Dental Dictionary
A collection of pus. Usually forms because of infection.
Abutment
A tooth or tooth structure that anchors a bridge or denture.
Amalgam
A silver-colored filling material that contains about 50% mercury, along with smaller amounts of silver, copper, tin, and other metals.
Anesthetic
An agent that causes temporary loss of sensation/feeling.
Anterior
The front part of the mouth.
Apex
The end of a tooth root.
Asepsis
Free of microorganisms.
Attrition
Tooth wear from normal activities such as chewing.
Avulsed
An injury that causes a tooth to be completely knocked out of the mouth.
A kind of dental x-ray which is taken with the teeth biting together. Mainly used to detect cavities between teeth and the height of supporting bone.
Bleaching
Whitening of teeth, usually with peroxide
Bridge
A prosthesis which is cemented in the mouth to replace missing teeth.
Bruxism
Habitual teeth clenching and grinding, often during sleep.
In each dental quadrant, the third tooth from the middle of the jaw. They’re the longest teeth in humans.
Canker sore
An ulceration with yellow base and red border in mouth, caused by trauma or the herpes simplex virus.
Caries
Tooth decay.
Cavity
A hole on the tooth.
Cast
A model of teeth.
Cementation
The process of “gluing” a restoration or prosthetic in place.
Chlorhexidine
An antimicrobial agent that’s particularly effective for controlling gum disease.
Clasp
A small arm extending from a removable partial denture which holds onto natural tooth structure to keep the partial in place.
Cold sore
An ulcer or blister on lip. A form of herpes simplex.
Composite
Tooth-colored filling material.
Crossbite
An abnormal bite relationship of upper and lower jaw, where the lower teeth align toward the cheek or tongue instead of with the upper teeth.
Crown
A cap that covers a tooth above the gum line to restore its function and longevity. Crowns can be made from metal, composite, or ceramic/porcelain.
The destruction of teeth from acids made by bacteria. An infection within a tooth that must be treated.
Dentistry
A branch of medicine that involves the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of any disease concerning teeth, the mouth, and associated structures.
Dentition
The position, type, and number of teeth in upper and lower jaws.
Denture
A device that replaces missing teeth and their neighboring structures. There are many different types, which address different treatment requirements and patient preferences: complete, partial, removable, fixed, provisional, temporary, and more.
Denturist
One who specializes in fabricating dentures but does not provide diagnosis or any other treatment.
Desensitization
A procedure to reduce tooth sensitivity.
Diagnosis
The process of identifying dental disease or dysfunction.
Diastema
A space between two adjacent teeth.
Distal
The direction away from the middle of the jaw.
Having no teeth.
Endodontics
The dental specialty that focuses on diseases of the dental pulp (where the nerves and blood vessels are inside a tooth).
Eruption
The process of the tooth appearing in the mouth.
Excision
The action of cutting something off.
Extruded
When a tooth is pushed partially out of the socket.
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 or tape used to clean between teeth.
Fracture
A break or crack in a tooth’s enamel or dentin. It’s possible for a crack to extend into the root and damage the pulp.
Framework
A metal skeleton of a removable partial denture to support the false teeth and the plastic attachments.
The mildest form of gum disease, an infection. The earliest sign is bleeding gums.
Hemorrhage
Bleeding.
Hemostasis
The stopping of bleeding.
Impaction
A condition where a tooth can’t come in normally or is stuck underneath another tooth or bone.
Implant
A device put in the jaw bone to support a false tooth, denture, or bridge.
Impression
A mold taken by some jelly-like material loaded on a tray.
Incisal
The cutting edge of front teeth.
Incisor
A front tooth. There are four incisors in each dental arch, upper and lower.
Inlay
A restoration made in the lab that cements on a tooth like a missing puzzle piece, restoring the normal look and function of the tooth. It can be made of composite, ceramic, or gold.
Interproximal
The space between two adjacent teeth.
The direction towards the tongue.
Mesial
The direction towards the middle of the jaw.
Molar
The three furthest back teeth in the mouth. There are 12 total, one set of three in each quadrant.
Mouthguard
A device to be worn in the mouth to prevent injury to the teeth and/or jaw during sports or bruxing (habitual clenching and grinding of teeth).
Nightguard
A mouthguard which is worn during sleep.
Occlusal
The biting surface of the back teeth.
Occlusion
The way the upper and lower teeth come together. The bite.
Onlay
A restoration that covers the whole biting surface of a tooth.
Open bite
The situation where the upper teeth don’t make contact with the opposing lower teeth.
Orthodontics
The dental specialty that involves the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of bite abnormalities or facial irregularities.
Overbite
When the upper teeth overlap the lower during biting.
Overhang
Filling material that hangs beyond the border of the cavity.
The roof of the mouth.
Panoramic x-ray (“pano”)
A wide view x-ray of the upper and lower jaw and their associated structures.
Perforation
An opening on a tooth or other oral structure.
Periapical
The area surrounding of the bottom of a tooth root.
Periodontics
The dental specialty that involves the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of gum (periodontal) disease.
Permanent teeth
Adult teeth, the first of which comes in around age 6.
Pin
A piece of “nail-like” metal, usually is used for better retention of a filling.
Polish
A process to make the tooth, restoration, or prosthetic smooth and glossy.
Pontic
The false tooth in a bridge or denture that replaces the missing tooth.
Post
A big pin which can be made with different materials such as metal or carbon, usually used to support a big buildup on a tooth.
Posterior
The back part of the mouth.
Pre-authorization
An approval given – in dentistry, usually by your insurance company – before any treatment is carried out.
Pre-medication
Medication to be taken before treatment.
Premolar
The two teeth located in front of the first molar in each quadrant. There are 8 total.
Prescription
A written statement from a doctor to a pharmacist regarding the type and amount of a medication, along with how it’s to be taken. In dentistry, a prescription can also be a written statement from a dentist to a lab technician regarding preparation of an appliance.
Primary teeth
Baby teeth.
Prophylaxis/prophy
A dental cleaning and polishing. The word also refers to the prevention of disease.
Prosthesis
A device that replaces missing teeth and their associated structures.
Prosthodontics
The dental specialty that involves the diagnosis, treatment planning, and fabrication of artificial devices to replace missing teeth and their associated structures.
Pulp
The innermost part of a tooth, which contains a tooth’s nerves and blood vessels.
Pulpectomy
The removal of the whole dental pulp.
Pulpotomy
The removal of the top part of the dental pulp.
An x-ray.
Recall
The regular exam and cleaning appointment.
Recementation
The process of “gluing” a restoration or prosthetic back in place.
Restoration
A fabrication that restores the normal function of a tooth, such as a filling or crown, inlay or onlay.
Retainer
In orthodontic treatment, a device used to maintain the position of teeth.
Retreatment
The process of repeating a root canal treatment.
Root
The bottom part of tooth, which anchors the tooth. Nerve endings and blood vessels extending from it connects the tooth to the body’s circulatory and nervous systems.
Root canal
The chamber within the root that contains the nerves and blood vessels.
Root canal treatment
When the pulp is deeply decayed or damaged, it may be removed and the root canals disinfected. The empty chamber is filled with the rubbery substance and the tooth is capped with a filling or crown.
Root planing
A procedure for cleaning tooth roots.
Rubber dam
A rubber square used to isolate a treatment area from the rest of the mouth.
Scaling
Cleaning teeth below the gumline.
Sealant
A thin layer of plastic-like material used to prevent caries by covering a tooth’s grooves and pits.
Sedation
The use of medication to calm a patient.
Space maintainer
An appliance to keep space between teeth.
Splint
An appliance to prevent potentially damaging movement.
Temporomandibular joint (TMJ)
The joint that links the two parts of the jaw.
Torus (plural: tori)
An outgrowth of bone, usually on the roof of the mouth or around the lower premolars.
Veneer
A layer of tooth-colored material that attaches to the front of the tooth, usually to improve appearance. Veneers can be made from composite or ceramic/porcelain.
Wisdom tooth
The furthest back tooth in the jaw, one per quadrant.
Xerostomia
Dry mouth.