Dentistry · Oral & Dental · Hard
Odontoblast
Meaning: Cell lining the inner surface of a tooth that produces and maintains dentine throughout life.
In practice: When decay advances, these cells lay down reparative dentine to protect the nerve.
Word parts
- odont- means tooth
Many medical words are built from Greek and Latin parts like these, so learning a few helps you work out new terms.
Quick check
Two questions on related dentistry words.
Which word means: Paste, gel or powder used with a toothbrush to clean and polish the teeth.
Answer: Dentifrice
Which word means: Restricted mouth opening due to spasm or dysfunction of the jaw-closing muscles.
Answer: Trismus
Words like odontoblast come up in the daily game
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