Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

tonsillitis
Inflammation of one or both tonsils,
typically as a result of infection by a virus or
bacteria.
tonsillolith
A tiny stone (calculus) in the tonsils.
Such stones are found within little pockets (crypts)
in the tonsils. These pockets typically form in
chronic recurrent tonsillitis, and they harbor bacte-
ria. Tonsilloliths are foul smelling because they tend
to contain high quantities of sulfur compounds.
When crushed, they give off a characteristic rotten-
egg smell and can cause bad breath. Tonsilloliths
may also give a person the sense that something is
caught in the back of the throat. Also known as ton-
sil stone.
tooth
One of the structures within the mouth that
allow for biting and chewing. Teeth have different
shapes, depending on their purpose. The sharp
canine and incisor teeth allow for biting, and the flat-
tened, thick molars in the back of the mouth provide
grinding surfaces for masticating food. All teeth have
essentially the same structure: a hard crown above the
gum line, which is attached to two or four roots by a
portion called the neck. The roots are covered with a
425
tooth
21_189283 ch20.qxp 4/18/08 10:19 PM Page 425
http://www.rashidislamiccenter.com
http://www.allofislam.com/

---

very thin layer of bone, and they keep the tooth
embedded in the bones of the jaw. The exposed exte-
rior of the tooth is covered with tough enamel. Under
the enamel is a thick layer of dentin, and in the center
is the pulp, which contains blood vessels and nerves.
tooth, cracked, syndrome
See 
cracked-tooth
syndrome.
tooth, wisdom
One of the large molars in the
very back of the jaw. The human jaw has changed in
size over the course of evolution, and wisdom teeth
are no longer needed, but they continue to erupt in
many individuals. If the jaw is too small to accom-
modate them, they may cause pain or crowd other
teeth out of position. The wisdom teeth may need to
be surgically removed.