Dental Dictionary

Dental Glossary

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

• Abscess – A collection of pus. Usually forms because of infection.
• Abutment – A tooth or tooth structure which is responsible for the anchorage of a bridge or a denture.
• Amalgam – A silver filling material.
• Anesthetic – An agent that causes temporary loss of sensation/feeling.
• Anterior – The front position.
• Apex – The end of the root.
• Asepsis – No micro-organism.
• Attrition – Wear of teeth due to activities such as chewing.
• Avulsed – An injury that causes a tooth to be completely knocked out of the mouth.

B

• Bitewing – A kind of dental x-ray which is taken with the teeth bite together. It detects cavities between teeth and height of bone support.
• Bleaching – Whitening of teeth.
• Bridge – A prosthesis fixed inside the mouth to replace missing teeth.
• Bruxism – Teeth grinding.

C

• Canine – The third tooth from the middle of the jaw. There are four of them. They are the longest teeth in humans.
• Canker sore – An ulceration with yellow base and red border in the mouth. 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 used in gels and rinses. Helps control gum diseases.
• Clasp – A metal arm extended from a removable partial denture to provide anchorage.
• Cold sore – An ulcer or blister on the lip. A form of herpes simplex.
• Composite – White filling.
• Cross-bite – An abnormal bite where lower teeth/tooth align more to the cheek/lip side than upper teeth/tooth.
• Crown (porcelain/plastic/metal) – A "cap" that covers a tooth partially or totally to restore function and appearance.

D

• Decay – A soft substance caused by bacterial demineralization. An infection that must be treated.
• Dentistry – The branch of medicine for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of dental and oral conditions.
• Dentition – The type, number, and position of teeth in the jaws.
• Denture – An artificial object to replace missing teeth and neighboring structures.
• Denturist – A specialist who fabricates dentures but does not diagnose or treat conditions.
• Desensitization – A procedure to reduce teeth sensitivity.
• Diagnosis – The process of identifying dental disease.
• Diastema – The space between two adjacent teeth.
• Distal – Direction away from the middle of the jaw.

E

• Edentulous – No teeth.
• Endodontics – Dental specialty focusing on the pulp (nerves/blood vessels inside the tooth).
• Eruption – The process of a tooth emerging into the mouth.
• Excision – The act of cutting something off.
• Extruded – A tooth pushed partially out of its socket.

F

• Filling – A restoration placed on a tooth.
• Flipper – A temporary denture for replacing missing teeth.
• Floss – Thread or tape used between teeth for cleaning.
• Fluoride – A compound that strengthens teeth.
• Fluoride Treatment – Application of fluoride agents to prevent decay.
• Fracture – A break or crack in a tooth.
• Framework – The metal base of a removable partial denture.

G

• Gingivitis – Inflammation of the gums; the earliest stage of gum disease.

H

• Hemorrhage – Bleeding.
• Hemostasis – The stopping of bleeding.

I

• Impaction – A tooth that cannot emerge normally or is stuck.
• Implant – A device placed in the jawbone to support a prosthetic tooth.
• Impression – A mold of teeth taken with jelly-like material.
• Incisal – The cutting edge of front teeth.
• Incisor – The front four upper and lower teeth.
• Inlay – A lab-made restoration cemented into the tooth.
• Interproximal – Space between adjacent teeth.

J

[No entry]

K

[No entry]

L

• Lingual – The side of the tooth facing the tongue.

M

• Mesial – Toward the middle of the jaw.
• Molar – The large, backmost teeth used for grinding.
• Mouthguard – A device to protect teeth/jaw during grinding or sports.
• Nightguard – A mouthguard worn at night.

N

[No entry]

O

• Occlusal – The biting surface of back teeth.
• Occlusion – How upper and lower teeth come together.
• Onlay – A restoration covering the entire biting surface.
• Open bite – A condition where upper and lower teeth don’t touch.
• Orthodontics – Dental specialty focused on correcting bite and alignment.
• Over bite – The vertical overlap of upper and lower teeth.
• Overhang – Excess filling material beyond the cavity border.

P

• Palate – The roof of the mouth.
• Panoramic Radiograph – A wide-view dental x-ray.
• Perforation – An opening in a tooth or oral structure.
• Periapical – Surrounding the bottom of a tooth root.
• Periodontics – Dental specialty dealing with gum diseases.
• Permanent teeth – Adult teeth.
• Pin – A metal piece used for better retention in fillings.
• Polish – Smoothing and glossing of a tooth or restoration.
• Pontic – A false tooth in a bridge or denture.
• Post – A pin-like structure to support a tooth buildup.
• Posterior – Toward the back.
• Pre-authorization – Insurance approval before treatment.
• Pre-medication – Medication taken before dental treatment.
• Premolar – Teeth located in front of molars.
• Prescription – A written order for medication or lab work.
• Primary teeth – Baby teeth.
• Prophylaxis/Prophy – Teeth cleaning; disease prevention.
• Prosthesis – An artificial replacement for missing teeth.
• Prosthodontics – Dental specialty for replacing missing teeth.
• Pulp – The innermost part of the tooth with nerves and vessels.
• Pulpectomy – Removal of all pulp from a tooth.
• Pulpotomy – Removal of the upper portion of tooth pulp.

Q

[No entry]

R

• Radiograph – An x-ray image.
• Recall – Regular dental checkup and cleaning.
• Recementation – Re-gluing a dental appliance.
• Restoration – Material or item used to restore a tooth.
• Retainer – A device to maintain teeth alignment.
• Retreatment – Repeating a root canal procedure.
• Root – The part of the tooth that anchors it to the jaw.
• Root canal – The inner channel in a tooth root.
• Root canal treatment – Procedure to treat infection in the root canal.
• Root planing – Cleaning the root surfaces.
• Rubber dam – A sheet to isolate teeth during treatment.

S

• Scaling – Cleaning teeth below the gum line.
• Sealant – A protective coating on grooves of teeth.
• Sedation – Medication used to calm a patient.
• Space Maintainer – A device to preserve space between teeth.
• Splint – A device or material to stabilize a structure.

T

• Tempromandibular Joint (TMJ) – The joint connecting the jawbones.
• Torus – A bony growth in the mouth.

U

[No entry]

V

• Veneer – A cosmetic layer placed on the front of a tooth.

W

• Wisdom tooth – The last (eighth) tooth from the middle of the jaw.

X

• Xerostomia – Dry mouth.

Y

• Yellowing – Discoloration of teeth due to staining, aging, or enamel thinning.

Z

• Zirconia – A strong, tooth-colored ceramic material often used for crowns and bridges.