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periodontitis

American

[per-ee-oh-don-tahy-tis] / ˌpɛr i oʊ dɒnˈtaɪ tɪs /

noun

Dentistry.

inflammation of the periodontium caused by bacteria that infect the roots of teeth and the surrounding gum crevices, producing bleeding, pus formation, and gradual loss of bone and the tissues that support the teeth.

Etymology

Origin of periodontitis

First recorded in 1870–75; periodont(ium) + -itis

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.

Nearly half of the older adults included in the study, about 48.7%, showed signs of periodontitis.

From Science Daily • Feb. 10, 2026

To explore these effects, researchers induced apical periodontitis in 30 rats and divided them into three groups.

From Science Daily • Oct. 26, 2025

Together, the findings of this study showcase the power of this modified animal model to study the full scope of periodontitis in greater detail, right down to the biomolecular level.

From Science Daily • May 21, 2024

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

The infection may spread from the tooth to the alveolo-dental periosteum, and set up a periodontitis.

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