Orthodonture

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The branch of dentistry focused on the correction of teeth alignment and jaw positioning through braces or similar devices
2. A field within dental medicine that involves diagnosing and treating malocclusions to improve oral function and aesthetics
3. The specialized practice of adjusting and straightening teeth using various orthodontic appliances for better dental health and appearance

Etymology: Orthodonture is built from two Greek roots that were joined in the nineteenth century to name a new branch of dentistry. "Orthos" meant "straight" or "correct," and "odous" (genitive "odontos") meant "tooth," so the word literally means "straightening of teeth." The Greeks themselves never had a word like this, since the specialty did not exist in antiquity; the term was coined from classical building blocks to describe a modern practice. The word entered English in the late nineteenth century, when dentists in Europe and America began treating crooked teeth as a distinct field rather than a side task. The earlier and more common form, "orthodontia," came from the same roots through a Latinized suffix, and "orthodonture" follows the pattern of words like "denture" and "puncture," with the "-ure" ending indicating the process or result of an action.