pulpitis

1 8.2

A swelling or infection of the soft part inside a tooth

noun
/pʌlˈpaɪtɪs/

Specialized

: pulpitis

She was diagnosed with pulpitis last week.

Examples

After a deep cavity, she developed pulpitis and needed immediate treatment.
If left untreated, pulpitis can lead to more serious dental problems.
The dentist explained that pulpitis was causing the patient's severe tooth pain.
The dentist explained that pulpitis can cause severe pain.
The dentist explained that pulpitis can cause intense toothaches and requires treatment.
After the examination, the doctor diagnosed her with pulpitis, indicating inflammation of the tooth's soft tissue.
He learned that untreated pulpitis could lead to more serious dental issues and even tooth loss.

Antonyms

health

∞ 1.0

The condition of a person's body and mind, especially being free from illness or injury

healing

226 2.1

The body's natural process of getting better after injury or illness

Surface Forms

pulpitis singular

pulpitides plural

Morphology

pulpitis = pulp (semi-transparent) = pulp + itis

Formally transparent as 'pulp' + medical suffix '-itis' meaning inflammation, but the suffix is a specialized medical combining form that may be unfamiliar to average learners.

Etymology

Pulpitis comes from pulp, the soft inner part of a tooth, and the medical ending -itis, which means 'inflammation' or 'soreness', as in tonsillitis. So, pulpitis literally means the pulp is inflamed, which explains the strong tooth pain.