| 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 |
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| A |
| abrasion: |
loss of tooth structure caused by tooth grinding, an improper bite, a hard toothbrush or poor brushing technique |
| abscess: |
a localized infection of a tooth and/or the gum |
| abutment: |
tooth or teeth that anchor a fixed or removable bridge |
| air abrasion: |
removal of tooth structure by blasting a tooth with air and abrasive, also a relatively new technology in dentistry that often avoids the need for anaesthetic |
| allergy: |
an unwanted bodily response to a substance or organism |
| alveolar bone: |
the bone surrounding the roots of teeth |
| amalgam: |
the most common material used for fillings, also called silver fillings; a mixture of mercury (app 50%), silver, tin, copper and zinc used for fillings |
| analgesia: |
partial loss of pain sensation |
| anaesthesia: |
absence of pain sensation; numbing a tooth is local anaesthesia; with general anaesthesia the patient is unconscious |
| anterior teeth: |
the six upper and six lower front teeth |
| antibiotic: |
a drug that stops or slows the growth of germs (bacteria) |
| ANUG: |
an acronym for Acute Necrotising Ulcerative Gingivitis, more commonly known as trench mouth or Vincent's disease, often brought on by stress and/or smoking |
| apex: |
the tip of the root of a tooth |
| apicectomy: |
removal of the root end of a tooth to treat an infection |
| arch: |
shape assumed collectively by upper and lower teeth |
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| B |
| baby teeth: |
the first teeth, also called deciduous teeth; usually there are twenty baby teeth |
| biopsy: |
removal of a small piece of tissue to determine if it is diseased |
| bite: |
how the upper and lower teeth come together; may also be called occlusion |
| black hairy tongue: |
excessive growth of fungi that normally live in the mouth |
| block injection: |
anesthetising a nerve that serves a large area of the jaw, usually the lower jaw; may numb teeth, tongue and half of the jaw in that area |
| bonding: |
applying a tooth-coloured resin to repair and/or change the colour or shape of a tooth, most often a front tooth |
| bone loss: |
decrease in bone supporting the roots of teeth; a common result of gum disease |
| bone resorption: |
the gradual loss of bone Orthodontists use this process to "pull" teeth through bone to new positions |
| braces: |
devices used by orthodontists to gradually reposition teeth |
| bridge: |
appliance cemented to teeth adjacent to a space that replaces one or more missing teeth; usually cemented or attached to teeth or implants adjacent to the space |
| bruxism: |
involuntary, "nervous" grinding of the teeth while the patient is asleep |
| bruxomania: |
involuntary, "nervous" grinding of the teeth while the patient is awake |
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| C |
| calcium: |
chemical element needed for healthy teeth, bones and nerves |
| calculus: |
hard residue, ranging from yellow to brown, forming on teeth when oral hygiene is incomplete or improper |
| cantilever bridge: |
fixed bridge that attaches to adjacent teeth on one end only |
| cap: |
common term for crown |
| caries: |
tooth decay or cavities |
| cavitron: |
dental tool that uses high frequency sound waves to clean teeth |
| cellulitis: |
uncontrolled infection causing extensive swelling Since this is a dangerous condition, a dentist or physician should be consulted as soon as possible. |
| cementum: |
hard tissue that covers the roots of teeth |
| chart: |
to record the condition of teeth and measure the depth of the gum pockets around teeth |
| clasp: |
device that retains a removable partial denture |
| cleaning: |
removal of plaque and calculus from teeth, generally above the gum line |
| composite: |
common bonding mix of plastic and glass/ceramic particles; usually cured with light or chemicals |
| crown: |
two meanings: (1)the portion of a tooth covered by enamel, and (2)a restoration that covers all or most of the natural tooth above the gum line |
| curretage: |
removal of dead inner tissue from a gum pocket |
| cyst: |
a fluid-filled sac |
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| D |
| decay: |
destruction of tooth structure caused by acid produced by bacteria |
| deciduous teeth: |
baby teeth |
| dentine: |
hard, living inner layer of a tooth (the layer immediately under the outer enamel layer) |
| dental implant: |
a (usually) titanium cylinder surgically placed in the bone of the upper or lower jaw to replace the root of a missing tooth |
| dentition: |
your teeth and how they are arranged in your mouth |
| denture: |
a removable set of artificial teeth |
| diastema: |
the space between front teeth |
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| E |
| enamel: |
hard tissue covering the crown (portion above the gumline) of a tooth |
| endodontist: |
a specialist who treats injuries, diseases and infections of the tooth pulp |
| eruption: |
the process whereby teeth grow through the gums |
| explorer: |
a pointed instrument for examining the surfaces of teeth |
| extraction: |
removal of a tooth/teeth |
| eye-teeth: |
the four upper and lower canine or eye teeth |
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| F |
| facing: |
the visible portion of a crown; may be acrylic, composite or porcelain |
| filling: |
restoring lost tooth structure with metal, alloy, porcelain or resin |
| fistula: |
tunnel conducting pus from one infection to the site of another; a mouth fistula is called a gum boil |
| flap surgery: |
loosening of gums from bone to expose and clean underlying tooth structures |
| forceps: |
instrument used to remove a tooth |
| full denture: |
removable denture replacing all teeth in upper or lower arch |
| frenectomy: |
removal of the frenum, the thin cord of tissue that attaches the upper or lower lips to the gum or the tongue to the floor of the mouth |
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| G |
| GTR: |
(guided tissue regeneration) a new technique for replacing bone tissue lost between roots of teeth |
| general anaesthesia: |
a controlled state of unconsciousness, accompanied by a partial or complete loss of pain sensation, protective reflexes, and the ability to respond purposefully to physical stimulation or verbal command |
| geographic tongue: |
loss of all usual colour and texture of tongue; does not require treatment |
| gingiva: |
the gums |
| gingivectomy: |
removal of gum tissue |
| gingivitis: |
inflammation of gum tissue |
| gum boil: |
see fistula. |
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| H |
| halitosis: |
bad breath |
| hydrogen peroxide(H202): |
compound used as a dental whitening agent and mouthwash |
| hyperaemia: |
dental sensitivity to temperature and sweets; can precede an abscess |
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| I |
| impacted tooth: |
an unexposed or partially exposed tooth that is so wedged against another tooth, bone, or soft tissue that complete exposure of the tooth is unlikely |
| implant: |
artificial device replacing tooth root; may anchor an artificial tooth, bridge, or denture |
| incision and drainage: |
making an incision in an abscess to drain infection |
| incisors: |
four upper and four lower front teeth, (excludes the canine teeth) |
| infiltration: |
process for numbing the upper teeth (placing anaesthetic liquid under the gum tissue and allowing it to migrate into the bone) |
| inlay: |
a filling made by a dental laboratory that is cemented into place, generally requires two dental appointments |
| intraoral camera: |
a tiny TV camera used to view tissues of the mouth |
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| J |
| jacket crown: |
crown for a front tooth, usually made of porcelain |
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| L |
| laminate: |
thin plastic or porcelain veneer produced in a dental laboratory and then bonded to a tooth to improve its appearance |
| laughing gas: |
common name for nitrous oxide; used to reduce anxieties and relax patients |
| local anaesthesia: |
elimination of the sensation of pain, in one part of the body by the surface application or regional injection of an anaesthetic drug |
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| M |
| malocclusion: |
"bad bite" or misalignment between the upper and lower teeth |
| mandible: |
the lower jaw |
| margin: |
point of contact between a restoration and the tooth |
| Maryland bridge: |
a bridge that is bonded or cemented only to the backs of the adjacent teeth |
| maxilla: |
the upper jaw |
| milk teeth: |
the baby teeth |
| molars: |
the twelve back teeth in the entire mouth (or the three back teeth in each fourth of the mouth if the wisdom teeth are in) |
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| N |
| nerve: |
common term for tooth pulp which is the sensitive innermost portion of a tooth |
| night-guard: |
plastic device that covers all of the upper or lower teeth; used to prevent wear caused by tooth grinding during sleep |
| nitrous oxide: |
see laughing gas |
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| O |
| occlusion: |
how the upper and lower teeth come together |
| onlay: |
laboratory-produced restoration covering the cusps of a tooth |
| oral and maxillofacial surgeon: |
a specialist who deals with the diagnosis & surgical treatment of diseases, injuries, and deformities of the mouth and supporting structures. Generally requires five additional years of training after dental school |
| oral cavity: |
the mouth |
| oral hygiene: |
the process of maintaining the cleanliness of the mouth |
| oral surgery: |
operations on the mouth; for example, extractions, removal of cysts or tumours, and repair of broken jaw bone |
| orthodontics: |
dental specialty that treats misalignment of teeth |
| overdenture: |
denture that fits over tooth roots or dental implants |
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| P |
| palliative treatment: |
treatment that is designed primarily to reduce or eliminate pain |
| paraesthesia: |
loss of sensation in part of the body |
| partial: |
removable denture replacing some of the teeth |
| paedodontics: |
dental specialty focusing on treatment of children |
| periodontist: |
a specialist who treats the gums and supporting structures of the teeth |
| permanent teeth: |
the thirty-two adult teeth |
| pit: |
a small defect in the tooth enamel, usually found on the back teeth |
| placebo: |
a treatment that works because of the patient's belief in it, not because of the actual physical change it produces |
| plaque: |
a soft sticky substance that accumulates on teeth; composed largely of bacteria and food substances suspended in saliva |
| pontic: |
a false tooth mounted on a bridge |
| porcelain crowns: |
a porcelain cap which covers the crown (that portion above the gum line) of the tooth to repair it or change the shape and/or colour |
| porcelain inlay or onlay: |
a tooth-coloured filling, made of porcelain |
| porcelain veneers: |
a thin layer of porcelain bonded to the front and top of a front tooth to repair or change the colour and/or shape |
| post: |
a thin metal rod inserted into the root of a tooth after root canal therapy; provides retention for a "core" which is a build-up of material that replaces the lost tooth structure |
| post-core: |
a post and a build-up of material that replaces the lost tooth structure |
| post-crown: |
single structure that combines post-core and crown |
| prognosis: |
the probable outcome of treatment |
| prophylaxis: |
procedure for preserving the health and preventing infection of teeth |
| prosthesis: |
an artificial replacement for a body part |
| prosthodontist: |
a dentist who specialises in restoring teeth, replacing missing teeth with bridges and dentures, and maintaining proper occlusion |
| pulp: |
the nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue inside a tooth |
| pulp cap: |
a medicated covering over a small area of exposed pulp |
| pulp chamber: |
the centre or innermost portion of the tooth containing the pulp |
| pulpectomy: |
total removal of the pulp in children's teeth |
| pulpitis: |
inflammation of the pulp; a common cause of a toothache |
| pulpotomy: |
partial removal of the pulp |
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| R |
| reimplantation: |
return to mouth of tooth/teeth lost through trauma |
| reline: |
plastic build-up of denture to compensate for bone loss (usually accomplished in conjunction with a dental laboratory) |
| restoration: |
the replacement part or portion restored on a damaged tooth |
| retained root: |
root remaining in jaw after tooth is extracted or broken off |
| root: |
tooth structure that connects the tooth to the jaw |
| root canal: |
common term for root canal therapy, also the interior space of the tooth root |
| root canal therapy: |
process of removing pulp of a tooth and filling it with an inert material |
| root resection: |
removal of root of a tooth while retaining the crown |
| rubber dam: |
soft latex sheet used to protect one or more teeth from moisture and to keep materials from falling to the back of the throat |
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| S |
| saliva: |
clear fluid in the mouth containing water, enzymes, bacteria, mucus, viruses, blood cells and undigested food particles |
| saliva ejector: |
suction tube placed in the mouth to remove saliva |
| salivary glands: |
located under tongue and in cheeks, produce saliva |
| scaling |
meticulous removal of plaque and calculus from tooth surfaces |
| sealants: |
plastic material bonded in the grooves and pits of back teeth for the prevention of decay |
| secondary dentin: |
produced by the pulp in response to tooth irritation |
| sleep apnoea: |
the periodic interruption or delay in breathing during sleep |
| space maintainer: |
dental device that holds the space lost through premature loss of baby teeth |
| splint: |
to connect two or more teeth so they function as a stronger single structure |
| supernumerary tooth: |
extra tooth |
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| T |
| tartar: |
also called calculus, a hard deposit containing bacteria and minerals that adheres to teeth |
| tmj: |
the temporo-mandibular joint, the point where the lower jaw attaches to the upper jaw |
| tmj disorder: |
temporo-mandibular disorder; term given to condition characterized by facial pain and restricted ability to open/move the jaw |
| third-party provider: |
insurance company, union, government agency that pays all or a part of cost of dental treatment |
| tooth bud: |
early embryonic structure that becomes a tooth |
| tooth whitening: |
a process to lighten the colour of teeth |
| torus: |
common bony growth on the palate or lower jaw |
| transplant: |
placing a natural tooth in the empty socket of another tooth |
| trauma: |
injury caused by a blow, chemicals, temperature extremes, or poor tooth alignment |
| trench mouth: |
gum disease characterized by severe mouth sores and loss of tissue. see ANUG |
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| U |
| unerupted tooth: |
a tooth that has not pushed through the gum and assumed its correct position in the jaw |
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| V |
| veneer: |
plastic or porcelain facing bonded directly to a tooth to improve its appearance. see laminate. |
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| W |
| wisdom teeth: |
the third set of molars that usually erupt when a person is 18-25 years of age |
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| X |
| xerostomia: |
decrease in production of saliva |
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