Pyorrheic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A medical state involving severe gum inflammation and infection that progresses to the loss of dental support structures
2. Characterized by chronic periodontitis where pus accumulation occurs in the tissue around teeth, leading to tissue damage
3. A condition marked by the presence of severe inflammation and infection in the gums, leading to potential loss of tooth-supporting structures

Etymology: "Pyorrheic" is simply the adjective form of "pyorrhea," with the suffix "-ic" (from Greek "-ikos," meaning "of or relating to") added to it. So the word describes anything relating to pyorrhea, the condition in which the gums become severely inflamed and infected, which can eventually loosen the tissues that hold teeth in place. The noun it builds on is "pyorrhea," a compound of two Greek elements: "pyon," meaning pus, and "rhoia," meaning a flow or discharge. Put together, the name literally describes a flow of pus, a fitting label for the discharge that accompanies the disease. The word therefore names the condition by its most visible symptom rather than by its cause.