Patient Education / Dental Education Library
Dental Glossary
A
- Amalgam
- — Material made from mercury and other alloy mixtures used to restore a drilled portion of a tooth.
- Anesthesia
- — Medications used to relieve pain.
- Anterior teeth
- — Front teeth. Also called incisors and cuspids.
- Arch
- — The upper or lower jaw.
B
- Baby bottle tooth decay
- — Caused by sugary substances in breast milk and some juices, which combine with saliva to form pools inside the baby's mouth.
- Bicuspids
- — A premolar tooth; tooth with two cusps, which are pointed or rounded eminences on or near the masticating surface of a tooth.
- Bitewings
- — X-rays that help a dentist diagnose cavities.
- Bonding
- — Application of tooth-colored resin materials to the surface of the teeth.
- Bridge
- — A prosthetic replacement of one or more missing teeth cemented or otherwise attached to the abutment teeth or implant replacements.
- Bruxism
- — Teeth grinding.
C
- Calculus
- — A hard deposit of mineralized substance adhering to crowns and/or roots of teeth or prosthetic devices.
- Canal
- — The narrow chamber inside the tooth's root.
- Canines
- — Also called cuspids.
- Canker sore
- — One that occurs on the delicate tissues inside your mouth. A canker sore is usually light-colored at its base and can have a red exterior border.
- Caries
- — A commonly used term for tooth decay, or cavities.
- Cold sore
- — Usually occurs on the outside of the mouth, usually on or near the nose or lips. A cold sore is contagious because it is caused by the herpes simplex virus, and it is usually painful and filled with fluid.
- Composite filling
- — Tooth colored restorations, also known as resin fillings.
- Composite resin
- — A tooth colored resin combined with silica or porcelain and used as a restoration material.
- Contouring
- — The process of reshaping teeth.
- Crown
- — An artificial tooth replacement that restores missing tooth structure by surrounding the remaining coronal tooth structure. It is also placed on a dental implant.
- Cusps
- — The pointed parts on top of the back teeth's chewing surface.
- Cuspids
- — Front teeth that typically have a protruding edge.
E
- Endodontics
- — A form of dentistry that addresses problems affecting the tooth's root or nerve.
F
- Fluoride
- — A harmless over-exposure to fluoride resulting in tooth discoloration.
- Fluorosis
- — A harmless over-exposure to fluoride and resulting sometimes in tooth discoloration.
G
- Gingiva
- — Another word for gum tissue.
- Gingivitis
- — A minor disease of the gums caused by plaque.
- Gum disease
- — An infection of the gum tissues. Also called periodontal disease.
I
- Impacted teeth
- — A condition in which a tooth fails to erupt or only partially erupts.
- Implant
- — A permanent appliance used to replace a missing tooth.
- Incisor
- — Front teeth with cutting edges; located in the center or on the sides near the front.
- Inlay
- — An artificial filling made of various materials, including porcelain, resin, or gold.
L
- Laminate veneer
- — A shell that is bonded to the enamel of a front tooth. The shell is usually thin and made from porcelain resin.
M
- Malocclusion
- — Bad bite relationship.
- Mandible
- — The lower jaw.
- Maxilla
- — The upper jaw.
- Molar
- — Usually the largest teeth, near the rear of the mouth. Molars have large chewing surfaces.
N
- Neuromuscular Dentistry
- — Addresses more than the aches and pains felt in and around the neck and head that are associated with your teeth and jaw.
O
- Onlay
- — A filling designed to protect the chewing surface of a tooth.
- Orthodontics
- — A field of dentistry that deals with tooth and jaw alignment.
- Overdenture
- — A non-fixed dental appliance applied to a small number of natural teeth or implants.
P
- Palate
- — Roof of the mouth.
- Partial denture
- — A removable appliance that replaces missing teeth.
- Pediatric Dentistry
- — A field of dentistry that deals with children's teeth.
- Perio pocket
- — An opening formed by receding gums.
- Periodontal disease
- — Infection of the gum tissues. Also called gum disease.
- Periodontist
- — A dentist who treats diseases of the gums.
- Permanent teeth
- — The teeth that erupt after primary teeth. Also called adult teeth.
- Plaque
- — A sticky, colorless substance that covers the teeth after sleep or periods between brushing.
- Posterior teeth
- — The bicuspids and molars. Also called the back teeth.
- Primary teeth
- — A person's first set of teeth. Also called baby teeth or temporary teeth.
- Prophylaxis
- — The act of cleaning the teeth.
- Prosthodontics
- — The field of dentistry that deals with artificial dental appliances.
- Pulp
- — The inner tissues of the tooth containing blood, nerves and connective tissue.
R
- Receding gum
- — A condition in which the gums separate from the tooth, allowing bacteria and other substances to attack the tooth's enamel and surrounding bone.
- Resin filling
- — An artificial filling used to restore teeth. Also called a composite filling.
- Root canal
- — A procedure in which a tooth's nerve is removed and an inner canal cleansed and later filled.
- Root planing
- — Scraping or cleansing of teeth to remove heavy buildup of tartar below the gum line.
S
- Sealant
- — A synthetic material placed on the tooth's surface that protects the enamel and chewing surfaces.
T
- TMJ
- — Temporomandibular joint disorder. Health problems related to the jaw joint just in front of the ear.
- Tarter
- — A hardened substance (also called calculus) that sticks to the tooth's surface.
W
- Whitening
- — A process that employs special bleaching agents for restoring the color of teeth.
- Wisdom tooth
- — Third set of molars that erupt last in adolescence.