Dental Terminology

primary/deciduous dentition

baby teeth

permanent/succedaneous dentition

adult teeth

maxillary teeth

upper jaw (teeth 1-16)

mandibular teeth

lower jaw (teeth 16-32)

upper right quadrant

teeth 1-8 (dentist's left)

upper left quadrant

teeth 8-16 (dentist's right)

lower right quadrant

teeth 32-25 (dentist's left)

lower left quadrant

teeth 24-17 (dentist's right)

anterior teeth

towards front of mouth

posterior teeth

towards back of mouth

occlusion

the bite/fit between the maxillary and mandibular teeth

central incisors

teeth 8,9 & 25,24

lateral incisors

teeth 7, 10 & 26, 23

canines (cuspids)

teeth 6 11 & 27, 22

first premolars/bicuspids

teeth 5, 12 & 28, 21

second premolars/bicuspids

teeth 4, 13 & 29, 20

first molars

teeth 3, 14 & 30, 19

second molars

teeth 2, 15 & 31, 18

third molars (wisdom teeth)

teeth 1, 16 & 32, 17

lingual surfaces

side of teeth facing tongue

buccal/facial surfaces

side of teeth facing cheeks

labial surfaces

side of teeth touching back of lips

mesial

toward the midline

distal

away from midline

occlusal surfaces

biting surface of posterior teeth

incisal edges

biting surface of anterior teeth

interproximal

area between two teeth

proximal surface

surface that faces the interproximal area (flossing surface)

crown

the visible part of the tooth

root

part of tooth under the gums

gingiva

gum (anchored to the bone)

root canal

center of root

enamel

hard layer that covers crown of the tooth

dentin

softer mineralized connective tissue underneath enamel

pulp

center of the tooth that makes up the root canal

cementum

calcified connective tissue that covers the root

periodontium

supporting structures around tooth composing of the gingiva and periodontal ligaments

periodontal ligaments

fibers that connect the cementum to the bone

gingival margin

gingiva edge that covers the root and touches the crown, has a scalloped shape following the contour of the CEJ

gingival sulcus/crevice/periodontal pocket

the valley between the marginal gingiva and CEJ; usually 3-4mm deep

interdental gingiva/papilla

gingiva between two teeth that cover the triangular gap

alveolar process (mandibular and maxillary process)

bone surrounding tooth

plaque/biofilm

soft mass of oral bacteria

fermentable carbohydrate

broken down by oral bacteria & can build plaque

includes monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, polyols (sugar alcohols)

supragingival

above the gumline

subgingival

below the gumline

calculus/tartar

made up of 70-90% inorganic salts, bacteria easily cling to it and plays a role in carrying periodontal disease

how many primary teeth are there total

20

what teeth are missing from the primary dentition

premolars (bicuspids) & third molars

eruption

when dentition become visible (primary or permanent)

exfoliation

when primary dentition are lost

carious lesion (caries)

cavity/area of decay

occlusal caries

decay on top of the molars

interproximal caries

decay between two teeth

root caries

decay on the root

demineralization occurs when

the enamel is broken down (appears white, the beginning of a cavity)

cavity treatment: almalgam filling is made of

50% mercury + silver, copper, and zinc

cavity treatment: composite filling is made of

made of acrylic (plastic) + powdered glass or ceramic

cavity treatment: crown is made of

usually gold or ceramic

root canal therapy is used when

used when cavity progresses into pulp

• inflamed pulp removed

• filled with gutta percha (rubbery material)

• sealed (often with a crown)

fissure

line groove on occlusal surface

pit

small point indentation on occlusal surface (often the intersection between two fissures)

pit and fissure sealant

protective coating applied to the pits and fissures to protect the occlusal surfaces while chewing to prevent decay

fluoridated water

ingested before permanent dentition erupts to provide strength

fluoride rinse agent

contains sodium monofluorophosphate or stannous fluoride to prevent decay

sodium monofluorophosphate

Na₂PO₃F, releases fluoride (F⁻) to remineralize teeth

• dissociates into 2 sodium (Na+) cations and monofluorophosphate (PO₃F²⁻) anions

• in lower pH conditions, monofluorophosphate (PO₃F²⁻) dissociates into fluoride (F⁻) anions and orthophosphate (PO₄³⁻)

stannous fluoride

SnF₂

acidulated phosphate fluoride (APF)

a gel or foam that releases fluoride ions in an acidic solution to rapidly be absorbed by the enamel

• should not be used for patients with porcelain (glass ionomer) restorations

neutral sodium fluoride

NaF has a neutral pH and can be used on patients with glass based restorations

fluoride varnish

provides decay prevention, often used after cleaning

• 5% sodium fluoride in a resin base (like colophony/rosin or polyurethane) with solvents (alcohol)

• sometimes with xylitol, flavorings, and calcium phosphate

expectorate

to spit out

disclosing agent

a pigment that sticks to plaque to highlight areas that need better cleaning

oral prophylaxis

professional dental cleaning that removes plaque, calculus, and stains

full mouth series (FMX)

18+ close up x-rays of the teeth and its roots for spotting cavities and gum disease

panoramic image

single broad x-ray of the jawbones, sinuses, and temporomandibular joints (TMJ)

gingivitis

inflammation of the gingival margin characterized by redness or swelling resulting from plaque remaining around the gingival margin and interproximal area

erythemic

red

edematous

swollen

in vitro

in laboratory

in vivo

in humans

causes of gingivitis

• poor oral hygiene

• gingival abrasion

• stress

• general illness

• uncontrolled diabetes

• smoking

• hormonal changes (pregnancy/puberty)

gingivitis treatment options

• sulcular cleaning

• stannous fluoride toothpaste

• pulsing tools (i.e waterpik)

• mouth rinses

periodontal disease

irreversible damage to supporting structures such as loss of alveolar bone

clinical attachment loss (CAL)

loss of periodontal gum, bone, and fibers

how to calculate CAL

periodontal pocket depth + gingival recession

or

CEJ to base of the periodontal pocket

cervix/cementoenamel junction (CEJ)

boundary between the crown and cementum

how to calculate radiographic bone loss (RBL)

(distance from CEJ to alveolar bone crest) divided by (root length) x 100

alveolar bone crest (ABC)

highest point of bone surrounding the tooth

root apex

tip of the root

stage I periodontitis (in terms of CAL, RBL, tooth loss)

CAL: 1-2mm

RBL: coronal third (less than 15%)

tooth loss: none

stage II periodontitis (in terms of CAL, RBL, tooth loss)

CAL: 3-4mm

RBL: coronal third (15-33%)

tooth loss: none

stage III periodontitis (in terms of CAL, RBL, tooth loss)

CAL: at least 5mm

RBL: extending to middle third of root and beyond

tooth loss: at least 4

stage IV periodontitis (in terms of CAL, RBL, tooth loss)

CAL: at least 5mm

RBL: extending to middle third of root and beyond

tooth loss: at least 5

grade A: slow rate periodontitis

CAL or RBL: no loss over 5 years

(RBL)/age: less than 0.25

smoking: none

HbA1c: normoglycemic/non diabetic

grade b: moderate rate periodontitis

CAL or RBL: at least 2mm over 5 years

(RBL)/age: 0.25 to 1

smoking: up to 10 cigarettes a day

HbA1c: up to 7.0%

grade c: rapid rate periodontitis

CAL or RBL: more than 2mm over 5 years

(RBL)/age: more than 1

smoking: more than 10 cigarettes a day

HbA1c: at least 7.0%

HbA1c

hemoglobin A1c test measures the average amount of glucose attatched to hemoglobin in your red blood cells over the past few months

step 1 in staging and grading periodontitis: initial case overview

• full mouth probing

• full mouth radiographs

• note missing teeth

step 2: staging - for stage I to stage II (mild to moderate) periodontitis

• confirm CAL

• rule out non-periodontitis causes of CAL such as

  • cervical restorations

  • caries

  • root fractures

  • trauma

• determine maximum CAL

step 2: staging - for stage III to stage IV (moderate to severe) periodontitis

• determine maximum CAL or RBL

• confirm RBL patterns

• assess tooth loss due to periodontitis

• evaluate case complexity factors