Pulpal

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Describing the soft tissue within a tooth that supports nerves and blood vessels
2. Relating to the soft, innermost layer of a tooth that contains vital nerves and blood supply
3. Pertaining to the fleshy interior part of a tooth where nerves and blood vessels are found

Etymology: "Pulpal" is a straightforward formation: the noun "pulp" with the adjective-forming suffix "-al" added to it. "Pulp" itself comes from Latin "pulpa," meaning flesh or soft fleshy mass, and it passed into English centuries ago with the sense of soft, moist matter. The dental use came later, when "pulp" was applied to the soft tissue filling the central chamber of a tooth. The adjective "pulpal" therefore describes anything belonging to or relating to that inner tissue. Dentists use it in phrases such as pulpal pain or pulpal inflammation, where the problem lies in the nerve-and-blood-vessel core rather than the hard enamel or dentine outside it.