Dental Dictionary
Abrasion
Removal of tooth structure due to rubbing and scraping (such as incorrect brushing method).
Abscess
A collection of pus, usually caused by an infection.
Abutment
A tooth or tooth structure which is responsible for anchoring a bridge or denture.
Amalgam
A silver filling material.
Anesthetic
An agent that causes a temporary loss of sensation and feeling.
Attrition
The wear of teeth due to activities like chewing.
Bitewing
A type of dental x-ray which is taken when the teeth bite together. This detects cavities in between teeth and shows height of bone support.
Bleaching
The whitening of teeth.
Bridge
A prosthesis which is fixed inside the mouth to replace missing teeth.
Bruxism
Teeth grinding.
Caries
Tooth decay.
Cavity
A hole on a tooth.
Cold Sore
An ulcer or blister on the lip, which is a form of herpes simplex.
Composite
A white filling material.
Cross-bite
An abnormal bite relationship of upper and lower jaws. The lower teeth align more towards the cheek and lip side than the upper teeth do.
Crown
A cap that covers the tooth partially or totally above the gum line to restore its function or appearance.
Decay
The rotten part of a tooth.
Desensitization
A procedure to reduce the sensitivity of teeth.
Diastema
The space between two adjacent teeth.
Distal
A direction indication in the mouth which indicates the direction away from the middle of the jaw.
Edentulous
Having no teeth.
Endodontics
A speciality in dentistry that involves diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of dental pulp (nerves and blood vessels inside the tooth).
Eruption
The process of the tooth appearing in the mouth.
Excision
The action of cutting something off.
Filling
A restoration placed in the tooth to restore its function or appearance.
Flipper
A temporary denture to replace missing teeth while waiting for long-term treatment.
Floss
A thread/tape that goes in between teeth for cleaning.
Fluoride
A compound of fluorine that strengthens the tooth enamel and helps prevent tooth decay.
Gingivitis
The mildest form of gum disease which involves gum inflammation and begins with bleeding gums.
Hemorrhage
Bleeding.
Homostasis
Stopping bleeding.
Impaction
A condition where the tooth cannot come in normally or is stuck underneath another tooth or bone.
Implant
A device that is put in the jaw bone to support a false tooth, denture, or bridge.
Impression
A mold taken of teeth.
Incisal
The cutting edge of front teeth.
Incisor
The four upper and lower front teeth.
Interproximal
The space in between two adjacent teeth.
Lingual
The side of the tooth towards the tongue.
Mesial
The side of the tooth towards the middle of the jaw.
Molar
The last three upper and lower teeth on both sides of the mouth.
Mouth Guard
A device worn in the mouth to prevent injury of teeth and jaw during teeth grinding or sports.
Occlusal
The biting surface of the back teeth.
Occlusion
How the upper and lower teeth close together.
Onlay
A restoration that covers the entire biting surface of a tooth.
Open Bite
When the upper teeth cannot contact the opposing lower teeth.
Orthodontics
A speciality in dentistry which involves diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of bite abnormalities or facial irregularities.
Overhang
The portion of filling material that hangs beyond the border of the cavity.
Palate
The roof of the mouth.
Panoramic Radiograph
An x-ray with a wide view of the upper and lower jaw.
Perforation
An opening on a tooth or other oral structure.
Periapical
The surrounding of the bottom of the root of a tooth.
Periodontics
A speciality in dentistry involving diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of the supporting unit of teeth.
Permanent Teeth
The teeth of an adult. The first permanent tooth usually appears around six years of age.
Pontic
The false tooth in a bridge or denture to replace a missing tooth.
Posterior
Located at the back.
Pre-authorization
An approval from the particular insurance company before any treatment is begun.
Pre-medication
Medication that needs to be taken before treatment.
Premolar
The two teeth located in front of the molar.
Primary Teeth
Baby teeth.
Prophylaxis/prophy
The procedure of teeth polishing that prevents diseases.
Prosthesis
An artificial part to replace missing teeth and their associated structures.
Prosthodontics
A speciality in dentistry that involves diagnosis, treatment planning, and fabrication of artificial parts to replace teeth and their associated structures.
Pulp
The innermost part of a tooth that contains nerves and blood vessels.
Pulpectomy
The removal of the whole pulp inside a tooth.
Pulpotomy
The removal of the top part of the pulp inside a tooth.
Radiograph
An x-ray picture.
Recall
The regular checkup and teeth cleaning appointment.
Recementation
The process of gluing the appliance or prosthesis back onto the associated area.
Restoration
An item a dentist uses to restore the normal function of a tooth or area of the mouth.
Retainer
A device used for maintaining the position of teeth in the jaw.
Retreatment
The process of repeating the root canal treatment.
Root
The bottom part of a tooth that anchors the tooth to the supporting units.
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 for the root canal inside the tooth.
Root Planing
The action of cleaning on the root area of teeth.
Rubber Dam
A rubber sheet that fits around teeth and isolates the treatment area from the rest of the oral cavity.
Scaling
The action of cleaning teeth below the gumline.
Sealant
A thin layer of material that covers the grooves and pits on a tooth to prevent cavities.
Sedation
The use of medication to calm down a patient.
Space Maintainer
An appliance to maintain the space in between teeth.
Splint
An appliance of a material to prevent movement of a mobile part.
Tempromandibular Joint (TMJ)
The joint that connects the two jaw halves.
Torus
An outgrowth on bone that usually develops on the root of the mouth or around the premolar area on the lower jaw.
Veneer
A layer of tooth-covered material that attaches to the front of the tooth to improve appearance.
Wisdom Tooth
The eighth and last tooth from the middle of the jaw.
Xerostomia
Dry mouth.
