C. Leonard, published by W. B. Saunders Company. The intent here is just to provide a starting place for building a good, useful dental vocabulary.

When words are combined, they often acquire an "o" to make the word flow better and be more pronounceable. Words sometimes end in -ia for the same reason and/or to indicate a condition of:

Prefix/Suffix Definition

Example

-algia

pain

odontALGIA = tooth pain

-a

without

Acellular = having no cells

arth-

joint

ARTHOscope=an instrument to see inside a joint

dent, odont tooth or teeth

ODONToma = tumor composed of tooth structures

-ectomy

excision

appendECTOMY = excision of the appendix

-emia

blood

hyperEMIA = above normal amount of blood in an a tissue

endo-

within

ENDOdont =inside a tooth

-gen-

beginning, produce pathoGENic = disease producing

gingiv-

pertaining to the GINGIVitis = inflammation of the gums

gums

glyc-

sugar

GYLColysis = sugar dissolving

hyper-

over, excessive, above

HYPERmobility= more mobility than normal

hypo-

below, under, deficient

HYPOthermia = below normal temperature

-ia, -iasis condition

odontalgIA = condition of tooth pain

infra-

below

INFRAorbital = below the eye

inter-

between

INTERcellular = between cells

intra-

within

INTRAoral = within the mouth

periodontITIS = inflammation of supporting

itis

inflammation

structures of teeth

lingu-

pertaining to the LINGUal surface = the surface closest to the

tongue

tongue

-logy

study of

pathoLOGY = study of disease

-lysis

destruction, dissolving

glycoLYSIS = dissolving sugar

muc-

mucous

MUCositis = inflammation of mucous membrane

neo-

new

NEOplasm = new growth

wordOID = resembling a word (this is not a real

-oid

resembling

word)

-oma

tumor

odontOMA = tumor composed of tooth structures

-osis

condition, disease periodontOSIS = condition of the periodontium

-path, -pathy disease

PATHOlogy = study of disease

peri-

around

PERIoral = around the mouth

perio-

supporting structures of the teeth

PERIOdontal = involving the supporting structures of teeth

-phil-

love

acidoPHILic = acid loving

gingivoPLASTy = repair of the gingiva to -plast, -plasty repair, form, grow

functional form

post-

behind, after

py

pus

PYogenic= pus producing

-rrhea

burst forth, pour sialoRRHEA = excessive flow of saliva

-scope

instrument used to arthoSCOPE = an instrument to see inside a joint

view

sial-

saliva

SIALorrhea = excessive flow of saliva

-stomia

mouth

xeroSTOMIA = dry mouth

super-

above, excessive SUPERnumerary = excessive number

supra-

above

SUPRAgingival = above the margin of the gums

xero-

dry

XEROstomia = dry mouth

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