Ft. Lauderdale Dentist Network - American Academy of Periodontology News
Select the first letter of the dental term you are seeking
to find a definition.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
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.
Alveolar bone
The part of the jaw that
surround the roots of the teeth.
Alveolar process
The curving part of
the jaw into which the teeth are rooted.
Alveolus
The socket in the alveolar
bone into which the tooth’s root fits.
Amalgam
An alloy used in direct dental
restorations.
Analgesia
Loss of pain sensations
without loss of consciousness.
Ankylosis
A condition where two hard
tissues are fused together. When this happens to a tooth and
the alveolar bone, the tooth partially erupts.
Anesthesia
General Anesthesia: A controlled state
of unconsciousness, accompanied by a partial or complete
loss of protective reflexes, including loss of ability to
independently maintain airway and respond purposefully to
physical stimulation or verbal command, produced by a
pharmacologic or non-pharmacologic method or combination
thereof;
Intravenous Sedation/Analgesia: A
medically controlled state of depressed consciousness while
maintaining the patient’s airway, protective reflexes and
the ability to respond to stimulation or verbal commands. It
includes intravenous administration of sedative and/or
analgesic agent(s) and appropriate monitoring.
Local Anesthesia: The loss
of pain sensation over a specific area of the anatomy
without loss of consciousness.
Non-Intravenous Conscious Sedation: A
medically controlled state of depressed consciousness while
maintaining the patient’s airway, protective reflexes and
the ability to respond to stimulation or verbal commands. It
includes administration of sedative and/or analgesic
agent(s) by a route other than IV; (PO, PR, Intranasal, IM)
and appropriate monitoring.
Regional Anesthesia: A term used for
local anesthesia. See Local
Anesthesia.
Apicoectomy
Removal of the tip of a
tooth root.
B
Benign
The mild character of an illness
or the non-malignant character of a
neoplasm.
Bicuspid
A premolar tooth; a tooth with
two cusps.
Bilateral
Occurring on, or pertaining
to, both right and left sides.
Biopsy
Process of removing tissue for
histologic evaluation.
Bitewing radiographs
X-rays used to
reveal the crowns of several upper and lower teeth as they
bite down.
Bleaching
A cosmetic dental procedure
that whitens the teeth using a bleaching solution.
Bonding
A composite resin applied to a
tooth to change its shape and/or color. Bonding also refers to
how a filling, orthodontic appliance or some fixed partial
dentures are attached to teeth.
Bridge
See Fixed
Partial Denture and/or Removable
Partial Denture.
Bruxism
Constant grinding or clenching
of teeth during they day or while asleep.
C
Calculus
Hard deposit of mineralized
material adhering to crowns and/or roots of teeth.
Canal
A relatively narrow tubular
passage or channel.
Root Canal: Space inside the root
portion of a tooth containing pulp tissue.
Cariogenic
Promotes tooth decay.
Caries
Commonly used term for tooth
decay.
Cavity
Decay in tooth caused by caries;
also referred to as carious lesion.
Cementum
Hard connective tissue
covering the tooth root.
Cleft Lip
Birth defect in which one or
more fissures form in the upper lip, which takes place while
the fetus is growing.
Cleft Palate
Congenital deformity
resulting in lack of fusion of the soft and/or hard palate,
either partial or complete.
Clenching
The clamping and pressing of
the jaws and teeth together in centric occlusion, frequently
associated with psychological stress or physical effort.
Composite
A dental restorative material
made up of disparate or separate parts (e.g. resin and quartz
particles).
Conscious Sedation
A state in which
patients are awake and can breathe and swallow on their own
but are less aware of what is taking place.
Crown
Anatomical Crown: That portion of tooth
normally covered by, and including, enamel;
Abutment Crown: Artificial crown serving
for the retention or support of a dental prosthesis;
Artificial Crown: Restoration covering
or replacing the major part, or the
whole of the clinical
crown of a tooth;
Clinical Crown: That portion of a tooth
not covered by supporting tissues.
Crown Lengthening: A surgical procedure
exposing more tooth for restorative purposes by apically
positioning the gingival margin and/or removing supporting
bone.
Cusp
The pointed portion of the
tooth.
Cyst
Pathological cavity, usually lined
with epithelium, containing fluid or soft matter.
D
Debridement
Removing foreign matter or
dead tissue.
Decay
The lay term for carious lesions
in a tooth; decomposition of tooth structure.
Dental Prophylaxis
Scaling and
polishing procedure performed to remove coronal plaque,
calculus, and stains.
Dental Prosthesis
An artificial device
that replaces one or more missing teeth.
Dental Specialist
A dentist who has
received postgraduate training in one of the recognized dental
specialties.
Dentin
That part of the tooth that is
beneath enamel and cementum.
Dentition
The teeth in the dental
arch.
- Permanent Dentition
Refers to the
permanent teeth in the dental arch.
- Deciduous Dentition
Refers to the
deciduous or primary teeth in the dental arch.
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 gums.
Direct Restoration
A restoration
fabricated inside the mouth.
Dry Mouth
See
Xerostomia
Dry Socket
Localized inflammation of
the tooth socket following extraction due to infection or loss
of blood clot; osteitis.
E
Edentulous
Toothless.
Enamel
Hard calcified tissue covering
dentin of the crown of tooth.
Endodontist
A dental specialist who
limits his/her practice to treating disease and injuries of
the pulp and associated periradicular conditions.
Erosion
Wearing down of tooth
structure, caused by chemicals (acids).
Eruption
When a tooth emerges or
pushes through the gums.
Evaluation
Periodic Oral Evaluation: An evaluation
performed on a patient of record to determine any changes in
the patient’s dental and medical health status since a
previous comprehensive or periodic evaluation. This may
require interpretation of information acquired through
additional diagnostic procedures. Report additional
diagnostic procedures separately.
Limited Oral Evaluation: Problem
focused: an evaluation limited to a specific oral health
problem. This may require interpretation of information
acquired through additional diagnostic procedures.
Definitive procedures may be required on the same date as
the evaluation. Typically, patients receiving this type of
evaluation have been referred for a specific problem and/or
present with dental emergencies, trauma, acute infection,
etc.
Comprehensive Oral Evaluation: Typically
used by a general dentist and/or a specialist when
evaluating a patient comprehensively. It is a thorough
evaluation and recording of the extraoral and intraoral hard
and soft tissues. It may require interpretation of
information acquired through additional diagnostic
procedures. This would include the evaluation and recording
of the patient’s dental and medical history and a general
health assessment. It may typically include the evaluation
and recording of dental caries, missing or unerupted teeth,
restorations, occlusal relationships, periodontal conditions
(including periodontal charting), hard and soft tissue
anomalies, etc.
Comprehensive Periodontal Evaluation: Typically includes evaluation of
periodontal
conditions, probing and charting, evaluation and recording
of the
patient’s dental and medical history and general
health assessment. It may
include the evaluation and
recording of dental caries, missing or unerupted
teeth,
restorations, occlusal relationships and oral cancer
screening.
Detailed And Extensive Oral
Evaluation—Problem-Focused, By Report:
A
detailed and extensive problem-focused evaluation entails
extensive diagnostic and cognitive modalities based on the
findings of a comprehensive oral evaluation. Integration of
more extensive diagnostic modalities to develop a treatment
plan for a specific problem is required. The condition
requiring this type of evaluation should be described and
documented. Examples of conditions requiring this type of
evaluation may include dentofacial anomalies, complicated
perio-prosthetic conditions, complex temporomandibular
dysfunction, facial pain of unknown origin, severe systemic
diseases requiring multi-disciplinary consultation, etc.
Re-Evaluation—Limited, Problem Focused
(established patient; not post-operative visit): This includes assessing the status of a previously existing
condition. Examples of conditions requiring this type of
evaluation may include: A traumatic injury where no
treatment was rendered but the patient needs follow-up
monitoring; Evaluation for undiagnosed continuing pain: A
soft tissue lesion requiring follow-up
evaluation.
Excision
Surgical removal of bone or
tissue.
Extraction
The process or act of
removing a tooth or tooth parts.
F
Filling
A lay term used for the
restoring of lost tooth structure by using materials such as
metal, alloy, plastic or porcelain.
Fixed Appliances
Orthodontic devices,
commonly known as braces, that are bonded to the teeth to
produce different tooth movements to help reposition teeth for
orthodontic therapy.
Fixed
Partial Denture
A fixed partial denture is a
prosthetic replacement of one or more missing teeth cemented
or attached to the abutment teeth or implant abutments
adjacent to the space.
Fracture
The breaking of a part,
especially of a bony structure; breaking of a tooth.
Full-Mouth X-Rays
A combination of 14
or more periapical and 4 bitewing films of the back teeth.
This series of
x-rays reveals all the teeth (their crowns
and roots) and the alveolar bone around them.
G
General Anesthesia
A deep level of
sedation in which patients lose consciousness, feel no pain,
and have no memory of what is taking place around them.
Gingiva
Soft tissues overlying the
crowns of unerupted teeth and encircling the necks of those
that have erupted.
Gingival Hyperplasia
An overgrowth of
gingival tissues.
Gingivitis
Inflammation of gingival
tissue without loss of connective tissue.
Gingivectomy
The excision or removal of
gingiva.
Gingivoplasty
Surgical procedure to
reshape gingiva.
Graft
A piece of tissue or alloplastic
material placed in contact with tissue to repair a defect or
supplement a deficiency.
Guided tissue regeneration (GTR)
Procedure during flap surgery for periodontal disease in
which a membrane is inserted between the alveolar bone and the
bone graft to encourage the gum tissues to grow onto the
alveolar bone.
H
Currently there are no terms listed alphabetically under
this letter. You can use the search function at the top of
this page to find information that may exist in other
locations on ADA.org.
I
Imaging, Diagnostic
This would include,
but is not limited to, CAT scans, MRIs, photographs,
radiographs, etc.
Immediate Denture
Prosthesis
constructed for placement immediately after removal of
remaining natural teeth.
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.
- Dental Implant
A device specially
designed to be placed surgically within or on the mandibular
or maxillary bone as a means of providing for dental
replacement; endosteal (endosseous); eposteal
(subperiosteal); transosteal (transosseous).
Implantation, Tooth
Placement of an
artificial or natural tooth into an alveolus.
Inlay
An indirect intracoronal
restoration; a dental restoration made outside of the oral
cavity to correspond to the form of the prepared cavity, which
is then luted into the tooth.
Interproximal
Between the teeth.
Intraoral
Inside the mouth.
Intravenous Sedation
Medications used
intravenously (through the bloodstream) to produce varying
levels of sedation.
J
Jaw
A common name for either the
maxilla or the mandible.
K
Currently there are no terms listed alphabetically under
this letter. You can use the search function at the top of
this page to find information that may exist in other
locations on ADA.org.
L
Labial
Pertaining to or around the
lip.
Lesion
An injury or wound; area of
diseased tissue.
Lingual
Pertaining to or around the
tongue; surface of the tooth directed toward the tongue;
opposite of facial.
M
Maintenance, Periodontal
Therapy for
preserving the state of health of the periodontium.
Malignant
Having the properties of
dysplasia, invasion, and metastasis.
Malocclusion
Improper alignment of
biting or chewing surfaces of upper and lower teeth.
Maryland Bridge
A type of fixed
partial denture not requiring crowns. The prosthesis is bonded
to the natural teeth to secure it.
Maxilla
The upper jaw.
Molar
Teeth posterior to the premolars
(bicuspids) on either side of the jaw; grinding teeth, having
large crowns and broad chewing surfaces.
Mouthguard
Device that fits over the
teeth to prevent injury to the teeth, mouth or lips. May also
refer to a device that prevents tooth grinding or treats
temporomandibular disorders.
Mucous Membrane
Lining of the oral
cavity as well as other canals and cavities of the body; also
called “mucosa.”
N
Currently there are no terms listed alphabetically under
this letter. You can use the search function at the top of
this page to find information that may exist in other
locations on ADA.org.
O
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
A disorder in
which breathing stops for short periods of time during
sleep.
Occlusal
Pertaining to the biting
surfaces of the premolar and molar teeth or contacting
surfaces of opposing teeth or opposing occlusion rims.
Occlusion
Any contact between biting or
chewing surfaces of maxillary (upper) and mandibular (lower)
teeth.
Onlay
An indirect restoration made
outside the oral cavity that overlays a cusp or cusps of the
tooth, which is then luted to the tooth.
Oral
Pertaining to the mouth.
Oral And Maxillofacial Surgeon
A dental
specialist whose practice is limited to the diagnosis,
surgical and adjunctive treatment of diseases, injuries,
deformities, defects and esthetic aspects of the oral and
maxillofacial regions.
Oral Mucosa
The pink-red tissues that
line the mouth.
Orthodontist
A dental specialist whose
practice is limited to the interception and treatment of
malocclusion of the teeth and their surrounding
structures.
Orthognathic Surgery
Surgery performed
to correct facial imbalances caused by abnormalities of the
jaw bones.
Osseointegration
The process by which
bone heals around an implant.
Osteoplasty
Surgical procedure that
modifies the configuration of bone.
Osteotomy
Surgical cutting of bone.
Overdenture
A removable prosthetic
device that overlies and may be supported by retained tooth
roots or implants.
P
Palate
The hard and soft tissues
forming the roof of the mouth that separates the oral and
nasal cavities.
Palliative
Action that relieves pain
but is not curative.
Partial Denture
Usually refers to a
prosthetic device that replaces missing teeth; see Fixed
Partial Denture or Removable
Partial Denture.
Parotid Glands
Major salivary glands
located in front of and below the ears.
Patient
An individual who has
established a professional relationship with a dentist for the
delivery of dental health care. For matters relating to
communication of information and consent, this term includes
the patient’s parent, caretaker, guardian, or other individual
as appropriate under state law and the circumstances of the
case.
Pediatric Dentist
A
dental specialist whose practice is limited to treatment of
children from birth through adolescence; formerly known as a
pedodontist.
Pedodontist
See Pediatric
Dentist.
Pellicle
A thin nonbacterial film from
saliva that covers the teeth.
Periapical X-Ray
An x-ray that shows
several entire teeth (crowns and roots) and includes a small
amount of the periapical bone (surrounding the root tips).
Periodontal
Pertaining to the
supporting and surrounding tissues of the teeth.
Periodontal Abscess
An infection in
the gum pocket that can destroy hard and soft tissues.
Periodontal Disease
Inflammatory
process of the gingival tissues and/or periodontal membrane of
the teeth, resulting in an abnormally deep gingival sulcus,
possibly producing periodontal pockets and loss of supporting
alveolar bone.
Periodontal Pocket
Pathologically
deepened gingival sulcus; a feature of periodontal
disease.
Periodontist
A dental specialist whose
practice is limited to the treatment of diseases of the
supporting and surrounding tissues 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 composed largely of bacteria and
bacterial derivatives.
Post
An elongated projection fitted and
cemented within the prepared root canal, serving to strengthen
and retain restorative material and/or a crown
restoration.
Posterior
Refers to teeth and tissues
towards the back of the mouth (distal to the canines):
maxillary and mandibular premolars and molars.
Precision Attachment
Interlocking
device, one component of which is fixed to an abutment or
abutments and the other is integrated into a fixed or
removable prosthesis in order to stabilize and/or retain
it.
Premedication
The use of medications
prior to dental procedures.
Prophylaxis
Scaling and polishing
procedure performed to remove coronal plaque, calculus and
stains.
Prosthesis
Artificial replacement of
any part of the body.
Prosthodontis
A dental specialist whose
practice is limited to the restoration of the natural teeth
and/or the replacement of missing teeth with artificial
substitutes.
Pulp
Connective tissue that contains
blood vessels and nerve tissue which occupies the pulp cavity
of a tooth.
Pulp Cavity
The space within a tooth
which contains the pulp.
Pulpectomy
Complete removal of vital
and non vital pulp tissue from the root canal space.
Pulpotomy
Surgical removal of a portion
of the pulp with the aim of maintaining the vitality of the
remaining portion by means of an adequate dressing; pulp
amputation.
Q
Currently there are no terms listed
alphabetically under this letter. You can use the search
function at the top of this page to find information that may
exist in other locations on ADA.org.
R
Radiograph
An image produced by
projecting radiation, as x-rays, on photographic film.
Commonly called x-ray.
Ranula
A cyst that can develop under
the tongue on the floor of the mouth.
Rebase
To replace the denture
base.
Reline
To resurface the side of the
denture that is in contact with the soft tissues of the mouth
to make it fit more securely.
Removable Appliance
Removable
orthodontic appliances used to effect simple tipping movements
of one tooth or several.
Removable Partial
Denture
A removable partial denture (removable
bridge) is a prosthetic replacement of one or more missing
teeth that can be removed by the patient.
Resorb
To dissolve.
Retainer
- Orthodontic Retainer: Appliance to
stabilize teeth following orthodontic
treatment.
- Prosthodontic Retainer: A part of a
fixed partial denture that attaches a
pontic to the
abutment tooth, implant abutment, or implant.
Root
The anatomic portion of the tooth
that is covered by cementum and is located in the alveolus
(socket) where it is attached by the periodontal apparatus;
radicular portion of tooth.
Root Canal
The portion of the pulp
cavity inside the root of a tooth; the chamber within the root
of the tooth that contains the pulp.
Root Canal Therapy
The treatment of
disease and injuries of the pulp and associated periradicular
conditions.
Root Caries
Tooth decay that forms on
the roots.
Root Planing
A procedure designed to
remove microbial flora, bacterial toxins, calculus, and
diseased cementum or dentin on the root surfaces and in the
pocket.
S
Scaling
Removal of plaque, calculus,
and stain from teeth.
Sealants
Plastic resin placed on the
biting surfaces of molars to prevent bacteria from attacking
the enamel and causing caries.
Sjogren’s Syndrome
An autoimmune
disorder (mostly affecting older women) that is characterized
by partial or complete cessation of saliva and tears. It can
be associated with rheumatic disease, such as rheumatic
arthritis, lupus, or scleroderma.
Splint
A device used to support,
protect, or immobilize oral structures that have been
loosened, replanted, fractured or traumatized. Also refers to
devices used in the treatment of temporomandibular joint
disorders.
Stomatitis
Inflammation of the
membranes in the mouth.
Sublingual Glands
Major salivary
glands located in the mucosa on the floor of the mouth.
Submandibular Glands
Walnut-sized
major salivary glands located beneath the tongue.
Suture
Stitch used to repair incision
or wound.
T
Temporary Removable Denture
An interim
prosthesis designed for use over limited period of time.
Temporomandibular (TMJ)
The connecting
hinge mechanism between the base of the skull (temporal bone)
and the lower jaw (mandible).
Temporomandibular Joint
Dysfunction
Abnormal functioning of
temporomandibular joint; also refers to symptoms arising in
other areas secondary to the dysfunction.
Torus
A bony elevation or protuberance
of bone.
U
Unerupted
Tooth/teeth
that have not penetrated into the oral cavity
V
Veneer
In the construction of crowns or
pontics, a layer of tooth-colored material, usually, but not
limited to, composite, porcelain, ceramic or acrylic resin,
attached to the surface by direct fusion, cementation, or
mechanical retention; also refers to a restoration that is
luted to the facial surface of a tooth.
W
Currently there are no terms listed alphabetically under
this letter. You can use the search function at the top of
this page to find information that may exist in other
locations on ADA.org.
X
Xerostomia
Decreased salivary secretion
that produces a dry and sometimes burning sensation of the
oral mucosa and/or cervical caries.
X-Ray
Radiograph.
Y
Currently there are no terms listed alphabetically under
this letter. You can use the search function at the top of
this page to find information that may exist in other
locations on ADA.org.
Z
Currently there are no terms listed
alphabetically under this letter. You can use the search
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exist in other locations on ADA.org.
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