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

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