Dental Dictionary
Abscess
A collection of pus. Usually forms because of infection. Can manifest as a swelling in the jaw/gums.
Abutment
A tooth or tooth structure which is responsible for the anchorage of a bridge or a denture.
Amalgam
A mixture of silver and mercury used as afilling material in dentistry for many years. A silver filling.
Anesthetic
An agent that causes temporary loss of sensation/feeling. Local anesthetics cause you to become numb. We commonly use articaine, lidocaine, mepivicaine or bupivacaine depending on the patient’s health history and the length of the dental procedure. A topical anesthetic is a gel that is used to numb only the gums.
Anterior
The front position. As in anterior (front) teeth.
Apex
The end of the root.
Asepsis
No micro-organism.
Attrition
Wear of teeth due to activities such as chewing or teeth grinding.
Avulsed
An injury that causes a tooth to be completely knocked out of the mouth.
Bitewing
A kind of dental x-ray which is taken with the teeth biting together. The main function of this kind of x-ray is to detect cavities in between teeth and check the height of bone supporting the teeth.
Bleaching
Whitening of teeth.
Bridge
A prosthesis which is fixed inside the mouth to replace missing teeth.
Bruxism
Teeth grinding.
Canine
The third tooth from the middle of the jaw. Commonly called “eye teeth”. There are four of them. They are the longest teeth in humans.
Canker sore
An ulceration with a yellow or white base and red border in mouth. It can be caused by trauma, stressor certain types of foods.
Caries
Tooth decay. Caused by bacterial plaque. A soft substance inside the tooth that must be removed in order to return the tooth to health.
Cavity
A holein the tooth. Must be filled with a filling material.
Cast
A model of teeth.
Cementation
The process ofgluing a crown or bridge to the teeth.
Chlorhexidine
An anti-microbial agent. It is available in many forms such as gels and rinses. It is an effective agent in controlling gum diseases.
Clasp
A metal arm extended from a removable partial denture. It helps to hold onto natural tooth structure and thus provide anchorage for the denture.
Cold sore
An ulcer or blister on lip. A form of herpes simplex.
Composite
White filling material consisting of ground porcelain particles mixed into a resin matrix. Strong and natural in appearance.
Cross-bite
An abnormal bite relationship of upper and lower jaw. The lower teeth/tooth align toward the check/ lip side more than the upper teeth/tooth.
Crown (porcelain/plastic/metal)
A crown is like a “cap” on a tooth. It covers the tooth partially or totally above the gum to restore its function and/or appearance.
Decay
Same as caries. A soft substance caused by the bacterial demineralization of enamel and dentin. An infection within a tooth. Must be treated.
Dentistry
A branch of medicine that involves diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of any disease concerning teeth, oral cavity, and associated structures.
Dentition
The position, type, and number of teeth in upper and lower jaw.
Denture
(Immediate/complete/partial) (overdenture, temporary)
An artificial object to replace missing teeth and their neighboring structures. There are many different types of denture to satisfy different treatment requirements and patient preferences.
Denturist
The person who specializes in fabricating dentures. A Denturist is not responsible for making any type of diagnosis or carrying out any other treatment (e.g. removing teeth).
Desensitization
A procedure to reduce the sensitivity of teeth.
Diagnosis
The process of identifying dental disease.
Diastema
A gap between two teeth.
Distal
The side of a tooth facing away from the facial midline and facing toward the back of the mouth.
Edentulous
Having no teeth.
Endodontics
A department of dentistry involving diagnosis, prevention and treatment of dental pulp (where the nerves and blood vessels are inside the tooth). An Endodontist specializes in root canal therapy.
Eruption
The process of the tooth appearing in the mouth.
Excision
The action of cutting something off.
Extruded
When a tooth may be pushed partially out of the socket. Also know as super-erupted and occurs to the opposing toothof a tooth that is lost and never replaced.
Filling
A restoration placed on a tooth to restore its function and appearance.
Flipper
A temporary denture to replace missing teeth during the waiting period for long term treatment.
Floss
A thread/tape that goes in between teeth for cleaning.
Fluoride
A compound of fluorine (an element) which be put in different forms such as water, gels, and rinses to strengthen teeth.
Fluoride Treatment
Teeth treatment with fluoride agents like gel or rinse. It helps to prevent tooth decay.
Fracture
When a cusp of a tooth becomes weakened, a fracture may result. It is possible for the crack to extend further into the root and damage to the pulp is commonplace.
Framework
The metal substructure of a removable partial dentureor fixed bridge or implant borne prosthesisthat supports the overlying false teeth.
Gingivitis
The mildest form of gum disease: inflammation of the gums. The earliest sign is bleeding gums.
Hemorrhage
Bleeding
Hemostasis
Stop bleeding.
Impaction
A condition where a tooth is not able to come in normally or is stuck underneath another tooth or bone.
Implant
A device (usually “screw-like”) put in the jaw bone to support a false tooth, a denture or a bridge. Most commonly made from titanium.
Impression
A mold of your teeth or gums taken with a putty-like material loaded into a mouth tray.
Incisal
The cutting edge of front teeth.
Incisor
The four upper and lower front teeth.
Inlay
A restoration (usually gold, composite or ceramics) fabricated in the lab that is cemented to a tooth like a missing puzzle piece. It helps to restore the normal function and outlook of the tooth.
Interproximal
The space between two adjacent teeth.
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Lingual
The side of the tooth towards the tongue.
Mesial
The side of the tooth towards the midline of the face.
Molar
The last three upper and lower teeth on both sides of the mouth.
Mouthguard
A device to be worn in the mouth. Depending on the design of it, it prevents injury to teeth and/or jaw during teeth grinding or sport events.
Nightguard
A mouthguard which is worn at night time.
Occlusal
The biting surface of the back teeth.
Occlusion
The way how the upper and lower teeth close together. The bite.
Onlay
A restoration covers the entire biting surface of a tooth.
Open bite
The situation where the upper teeth not able to contact the opposing lower teeth.
Orthodontics
A special field in dentistry which involves diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of bite abnormalities or facial irregularities.
Over bite
The overlap of upper teeth and lower teeth when they close together.
Overhang
The portion of a defectivefilling or crown that sticks out beyond the normal contour of the tooth. Canharbor bacteria causing gum irritation, decay and bad breath.
Palate
The roof of the mouth.
Panoramic Radiograph
An x-ray film used to obtain the wide view of upper and lower jaw and their associated structures.
Perforation
An unwanted hole in a tooth or other oral structure.
Periapical
The surrounding of the root of a tooth.
Periodontics
A specialty of dentistry involves diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of gum (periodontal) disease.
Permanent teeth
Adult’s teeth. The first permanent tooth usually comes in around 6 years old. Including the wisdom teeth there are 32 in an adult.
Pin
A tiny metal “post” that is threaded into a tooth to help retain a large filling or crown buildup.
Polish
A process to make the tooth or filling or other denture smooth and glossy.
Pontic
The false tooth (teeth)part of a bridgethat replaces themissing tooth (teeth).
Post
Alarge version of a pin which can be made with different materials such as metal or carbon. It is cemented into the root canal of an endodontically treated tooth to helpsupport a large buildup and a crown.
Posterior
Located at the back.
Pre-authorization
A pre-approval and estimate of benefits froman insurance company before any treatment is carried out.
Pre-medication
Medication needing to be taken before treatment.
Premolar
The two teeth located in front of the molar. A bicuspid.
Prescription
A written statement (from a doctor to a pharmacist) regarding the type, the amount and direction of the use of a medication for a patient. In dentistry, a prescription can also be a written statement for preparation of an appliance from a dentist to a lab technician.
Primary teeth
Baby teeth.
Prophylaxis/prophy
The procedure of teeth polishing. It also means the prevention of diseases. A routine teeth cleaning.
Prosthesis
An artificialappliance to replace missing teeth and their associated structures.
Prosthodontics
A specialty of dentistry involving diagnosis, treatment planning, and fabrication of artificial parts to replace missing teeth and their associated structures.
Pulp
The innermost part of a tooth. It contains nerves and blood vessels inside a tooth.
Pulpectomy
The removal of the whole pulp inside a tooth.
Pulpotomy
The removal of the top part of the pulp inside a tooth.
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Radiograph
An x-ray picture.
Recall
The regular checkup and teeth cleaning appointment.
Recementation
The process ofre-gluing a crown or bridge that has come off.
Restoration
An item a dentist uses to restore the normal function of a tooth or an area in the mouth. It can be a filling, a crown, a bridge, etc.
Retainer
A device used for maintaining the position of teeth in the jaw in orthodontic treatment.
Retreatment
The process of repeating the root canal treatment.
Root
The anatomical portion of the tooth that anchors it to the jaw bone.
Root canal
The canal that runs inside the root of the tooth. It contains the nerves and blood vessels inside the tooth.
Root canal treatment
A treatment to remove a damaged pulp from a tooth. The remaining space is then carefully filled. Performed to eliminate tooth ache and/or infection.
Root planing
The action of cleaning the root area of teeth. Also refers to a “deep cleaning” which is performed as a non-surgical treatment for periodontal (gum) disease.
Rubber dam
A rubber sheet that fits around teeth. It isolates the treatment area from the rest of the oral cavity.
Scaling
The action of cleaning teeth utilizing hand instruments or ultrasonic devices.
Sealant
A thin layer of plastic-like (resin)material covering the grooves and pits on a tooth to prevent cavity. Best when placed soon after the molars have erupted in children.
Sedation
The use of medication to calm a patient. Can be given in the way of pills, IV or by inhalation (nitrous oxide).
Space Maintainer
An appliance to maintain the space between teeth.
Splint
An appliance or a material to prevent movement of a loose tooth. Bonding several teeth together to prevent loosening. Also synonymous with nightguard appliance.
Tempromandibular Joint (TMJ)
The jaw joint. Links the lower jaw (mandible) to the skull. TMJ also refers to a syndrome of jaw pain, clicking, arthritis and muscle spasm associated with the jaw(s).
Torus
An outgrowth of bone. It usually develops on the roof of the mouth or on the inside part of the lower jaw adjacent to the premolars. Not a disease process, hereditary and associated with jaw clenching and teeth grinding.
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Veneer
A layer of tooth-colored material (can be porcelain, composite, or ceramics) that attaches to the front of the tooth. It is usually used to improve the appearance of the tooth.
Wisdom tooth
The eighth (also the last) tooth from the middle of the jaw. Also called Third Molars. Often need to be removed due to insufficient space in jaws.
Xerostomia
A condition of insufficient salivary production leading to a dry mouth. A side effect of many medications and head and neck radiation;a symptom of some diseases. Can be painful and lead to an increase in tooth decay.
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