Glossary of Dental Terms

Abscess: A collection of pus that has accumulated in a cavity caused by an infection. In most cases it will cause pain, swelling, and inflamaion around it. An abscess is a defensive reaction to prevent the infection to spread to other parts of your body.
Bridge (aka partial denture): A dental restoration used to artificialy replace one or more missing teeth.
Local Anesthesia: A drug that temporarily blocks any feeling (including pain) over a specific area of the anatomy without loss of consciousness.
Oral (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 mouth. For more informaion see our Oral Conscious Sedation Page
Bruxism: The habit of clenching and grinding the teeth. Often some part of the mastication system is harmed, either the muscles, the jaw joint, or the teeth. The habit often correlates with physical or emotional stress. Over 30% of the population does this to some degree, mostly at night in deep sleep stages.
Calculus: Hard deposit of mineralized material adhering to crowns and/or roots of teeth.
Caries (aka a dental cavity): Commonly used terms for tooth deca.y
Coronal: Refers to the clinical crown (see below) of a tooth.
Crown [Clinical]: The visible part of a tooth, covered by enamel.
Crown [Artificial] (aka cap): A dental restoration made of metal or porcelain covering a damaged tooth. Crowns are also still used to solve some cosmetic problems when bonding or veneers would not be adequate. Crowns generally require two visits, and fine crafted tempary crowns are placed until the final crown is inserted.
Decay: Decomposition of tooth structure; the lay term for carious lesions in a tooth.
Dry Socket: Localized inflammation of the tooth socket following extraction due to infection or the loss of a blood clot.
Enamel: Hard calcified tissue covering the inside of the crown of a tooth.
Filling: A lay term used for the restoring of lost tooth structure by using materials such as metal, alloy, plastic, or porcelain.
Filling [Amalgam]: The most commonly used dental restorative material, made of a mixture of metals. Also, the clinical name of a filling using this material.
Filling [Composite]: A dental restorative material made up of disparate or separate parts (e.g., resin and quartz particles). Also, the clinical name of a filling using this material.
Gingiva (aka gums): The soft tissues overlying the crowns of unerupted teeth and encircling the necks of those that have erupted.
Gingivitis
: Inflammation of the gums without loss of bone or connective tissue. Most cases result from poor oral hygiene and the build-up of plaque on teeth. Many people think it is normal for gums to bleed when brushing, which is not true. Approximatly half of all patients have a minor case of gingivitis.
Impacted Tooth: A tooth that is "stuck", or cannot grow further into the mouth (errupt). Usually referrs to wisdom teeth, but any tooth can be impacted under unusual circumstances.
Interproximal: Between the adjoining surfaces of teeth that are next to eachother.
Palliative: Action or treatment that relieves pain but does not cure the problem.
Periodontitis: Inflammatory deseases of the tissues that surround and support the teeth. It frequently involves loss of the bone around the teeth and can lead to loss of teeth.
Plaque: A soft sticky substance that accumulates on teeth composed largely of bacteria.
Prophylaxis: The clinical term for the scaling and polishing procedure performed to remove coronal plaque, calculus, and stains. This is what is conducted durring your bianual cleaning and checkup.
Pulp: The technical name for the "nerve" inside the tooth. It actually contains a nerve, an artery, a vein, a lymphatic drainage, and some primordial cells.
Root: The anatomic portion of the tooth that is located below the gumline.
Root Canal: The chamber within the root of the tooth that contains the pulp (see above).
Root Canal Therapy (aka endodonic therapy): A procedure in which the pulp is removed, the root canal is cleaned out, then filled in and covered with an artificial crown. Although the procedure is relatively painless when done properly, the root canal remains a stereotypically fearsome dental operation.
Root Planing (aka deep cleaning): A procedure designed to remove plaque, bacterial toxins, calculus, and diseased tissue on the root surfaces and in the pockets around the roots
Sealants: A protective coating painted into the grooves on the biting surface of back teeth that are susceptible to decay. The ADA recommends sealants for all back teeth as soon as they grow into the mouth. They last for an average of seven years and are very easily placed with no discomfort
Scaling: Removal of plaque, calculus, and stain from teeth.