Glossary of dental terminology

  • Abrasion: Tooth wear caused by forces other than chewing such as holding objects between the teeth or improper brushing
  • Abutment: A tooth (or implant) that supports a dental prosthesis
  • Local Anesthesia: The loss of pain sensation over a specific area of the anatomy without loss of consciousness
  • Apicoectomy: Removal of the tip of a tooth root
  • Arch: Term used to refer to the arrangement of teeth on upper and lower jaws, that together constitute the dentition
  • Apex: The tip of the root of a tooth
  • Allergy: Unfavorable systemic response to a foreign substance or drug
  • Alveolar Bone: The jaw bone that anchors the roots of teeth
  • Amalgam: A most common filling material, containing mercury, silver, tin, copper, and zinc
  • Analgesia: A state of pain relief or an agent that lessens pain
  • Bicuspid: A premolar tooth, a tooth with two cusps
  • Bilateral: Occurring on, or pertaining to, both right and left sides
  • Bite: Relationship of the upper and lower teeth on closure (occlusion)
  • Bruxism: Grinding or gnashing of teeth, most commonly while the patient is asleep
  • Biopsy: Process of removing tissue for histologic evaluation
  • Bleaching: A cosmetic dental procedure that whitens the teeth using a bleaching solution
  • Bonding: It refers to how a filling, orthodontic appliance, or some fixed partial dentures are attached to teeth
  • Calculus: Hard deposit of mineralized material adhering to crowns and/or roots of teeth.
  • Cavity: Decay in the tooth caused by caries; also referred to as a carious lesion
  • Cementum: Hard connective tissue covering the tooth root
  • Composite: A dental restorative material made up of separate parts
  • Crown: The portion of a tooth above the gum line
  • Crown: A dental restoration covering all or most of the natural tooth
  • Cusp: The pointed portion of the tooth
  • Caries: Commonly used term for tooth decay
  • Decay: Destruction of tooth structure caused by toxins produced by bacteria
  • Dentin: The part of the tooth that is beneath the enamel and cementum
  • Denture: An artificial substitute for natural teeth and adjacent tissues
  • Denture Base: The part of the denture that holds the artificial teeth and fits over the gum
  • Direct Restoration: A restoration fabricated inside the mouth
  • Diastema: A space between the teeth
  • Enamel: Hard calcified tissue covering the dentin of the crown of the tooth
  • Erosion: Wearing down of tooth structure, caused by chemical (acids)
  • Extraction: The process of removing a tooth or a tooth parts
  • Eyeteeth: The four upper and lower canine teeth
  • Excision: Surgical removal of bone or tissue
  • Filling: Restoring of lost tooth structure by using materials such as metal, alloys, plastic, or porcelain
  • Full denture: A removable dental prosthesis (appliance) that replaces all upper and lower teeth
  • Gingiva: Gum tissue
  • Gingivectomy: The surgical removal of gum tissue
  • Gingivitis: The inflammation of gum tissue
  • Graft: A piece of tissue or alloplastic material placed in contact with tissue to repair a defect or supplement a deficiency
  • Impacted Tooth: An unerupted or partially erupted tooth that is positioned against another tooth, bone, or soft tissue, so that complete eruption is unlikely
  • Implant: Material inserted or grafted into tissue
  • Inlay: An indirect filling made by a dental laboratory that is cemented or bonded into place
  • Interproximal: Between the teeth
  • Intraoral: Inside the mouth
  • Impression: A mold made of the teeth and soft tissues
  • Jaw: A common name for either the maxilla or the mandible
  • Jacket: The crown for a front tooth, usually made of porcelain used to cover all surfaces of the clinical crown
  • Laminate: A thin plastic or porcelain veneer produced in a dental laboratory and then bonded to a tooth
  • Lesion: An injury or wound; area of diseased tissue
  • Maxilla: the upper jaw
  • Mandible: the lower jaw
  • Malignant: Having the properties of dysplasia, invasion, and metastasis
  • Milk teeth: The deciduous (baby) teeth
  • Malocclusion: Improper alignment of biting or chewing surfaces of upper and lower teeth
  • Mastication: The process of chewing food
  • Molars: The three teeth in each dental quadrant used for grinding food
  • Occlusion: The relationship of the upper and lower teeth upon closure
  • Orthodontics: A dental specialty that treats misalignment of teeth
  • Onlay: A laboratory-produced restoration covering one or more cusps of a tooth
  • Osseous: Boney
  • Overdenture: A denture that fits over residual roots or dental implants
  • Palate: The hard and soft tissues forming the roof of the mouth that separates the oral and nasal cavities
  • Periapical (PA): The region at the end of the roots of teeth
  • Partial Denture: A removable dental prosthesis (appliance) that replaces one or more natural teeth
  • Pathology: The study of disease
  • Periodontal: Pertaining to the supporting and surrounding tissue of the teeth
  • Periodontitis: Inflammation and loss of the connective tissue of the supporting or surrounding structure of teeth with loss of attachment
  • Plaque: A soft sticky substance that accumulates on teeth and is composed of bacteria and food debris due to inadequate dental hygiene
  • Prognosis: The anticipated outcome of treatment
  • Prophylaxis: Cleaning of the teeth for the prevention of periodontal disease and tooth decay