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DENTAL TERMINOLOGY ADVICE HOME
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Abfraction
Wear at the base of the crown of the tooth where the gum begins, it looks like a V notch. Usually where the enamel ends and the root begins. It Is thought to be due to bruxism or clenching.
Amalgam
A mixture of silver and several other metals used as a filling material in teeth. Amalgam is not used that much today. It is a dark colour and has trace amts of mercury in it. Most dental offices no longer use amalgam since modern plastic fillings are just as strong, wear as well if not better and are tooth coloured.
Bite
How your top and bottom teeth fit together.
Bond
The glue that holds the restoration to the tooth.
Bone Graft
Used in areas where the bone has been lost. Synthetic bone or freeze dried bone is packed into the site after it has been thoroughly cleaned.
Bruxism
Grinding your teeth. It can lead to tooth wear, abfraction and jaw problems.
Buccal
Toward the cheek.
Calculus or Tartar
Calcified plaque which can not be removed with tooth brushing. It releases toxins and acids leading to gum disease and tooth decay.
Canines
Cuspids or eye teeth are the third teeth from the midline and are the corners of your mouth.
Cavity
The prepared hole in the tooth after the decay has been removed.
Cement
The material used to glue a crown etc. into your mouth
Cementum
Covers the dentin on the root of the tooth.
Chlorhexidine
A medicated dental rinse used to reduce plaque formation but it can lead to discolouration.
Clenching
Tightly pressing your teeth together but not grinding them together.
Composite or Resin
A white filling material.
Crowding
There is not enough room to accomodate all of the teeth present.
Decalcification
A white or brown lesion on your tooth due to acid producing plaque sitting on your teeth which dissolve calcium out of the enamel.
Decay
A decalcified area that is sticky to a dental probe. This means the enamel has been eroded. If the erosion is small, a filling is placed but if the erosion has entered the pulp, root canal may have to be done.
Deciduous teeth
Baby teeth.
Dentin
The inner material which makes up the body of the tooth crown and root. It is filled with small tubules with fluid that connects to the pulp of the tooth.
Diastema
A space between your teeth.
Distal
Toward the back of your mouth.
Enamel
The hard outer surface of the tooth. It is the hardest material in your body. It is highly mineralized and surrounds the crown of the tooth.
Endo or root canal
A procedure to remove an infected or dead nerve from a tooth that you want to keep in your mouth. If the majority of the crown of the tooth is gone the large filling should be supported by a post and crown. If not, the large unsupported filling may break in the future.
Etch
An acidic gel that is used to demineralize the outer surface of a tooth allowing for a better bond of a filling or restoration to the tooth.
Floss
A thin string used to remove plaque located between the teeth.
Fluoride
A natural element which, when applied to your clean teeth, will be taken up by the enamel and increase the enamel's resistance to decay and decrease the amount of gum disease. Fluoride treatments in children are of benefit in the majority of patients until all the baby teeth are lost. After that, if there is abundant decay present, fluoride treatments should be continued. There is fluoride in all of the major toothpastes. Brushing properly at least twice a day should protect your teeth if you floss every night before bed. If not the plaque which remains will act as a barrier and not allow the fluoride to penetrate in between the teeth. So floss before you brush. This can prevent decay in-between your teeth. In some communities there is fluoride in the water. The ideal concentration is one part per million. Usually people who have fluoride in their water have less decay. THERE IS NO FLUORIDE IN NIAGARA FALLS DRINKING WATER!
Gingiva
The firm pink gum around the base of the tooth crown.
Implant
A titanium post is surgically placed into the jaw bone to replace a missing tooth. After the implant has integrated with the bone an abutment is placed to support a replacement tooth.
Impression
A flexible material loaded into a tray which is placed over your teeth to record their shape size and position. They are required to make a crown, bridge, denture, veneer or implant.
Incisors
The 4 front teeth used to tear food.
Interproximal
in-between the teeth
Lingual
Toward the tongue.
Mandibular
Refers to the lower jaw.
Maxillary
Refers to the upper jaw.
Mesial
Toward the midline of your mouth.
Molars
These are the 6’Th, 7’Th and 8’Th teeth in your mouth and are used to grind your food. The 6 year old molars are also cornerstone teeth.
Mouth Guard
A soft appliance which covers your teeth to protect them during sporting events that may have contact leading to tooth damage.
Night guard
A soft or hard appliance that will protect your teeth from traumatic forces that your teeth can load onto each other if you grind or clench your teeth. The guard can also relieve jaw pain by aligning your jaw.
Occlusal or incisal
The biting surface of your tooth.
Orthodontics
The goal is to level and align the teeth to make them easier to clean, create a harmonious bite and happy jaw joint and improve the appearance of the profile and teeth. This can be accomplished with removable appliances or with fixed bands, brackets and ortho wires.
Palate
The hard and soft tissue forming the roof of your mouth from the front upper teeth to your throat.
Perio or Gum Disease
Toxins produced by plaque and calculus cause inflammation of the gums which leads to loss of the bone which supports the roots ,swollen gums and bleeding gums. This can lead to tooth loss.
Perio-Pocket
An area of localized gum disease around a tooth where the gingiva has detached from the tooth, the supporting bone has been lost and bacteria has inflamed the gum causing recession, bleeding and swelling. With a small pocket, immediate cleaning of the area can cause healing and reduce pocket depth. If it is deeper, pus may drain from the area and the tooth may become loose. With major bone loss you may have to consider an extraction and tooth replacement or bone grafting.
Periodontics
Keeping your teeth clean and changing the shape of the gum and supporting tissues to enhance cleaning and the looks of your teeth.
Plaque
The white film that is constantly forming around the necks of your teeth. It contains food which has not been removed and bacteria that digest the food particles and produce toxins and acids. This leads to decay and gum disease. If the plaque is not effectively removed the calcium from your saliva will penetrate the plaque and harden it to form Calculus or Tartar. Calculus can only be removed by a professional cleaning.
Post
Placed in a root canal tooth that has a large filling to anchor the future crown.
Premolars
Bicuspids are the 4’Th and 5’Th teeth from the midline they act as grinding teeth.
Prosthodontics
Replacing missing teeth or enhancing the teeth that are present. This is accomplished with veneers, crowns, bridges, implants or dentures.
Pulp
It is the soft inside of your tooth. It consists of the nerve, artery, vein and some lymph tissue. Also known as the nerve it constantly provides feed back about temperature, biting force,etc to your brain so you do not accidentally bite too hard on something and break your tooth. The blood supply to your teeth is very limited so it has a very limited ability to recover from an infection such as decay or a fracture. Usually if it is infected or exposed, an endo or extraction is necessary. Sometimes a heavy load such as a bad bite or tooth grinding can lead to a dead nerve.
Retainer
A removable appliance or a fixed wire bonded to the tongue side of your lower teeth to permanently hold your teeth into position after treatment is complete.
Root
The foundation of the tooth that sits in the jaw bone below the gum line.
Scaling
Cleaning the calcified debris off of your teeth with hand instruments or an ultrasonic scaler. This will decrease the release of noxious waste products produced by the plaque and calculus which, if not removed, leads to gum disease and eventual bone loss and eventually tooth loss . The better you floss your teeth the less need you will have to be scaled.
Sensitivity Toothpaste
Used in cases where the teeth are sensitive to hot or cold, sweet or salt. Usually the gingiva has receded exposing dentin or the root. Agents in the tooth paste coat the dentin and reduce sensitivity within a 10-14 day period.
Shade
The colour and hue of your tooth.
Space maintainer
A removable plastic appliance or a fixed band and loop use to hold a space, created when a baby tooth is lost, until the adult tooth comes in. This will minimize additional crowding or shifting of the permanent teeth.
Stripping or Slenderizing teeth
Reducing the width of the tooth to allow for more space to straighten the teeth.
Temporary
A plastic temp to function as a restoration until the lab can make your final crown etc.
TMD
Tempero mandibular joint dysfunction. It is a sore jaw or a jaw that has limited mobility.
Tooth Crown
The visible portion of your tooth seen above the gum line.
Tooth Whitening
Using a custom tray and bleaching gel to lighten your teeth.
Veneer
A thin piece of porcelain is placed on a tooth or teeth to restore a chipped or poorly coloured tooth, to straighten rotated teeth , to close spaces or to elongate shortened teeth.
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