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Abscess
A collection of pus. Usuallyforms because of infection.
Abutment
A tooth or tooth structurewhich is responsible for the anchorage of a bridge or a denture.
Amalgam
A silver filling material.
Anesthetic
An agent that causes temporaryloss of sensation/feeling.
Anterior
The front position.
Apex
The end of the root.
Asepsis
No micro-organism.
Attrition
Wear of teeth due to activitiessuch as chewing.
Avulsed
An injury that causes a toothto be completely knocked out of the mouth.
Bitewing
A kind of dental x-ray which istaken with the teeth bite together. The main function of this kind of x-ray isto detect cavities in between teeth and height of bone support.
Bleaching
Whitening of teeth.
Bridge
A prosthesis which is fixedinside the mouth to replace missing teeth.
Bruxism
Teeth grinding.
Canine
The third tooth from the middleof the jaw. There are four of them. They are the longest teeth in humans.
Cankersore
An ulceration with yellow baseand red border in mouth. It can be caused by trauma or herpes simplex virus.
Caries
Tooth decay.
Cavity
A hole on the tooth.
Cast
A model of teeth.
Cementation
The process of"gluing" the appliance/prosthesis on the associated area.
Chlorhexidine
An anti-microbial agent. It isavailable in many forms such as gels and rinses. It is an effective agent incontrolling gum diseases.
Clasp
A metal arm extended from aremovable partial denture. It helps to hold onto natural tooth structure andthus provide anchorage for the denture.
Coldsore
An ulcer or blister on lip. Aform of herpes simplex.
Composite
White filling.
Cross-bite
An abnormal bite relationshipof upper and lower jaw. The lower teeth/tooth align toward the check/ lip sidemore than the upper teeth/tooth.
Crown(porcelain/plastic/metal)
A crown is almost like a"cap" on a tooth. It covers the tooth partially or totally above thegum to restore its function and outlook.
Decay
A soft substance caused by thebacterial demineralization of enamel and dentin. An infection within a tooth.Must be treated.
Dentistry
A branch of medicine thatinvolves diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of any disease concerning teeth,oral cavity, and associated structures.
Dentition
The position, type, and numberof 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 treatmentrequirements and patient preferences.
Denturist
The person who specializes infabricating dentures. A Denturist is not responsible for making any type ofdiagnosis or carrying out any other treatment (e.g. removing teeth).
Desensitization
A procedure to reduce thesensitivity of teeth.
Diagnosis
The process of identifyingdental disease.
Diastema
The space between two adjacentteeth.
Distal
A direction indication in themouth. It indicates the direction away from the middle of the jaw.
Edentulous
No teeth.
Endodontics
A department of dentistryinvolving diagnosis, prevention and treatment of dental pulp (where the nervesand blood vessels are inside the tooth).
Eruption
The process of the toothappearing in the mouth.
Excision
The action of cutting somethingoff.
Extruded
When a tooth may be pushedpartially out of the socket.
Filling
A restoration placed on a toothto restore its function and appearance.
Flipper
A temporary denture to replacemissing teeth during the waiting period for long term treatment.
Floss
A thread/tape that goes inbetween teeth for cleaning.
Fluoride
A compound of fluorine (anelement) which be put in different forms such as water, gels, and rinses tostrengthen teeth.
FluorideTreatment
Teeth treatment with fluorideagents like gel or rinse. It helps to prevent tooth decay.
Fracture
When a cusp of a tooth becomesweakened, a fracture may result. It is possible for the crack to extend furtherinto the root and damage to the pulp is commonplace.
Framework
A metal skeleton of a removablepartial denture to support the false teeth and the plastic attachments.
Gingivitis
The mildest form of gumdisease: inflammation of gum. The earliest sign is bleeding gum.
Hemorrhage
Bleeding
Hemostasis
Stop bleeding.
Impaction
A condition where a tooth isnot 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 dentureor a bridge.
Impression
A mold taken by some jelly-likematerial loaded on a tray.
Incisal
The cutting edge of frontteeth.
Incisor
The four upper and lower frontteeth.
Inlay
A restoration (usually gold,composite or ceramics) fabricated in the lab that cements on a tooth like amissing puzzle piece. It helps to restore the normal function and outlook ofthe tooth.
Interproximal
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Lingual
The side of the tooth towardsthe tongue.
Mesial
The side of the tooth towardsthe middle of the jaw.
Molar
The last three upper and lowerteeth on both sides of the mouth.
Mouthguard
A device to be worn in themouth. Depending on the design of it, it prevents injury to teeth and/or jawduring teeth grinding or sport events.
Nightguard
A mouthguard which is worn atnight time.
Occlusal
The biting surface of the backteeth.
Occlusion
The way how the upper and lowerteeth close together.
Onlay
A restoration covers the entirebiting surface of a tooth.
Openbite
The situation where the upperteeth not able to contact the opposing lower teeth.
Orthodontics
A special field in dentistrywhich involves diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of bite abnormalities orfacial irregularities.
Overbite
The overlap of upper teeth andlower teeth when they close together.
Overhang
The portion of filling materialthat hangs beyond the border of the cavity.
Palate
The roof of the mouth.
PanoramicRadiograph
An x-ray film used to obtainthe wide view of upper and lower jaw and their associated structures.
Perforation
An opening on a tooth or otheroral structure.
Periapical
The surrounding of the bottomof the root of a tooth.
Periodontics
A specialty of dentistryinvolves diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of gum (periodontal) disease.
Permanentteeth
Adult's teeth. The firstpermanent tooth usually comes in around 6 years old.
Pin
A piece of"nail-like" metal. It usually is used for better retention of afilling.
Polish
A process to make the tooth orfilling or other denture smooth and glossy.
Pontic
The false tooth in a bridge ordenture to replace the missing tooth.
Post
A big pin which can be madewith different materials such as metal or carbon. Its function usually is tosupport a big buildup on a tooth.
Posterior
Located at the back.
Pre-authorization
An approval from the particularauthority (usually insurance company in dentistry) before any action(treatment) is carried out.
Pre-medication
Medication needing to be takenbefore treatment.
Premolar
The two teeth located in frontof the molar.
Prescription
A written statement (from adoctor to a pharmacist) regarding the type, the amount and direction of the useof a medication for a patient. In dentistry, a prescription can also be awritten statement for preparation of an appliance from a dentist to a labtechnician.
Primaryteeth
Baby teeth.
Prophylaxis/prophy
The procedure of teethpolishing. It also means the prevention of diseases.
Prosthesis
An artificial part to replacemissing teeth and their associated structures.
Prosthodontics
A specialty of dentistryinvolving diagnosis, treatment planning, and fabrication of artificial parts toreplace 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 pulpinside a tooth.
Pulpotomy
The removal of the top part ofthe pulp inside a tooth.
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Radiograph
An x-ray picture.
Recall
The regular checkup and teethcleaning appointment.
Recementation
The process of"gluing" the appliance/prosthesis back on the associated area.
Restoration
An item a dentist uses torestore the normal function of a tooth or an area in the mouth. It can be afilling, a crown, a bridge, etc.
Retainer
A device used for maintainingthe position of teeth in the jaw in orthodontic treatment.
Retreatment
The process of repeating theroot canal treatment.
Root
The bottom part of tooth. Itanchors the tooth to its supporting units.
Rootcanal
The canal that runs inside theroot of the tooth. It contains the nerves and blood vessels inside the tooth.
Rootcanal treatment
A treatment for the root canalinside the tooth.
Rootplaning
The action of cleaning the rootarea of teeth.
Rubberdam
A rubber sheet that fits aroundteeth. It isolates the treatment area from the rest of the oral cavity.
Scaling
The action of cleaning teethbelow the gumline.
Sealant
A thin layer of plastic-likematerial covering the grooves and pits on a tooth to prevent cavity.
Sedation
The use of medication to calm apatient.
SpaceMaintainer
An appliance to maintain thespace between teeth.
Splint
An appliance or a material toprevent movement of a mobile part.
TempromandibularJoint (TMJ)
The joint that links the twoparts of the jaw.
Torus
An outgrowth of bone. Itusually develops on the roof of the mouth or around the premolar area on thelower jaw.
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Veneer
A layer of tooth-coloredmaterial (can be porcelain, composite, or ceramics) that attaches to the frontof the tooth. It is usually used to improve the appearance of the tooth.
Wisdomtooth
The eighth (also the last)tooth from the middle of the jaw.
Xerostomia
Dry mouth
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Z
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