'ankylodontia' originates from Greek, specifically the elements 'ankylos' and 'odous' (combining form 'odont-'), where 'ankylos' meant 'bent, stiff, or fused' and 'odous/odont-' meant 'tooth'.

'ankylodontia' was formed in New Latin/medical usage by combining the Greek-root elements 'ankyl-' and 'odontia' to denote a tooth-related fusion disorder; it entered English as a technical medical term describing dental ankylosis.

Initially the root 'ankylos' carried the idea of 'bending' or 'stiffness'; over time, in medical compounds it came to denote 'fusion' or 'ankylosis,' and 'ankylodontia' now specifically refers to fusion-related disorders of the teeth.