Which combining form relates to the gums of the mouth?

• A. Dur/o
• B. Nat/o
• C. Gingiv/o
• D. Cephal/o

Answer: (C)

In medical terminology, the part of the body a combining form refers to helps you build accurate terms. The gums surrounding the teeth are the gingiva, so the combining form for them is gingiv/o. This is why terms like gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) and gingivoplasty (surgical reshaping of the gums) use gingiv/o. The other forms point to different structures: dur/o relates to the dura mater around the brain and spinal cord, cephal/o means head, and nat/o refers to birth.