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ABRASION |
Abrasion is wear and tear of the teeth caused by the use of toothbrushes, toothpicks, floss, or other dental appliances. |
ABUTMENT TEETH |
An abutment is also known as a “connector:” Abutment teeth are used as anchors for securing a dental bridge. |
ACID ETCH |
Acid etching is a process through which the enamel is scraped with acid in order to improve efficacy of a resin sealant. |
ALVEOLECTOMY |
An alveolectomy is the surgical removal of a portion of the thickened ridge of bone that contains the tooth sockets. An alveolectomy is done in order to allow for a denture fitting. |
ALVEOPLASTY |
An alveoplasty is a surgery to smooth the jawbone in areas where the teeth have been removed or lost. It is usually performed after teeth are extracted. |
AMALGAM FILLING |
An amalgam filling contains a mixture of mercury, silver, tin, and copper, and usually has a silver, metallic finish. |
ANODONTIA |
Anodontia is the name of a rare genetic disorder when all primary or permanent teeth are not formed. |
APICOECTOMY |
An apicoecomy is the process of removing a tooth’s root tip, followed by the filling of the root end cavity. |
ASYMPTOMATIC |
Being asymptomatic means showing no symptoms. |
ATTRITION |
When tooth-to-tooth contact causes wearing of those teeth and loss of tissue, this condition is called attrition. |
BITEWING X-RAYS |
A bitewing x-ray is when a patient bites on a piece of plastic containing x-ray film. These types of x-rays are used to detect decay between the teeth. |
BRIDGES |
A dental bridge connects a gap created by one or more missing teeth. The bridge is typically made up of a false tooth, flanked by one or more crowns on either side. |
BRUXISM |
Bruxism is another term for grinding of the teeth. |
CALCULUS |
Calculus (or tartar) is a form of hardened dental plaque that can cause inflammation. |
CARIES |
Also known as tooth decay or cavities, caries is a breakdown of tooth enamel caused by bacteria in the mouth. |
CLEFT PALATE |
A cleft palate is an oral deformation that occurs when a baby is developing in utero. With this condition, the tissue that makes up the roof of the mouth does not join together completely, causing a narrow opening or gap in the skin on the upper lip. |
COMPOSITE FILLING |
A composite filling contains a mixture of plastic and glass, and usually is tooth-colored. |
CONNECTIVE TISSUE GRAFT |
When a tooth has root exposure, skin is taken from a small flap in the mouth to cover the root. This is called a connective tissue graft. |
CROWN |
A crown is a cap placed over a tooth to restore its shape, size, strength, and appearance. The crown is cemented into place above the gum line. |
DENTURES |
Dentures are a set of prosthetic teeth, usually in the form of a mouth piece, used to replace missing teeth. |
EMERGENCY PALLIATIVE TREATMENT |
Endodontics is the practice of oral treatments involving cracked teeth, dental trauma, root canal therapy, and other dental pulp related issues. |
ENDODONTIC TREATMENT |
Endodontics involves the treatment for cracked teeth, dental trauma, root canal therapy and other dental pulp related issues. |
EROSION |
Erosion is the wear and tear on teeth due to acids in the mouth. |
EXOSTOSIS |
Exostosis is the term given when new bone forms on the surface of a bone near the jaw line, on the gums, on the roof of the mouth, or under the tongue. |
FRENECTOMY |
A frenulum is an extra fold of skin found between the upper two front teeth, under the tongue, or on the sides of the gums. Removal of a frenulum is called a frenectomy. |
FULL MOUTH DEBRIDEMENT |
At times, there is too much plaque and calculus in the mouth, prohibiting the performance of an oral evaluation. Removal of this plaque and calculus is called a full mouth debridement. |
GINGIVAL CURETTAGE |
A gingival curettage is the name of a surgery during which a curet (surgical instrument shaped like a spoon or scoop) is used to remove the soft tissue lining around the tooth socket. |
GINGIVAL GRAFT |
A gingival graft is one taken from the roof of the mouth to cover an exposed root. |
GINGIVECTOMY |
When gums pull away from the teeth, it can cause deep pockets and potentially gum disease. Removal of this gum tissue (or gingiva) is called a gingivectomy. |
HARD DENTURE RELINE |
When dentures need relined, a hard reline can be done to readapt it with a pink acrylic resin. This resin is placed in an impression mold to re-form to the contours of the patient’s mouth. |
HYPERPLASTIC TISSUE |
When excessive tissue forms within the mouth (sometimes due to ill-fitting dentures), this is called hyperplastic tissue. |
IMPACTED TEETH |
Often associated with wisdom teeth, impacted teeth are those blocked from pushing through the gum into the mouth. |
IMPLANT |
A dental implant is an artificial tooth secured into the jaw, used to hold a replacement tooth or bridge in place. |
INLAY |
An inlay is a filling consisting of gold, porcelain, or a cured composite resin, which is then fitted to a cavity in a tooth and cemented into place. |
MANDIBULAR TEETH |
The teeth that make up the bottom or lower row in the mouth are called mandibular teeth. |
MAXILLARY TEETH |
The teeth that make up the top or upper row in the mouth are called maxillary teeth. |
NEOPLASM |
When a tumor develops in the mouth from the tissue that forms the teeth, this is called a neoplasm. |
NON-PATHOLOGIC |
A non-pathologic dental condition is one that is not caused by disease. |
NON-VITAL TOOTH |
A non-vital tooth is one in which the nerve has died and no blood flow is going to that tooth. |
OCCLUSAL ADJUSTMENT |
When a jaw is misaligned, a patient may undergo an occlusal adjustment. This includes the evening-out of their bite so the teeth and jaws come together in a way that prevents or diminishes pain or other problems. |
OCCLUSAL GUARDS |
Occlusal guards are removable devices or mouth pieces used in patients that grind their teeth during sleep. |
OCCLUSION |
Occlusion is the term for contact between the upper and lower teeth when the mouth is closed. |
ONLAY |
An onlay is a filling that incorporates a replacement for the cusp of a tooth. (An example of this would be a crown.) |
OSSEOUS SURGERY |
When a dental bone is misshaped due to gum disease, an osseous surgery is done to reshape the bone. |
PANORAMIC RADIOGRAPH |
A panoramic radiograph is an x-ray that shows the entire mouth and jaw in a single image. These are often done to show progress of tooth development in children, or to show how wisdom teeth are developing in an individual. |
PARTIAL DENTURE |
When some natural teeth remain in the mouth, a partial denture is created using replacement teeth attached to a pink or gum-colored plastic base. This denture includes a metal framework to hold it in place in the mouth. |
PEDICAL GRAFT |
When a tooth has root exposure, a graft is taken from the gum around or near the tooth in order to cover the root. This is called a connective tissue graft. |
PERIAPICAL X-RAYS |
A periapical x-ray is an image taken of an entire tooth and its roots to evaluate root structure, bone level, cysts, and diseases. |
PERICORNAL GINGIVA |
A pericornal gingiva is the name of the surgery to remove an inflamed flap of tissue surrounding a partially erupted or impacted tooth. |
PERIODONTAL MAINTENANCE |
Periodontal maintenance is the term for a thorough teeth-cleaning procedure. |
PERIODONTAL SPLINTING |
When a tooth is loose or unstable, a dentist may perform a periodontal splinting. This is the joining of two or more teeth to secure the unstable tooth. |
PIN RETENTION OF FILLINGS |
If a filling needs held in place, tiny threaded screws are placed into the tooth, followed by the filling. This is called pin retention. |
PLAQUE CONTROL |
Plaque control is the regular removal of plaque to prevent accumulation on the teeth. |
PRECISION ATTACHMENTS |
If a patient has a partial denture and a bridge, a precision attachment is a device used to connect the partial denture to bridge work. |
PROPHYLAXIS |
Prophylaxis is the process of cleaning, scaling, and polishing the teeth. |
PULPOTOMY |
If part of the tooth pulp is diseased, a pulpotomy will be done to remove the diseased portion in order to increase the likelihood of the remaining pulp to survive. |
REBASE DENTURE |
A denture rebase is the process of replacing the entire plastic portion of dentures. |
RELINE DENTURE |
A denture reline is the process of replacing a section of the plastic portion of dentures. |
RETROGRADE FILLINGS |
A retrograde filling is one used specifically to seal a root canal. |
ROOT CANAL |
A root canal is a procedure done to replace the infected pulp in the root of a tooth. |
ROOT SCALING AND PLANNING |
Also known as conventional periodontal therapy, root scaling is a deep cleaning, non-surgical periodontal therapy that removes or eliminates plaque, its products, and calculus. |
SEALANT |
Dental sealant is a thin plastic coating applied to “chewing surfaces” on the back of the teeth to protect from tooth decay. |
SOFT DENTURE RELINE |
For patients whose gums are too tender for hard denture reline (using acrylic), a softer more flexible material is used. This material is placed in an impression mold to re-form to the contours of the patient’s mouth. |
SOFT TISSUE GRAFT |
A soft tissue graft is the name of the process when a graft is taken from part of the mouth to cover a root exposed due to gum recession. This may also be called a free gingival graft, a connective tissue graft, or a pedicle graft. |
SPACE MAINTAINERS |
A space maintainer is a device custom-fit to a patient using acrylic or metal materials. It is used to preserve the space between specific teeth or to prevent premature loss of a primary tooth. |
TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT DISORDER |
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (or TMJ), is pain in the jaw joint and in the muscles that control jaw movement. |
VERTICAL DIMENSION |
A patient’s vertical dimension is a measurement of the length of their face. |
VERTICAL DIMENSION OF OCCLUSION |
A patient’s vertical dimension of occlusion is a measurement of the space between the upper and lower jaw when the mouth is closed. |
VITAL TEETH |
A vital or “living” tooth is one with normal, healthy blood flow. |
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