Ch. 20 Oral & Maxillofacial Terms

alveolar process

Portion of the mandible or maxilla containing the tooth sockets; forms the dental arch

bone grafts

calvaria

Superior part of the neurocranium, covers the cranial cavity; top part of the skull

Location of the fontanels in infants

condyle

Round prominence at the end of a bone, often part of a synovial joint (an encapsulated articulation with another bone)

glenoid fossa

The socket in which the head of the humerus articulates to form the shoulder joint; a ball-and-socket joint

labial

Side of tooth that is closest to the lips

malar bones

Form the prominences of the cheeks and a portion of the inferior and lateral wall of the orbit

malocclusion

Abnormal alignment of the teeth of the upper jaw with those of the lower jaw

maxillofacial

Mouth props

A self-retaining retractor used to keep the mouth open during oral or dental procedures

orthognathic

Surgery to correct conditions of the jaw and face related to structure, growth, TMJ disorders, and malocclusion problems

pan

Combining form meaning all

ramus

Smaller branch of a structure that extends from a larger branch that divides into two parts, such as the rami of the pubis

reduction

Correction or placement of a body structure back into normal anatomical position

symphysis

A joint in which the two bony surfaces are joined by fibrocartilage (meniscus)

TMJ

The joint formed by the mandible that articulates with the glenoid fossa in each temporal bone