Dentistry · Oral & Dental · Medium

Pulpectomy

Meaning: Complete removal of all nerve and blood vessel tissue from inside a tooth's crown and root canals.

In practice: The infected primary tooth was treated by pulpectomy rather than extraction.

Word parts

  • -ectomy means surgical removal

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: Relating to the bony socket that supports and surrounds each tooth.

Which word means: Describing a tooth with an established root structure anchored in the alveolar bone.

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Related words

More dentistry terms · All medical words