Dental Definitions: Glossary of Terms

Introduction

With the dental technology advancements that have been made in the last few decades, terms may come up in conversation that you have not heard before.

Main Digest

Parts of a Human Tooth

fig 1. Labeled diagram of a human tooth.

Definitions of Dental Terms

Amalgam

Silver-colored filling material; may also be referred to as a restoration or filling.

Bitewings

X-rays of the top and bottom molars and pre-molars to show decay between teeth or under fillings.

Bonding

Bonding is an adhesive dental restoration technique. Bonding is a procedure to adhere tooth-colored resin to the tooth's surface, creating a bond. Bonding is performed by Herrin cosmetic dentists with tooth-colored composite resin to repair and change the color or shape of a tooth. Resin is used for bonding due to its similarities to the enamel. The composite resin bonding process is where the resin is bonded to a tooth's surface but then sculpted into shape, hardened, and polished.

Bridge

A non-removable appliance that replaces one or more missing teeth with false teeth and attaches to healthy teeth.

Calculus (Tartar)

Hardened plaque on teeth, requiring scaling to remove.

Caries

Cavities and decay.

Complete Mouth Survey

(CMS) Multiple X-rays taken of the entire dental structure. For an adult, approximately 16-21 films.

Composite

A tooth colored filling material; also referred to as a filling.

Cosmetic Dentistry

Beautifying teeth and smile through bleaching, bonding, closing spaces, and improving the appearance of teeth.

Crown

A crown is a dental restoration performed by a Herrin cosmetic dentist covering all or almost all of your natural teeth. Crowns are covers, caps, or replacements used to restore the missing part of a damaged tooth.

DDS

DDS is short for "Doctor of Dental Surgery," DDS is equivalent to DMD.

DMD

DMD is short for "Doctor of Medical Dentistry," DMD is equivalent to DDS.

Edentulous

Having no teeth.

Endodontics

Endodontics is the branch of dentistry which is concerned with the morphology, physiology and pathology of the human dental pulp and periradicular tissues.

Gingiva

Gums.

Gingivitis

Inflammation of the gum tissue; common reversible gum disease that occurs when plaque is not removed.

Impacted

Describes a tooth not visible above the gum line.

Implant

An implant is a fixed dental appliance used for the replacement of a tooth by a Herrin cosmetic dentist. An artificial device replacing tooth roots is often made of titanium. The implant may anchor an artificial tooth, bridge, or denture.

Impression

An impression is a mold made of the teeth and soft tissues by your dentist to get an accurate model of your mouth before having a major implant, bridge, or denture work done. Impressions are also taken to fit custom mouthguards properly.

Inlays

A gold, porcelain, or composite filling placed within the cusps of the tooth.

Intra-oral Camera

An intra-oral camera is a small video camera your dentist uses to view and magnify oral conditions. With many intra-oral cameras, images may be printed by your Herrin dental professionals.

Laughing Gas

Laughing gas, properly called Nitrous oxide, is an odorless inhaled anesthetic that produces relative analgesic (sedation), reduces anxiety and creates a state of relaxation. Laughing gas is a general anesthetic used by Herrin gentle dentists to make your experience less traumatic if you experience dental fear and phobia.

Mouth Guard

A mouth guard, or night guard, is an acrylic appliance used to prevent wear and temporomandibular damage caused by grinding the teeth while sleeping.

Occlusal

The chewing or grinding surface of a tooth.

Onlays

Porcelain or gold restorations covering at least one cusp of the tooth.

Operative Dentistry

Department providing fillings, crowns, and cosmetic dentistry.

Oral Pathology

Study of diseases and pain of mouth and jaw.

Oral Surgery

Department where extractions of teeth are performed as well as general surgical procedures in the jaws and lower facial area.

Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics

Orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics is the dental specialty that includes the diagnosis, prevention, interception, and correction of malocclusion, as well as neuromuscular and skeletal abnormalities of the developing or mature orofacial structures.

Partial

(RPD; Removable partial denture) Removable replacement for missing teeth that rests on the gums with clasps that attach to remaining teeth.

Pediatric Dentistry

Department providing dentistry for children under the age of 16.

Periodontics

Periodontics is that specialty of dentistry which encompasses the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases of the supporting and surrounding tissues of the teeth or their substitutes and the maintenance of the health, function and esthetic's of these structures and tissues.

Pit

A pit is a small defect in your tooth's enamel. Pits often appear where the four formative lobes of a developing tooth join.

Plaque

Soft deposits of bacteria and debris that collect on teeth.

Pocket

Abnormally deep space between the gum tissue and the teeth where bacteria can enter, causing gum disease.

Preventive Dentistry

Teeth cleaning and instruction to prevent gum disease.

Prophylaxis

Prophy; a basic teeth cleaning.

Prosthesis

A cemented or removable replacement for missing teeth.

Prosthodontics

Prosthodontics is the dental specialty about the diagnosis, treatment planning, rehabilitation and maintenance of the oral function, comfort, appearance and health of patients with clinical conditions associated with missing or deficient teeth and oral and maxillofacial tissues using biocompatible substitutes.

Pulpitis

An infection of the nerve inside a tooth.

Pulpotomy

Removal of only the pulp tissue in the crown of the tooth, an endodontic procedure.

Radiographs

X-rays.

Recall

Appointment for a patient who is returning for maintenance or follow up care.

Restoration

Filling used to restore the tooth.

Root Canal Therapy

(RCT, endodontic therapy) Removal of the nerve inside a tooth and subsequent filling of this space.

Scaling and Root Planing

Cleaning teeth to remove calculus and plaque above and below the gum line.

Third Molars (wisdom teeth)

The last teeth to come into the mouth.

Treatment Plan

A list of procedures and related costs recommended to treat patient's dental needs.

Veneer

Veneers are plastic, or porcelain bonded directly to the facing of a tooth by your cosmetic dentist to improve your teeth's appearance, and fix your smile. Southern Illinois cosmetic dentists use special composite ultra-thin laminates or porcelain bonded to teeth. Typically, Herrin cosmetic dentists use veneers for repairing worn, cracked, and chipped teeth.

Teeth Structure Abnormality Definitions

Amelogenesis imperfecta

A condition in which enamel does not form properly or at all.

Dentinogenesis imperfecta

A condition in which dentin does not form properly and is sometimes associated with osteogenesis imperfecta.

Dentin dysplasia

A disorder in which the roots and pulp of teeth may be affected.

Regional odontodysplasia

A disorder affecting the enamel, dentin, and pulp and causes the teeth to appear "ghostly" on radiographs.

Tooth Size Abnormality

Microdontia

A condition where teeth are smaller than the usual size.

Macrodontia

When teeth are larger than the usual size.

Teeth Number Abnormality

Anodontia

The total lack of tooth development.

Hyperdontia

The presence of a higher-than-normal number of teeth.

Hypodontia

The lack of some teeth. Usually:

Hypodontia

Refers to the lack of development of one or more teeth

Oligodontia

May be used to describe the absence of 6 or more teeth.

Teeth Shape Abnormality

Gemination

Occurs when a developing tooth incompletely splits into the formation of two teeth.

Fusion

The union of two adjacent teeth during development.

Concrescence

The fusion of two separate teeth only in their cementum.

Accessory cusps

Additional cusps on a tooth and may manifest as a Talon cusp, Cusp of Carabelli, or Dens evaginatus.

Dens invaginatus, also called Dens in dente

A deep invagination in a tooth causing the appearance of a tooth within a tooth.

Ectopic enamel

Enamel is found in an unusual location, such as the root of a tooth.

Taurodontism

A condition where the body of the tooth and pulp chamber is enlarged.

Hypercementosis

Excessive formation of cementum, which may result from trauma, inflammation, acromegaly, rheumatic fever, and Paget's disease of bone.

Dilaceration

A bend in the root may have been caused by trauma to the tooth during formation.

Supernumerary roots

The presence of a greater number of roots on a tooth than expected.

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