Dental Word Parts

Knowing these building blocks lets you decode any unfamiliar dental word on the spot.

Prefixes

Part	Meaning	Examples
a- / an-	without, absence of	a-nesthesia, an-odontia
dys-	abnormal, difficult	dys-geusia, dys-phagia
endo-	inside, within	endo-dontics, endo-sseous
epi-	upon, over	epi-thelium, epi-dermis
hyper-	excess, above normal	hyper-plasia, hyper-emia
hypo-	under, below normal	hypo-calcification, hypo-salivation
inter-	between	inter-proximal, inter-dental
intra-	within	intra-oral, intra-osseous
mal-	bad, abnormal	mal-occlusion, mal-formation
peri-	around, surrounding	peri-odontics, peri-apical
sub-	below, under	sub-gingival, sub-periosteal
supra-	above	supra-gingival, supra-crestal

Roots

Part	Meaning	Examples
alveol-	socket, hollow	alveolus, alveolar bone
dent- / odont-	tooth	dentin, orthodontics, periodontium
gingiv-	gum	gingiva, gingivitis, gingivectomy
gloss- / lingu-	tongue	glossitis, lingual surface
myc-	fungus	oral candidiasis
myel-	marrow	osteomyelitis
oss- / oste-	bone	osseointegration, osteotomy
pulp-	pulp (soft tissue)	pulpitis, pulpectomy
stom-	mouth, opening	stomatitis, stomatology

Suffixes

Part	Meaning	Examples
-algia	pain	pulpalgia, neuralgia
-ectomy	surgical removal	gingivectomy, apicoectomy
-itis	inflammation	gingivitis, periodontitis, pulpitis
-oma	tumor, mass	fibroma, hemangioma, papilloma
-osis	condition, process	fluorosis, ankylosis
-otomy	incision into	pulpotomy, osteotomy
-pathy	disease	neuropathy, periodontopathy
-plasty	surgical reshaping	gingivoplasty, alveoloplasty
-rrhea	flow, discharge	hemorrhage, pyorrhea
-scopy	visual examination	endoscopy, perioscopy