Overview of Dental Practice for students

A type of anesthetic used to prevent pain in a specific area of the mouth during dental treatment by blocking the nerves that sense or transmit pain.

Local anesthesia

Loss of sensation with or without loss of consciousness.

Anesthesia

The most commonly used local anesthetic in dentistry.

Lidocaine

An anesthetic applied to numb an area in preparation for administering an injectable local anesthetic.

Topical anesthetic

Needles used for administering local anesthesia in dentistry.

Dental needles

Long - 1 5/8 inches or 40 mm, Short - 1 inch or 25 mm.

Needle length

The thickness of a needle. 25 ga. - 0.009 inches, 27 ga. - 0.007 inches, 30 ga. - 0.0060 inches.

Gauge

Instrument used for injecting local anesthesia.

Dental syringe

A branch of the trigeminal nerve.

Opthalmic branch

A ganglion located in the trigeminal nerve.

Semilunar ganglion

The fifth cranial nerve responsible for sensation in the face and motor functions such as chewing.

Trigeminal

A branch of the trigeminal nerve that supplies sensation to the upper teeth and gums.

Maxillary branch

A branch of the trigeminal nerve that supplies sensation to the lower teeth and gums.

Mandibular branch

A local anesthesia technique where the anesthetic solution is injected into the area of dental treatment to numb small nerve endings.

Infiltration technique

A local anesthesia technique where the anesthetic solution is deposited near a main nerve trunk to prevent pain impulses from traveling beyond that point.

Nerve block anesthesia

A local anesthesia technique where the anesthetic solution is injected into the periodontal space to provide anesthesia for one or two teeth.

Intraligamentary technique

Another term for intraligamentary injection.

Periodontal ligament (PDL) technique

Various dental treatments and procedures performed by dentists.

Clinical procedures

The identification of oral diseases or conditions.

Oral diagnosis

The surgical removal of a tooth from the mouth.

Dental extraction

Treatment of diseases of the dental pulp and root canal therapy.

Endodontic treatment

Treatment of the gums and supporting structures of the teeth.

Periodontic treatment

Replacement of missing teeth and other oral structures with dental prostheses.

Prosthodontic treatment

Restoration of carious teeth to their former size, shape, and function.

Restorative treatment