periodontium
/ˌpɛrɪəˈdɒntɪəm/(also periodontum) Anatomy
noun
Originally: †the periodontal ligament, which invests the root of a tooth (obsolete ). In later use: all the tissues surrounding and supporting a tooth, including the alveolar process, the cementum, and the gingiva, as well as the periodontal ligament.
Origin
Late 19th century; earliest use found in Thomas Bryant (1828–1914). From peri- + odonto- + scientific Latin -ium, probably after French périodonte.