Dictionary

ORT Oral rehydration therapy.

ortho- Prefix meaning straight or erect, as in orthodontics (the straightening of the teeth) and orthostatic (in an upright posture).

orthodontic treatment The use of devices, such as dental braces, to move teeth or adjust underlying bone. Teeth can be moved with removable appliances or with fixed braces.

orthodontics The dental specialty that is concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of dental deformities as well as irregularity in the relationship of the lower to the upper jaw.

orthomolecular medicine 1 A type of medicine that, according to biochemist Linus Pauling, is concerned with “the preservation of good health and the treatment of disease by varying the concentration in the human body of substances that are normally present in the body.” The treatment of diabetes with the injection of insulin and the prevention…

orthopaedics See orthopedics.

orthopaedist See orthopedist.

orthopedics The branch of surgery that is broadly concerned with the skeletal system. Sometimes spelled orthopaedics.

orthopedist An orthopedic surgeon, a physician who corrects congenital or functional abnormalities of the bones with surgery, casting, and bracing. Orthopedists also treat injuries to the bones. Sometimes spelled orthopaedist.

orthopnea The inability to breathe easily except when sitting up straight or standing erect.

orthopod Slang term for an orthopedist.

orthoscopic Having correct vision, producing correct vision, free from optical distortion, or designed to correct distorted vision.