| |  | | |  |  | Abscess: A collection of pus in a cavity formed within the tissues of the body. Abutment: A tooth or implant used to support a prosthesis. Alveolar: Referring to the bone to which a tooth is attached. Amalgam: An alloy used in direct dental restorations. Analgesia: Loss of pain sensations without loss of consciousness. Anesthesia: The loss of pain sensation over a specific area of the anatomy without loss of consciousness. Anterior: Refers to the teeth and tissues located toward the front of the mouth; maxillary and mandibular incisors and canines. Apex: The tip or end of the root end of the tooth. Avulsion: Separation of tooth from its socket due to trauma (evulsion). Baby Bottle Tooth Decay: Cavities caused by putting a child to bed with a bottle of milk or juice, which allows bacteria to attack the child’s teeth overnight. Reduce the child’s risk by allowing only bottles of water at bedtime. Bicuspid: Any of eight permanent teeth with two-pointed crowns or cusps. Also called pre-molars, because they are found just before the big molars in the back of the mouth. Bilateral: Occurring on, or pertaining to, both right and left sides. Biopsy: Process of removing tissue for histologic evaluation. Bonding: Process by which two or more components are made integral by mechanical and/or chemical adhesion at their interface. Calculus: Tartar, a 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; Mandibular canal – The passage which transmits vessels and nerves through the jaw to branches that distribute them to the teeth. Canine: One of the four sharp-pointed teeth between the incisors and the bicuspids; also called cuspids. Caries: A disease of the calcified tissue of the teeth resulting from the action of microorganisms on carbohydrates, characterized by a decalcification of the inorganic portions of the tooth and accompanied or followed by disintegration of the organic portion; cavities. Common term for tooth decay. Cavity: See caries. CDT: Certified Dental Technician Cement base: Material used under a filling to replace lost tooth structure. Cementum: A bonelike substance covering the root of each tooth and helps to attach each tooth to the jaw. Cleft palate: Congenital deformity resulting in lack of fusion of the soft and/or hard palate, either partial or complete. Composite: A dental restorative material made up of disparate or separate parts (e.g., resin and quartz particles). Crown: That portion of the tooth that is covered with enamel and projects from the gum tissues in which the root is fixed. Curettage: Scraping and cleaning the walls of a cavity or gingival pocket. Cusp: Pointed or round crown of the tooth. Cuspid: One of the four sharp-pointed teeth between the incisors and the bicuspids; also called canines. Cyst: Pathological cavity, usually lined with epithelium, containing fluid or soft matter. Decay: The lay term for carious lesions in a tooth; decomposition of tooth structure. Dentin: The hard substance that forms the body of the tooth. Denture: An artificial substitute for natural teeth and adjacent tissues. Diagnostic cast: Plaster or stone model of teeth and adjoining tissues; also referred to as study model. Enamel: The hard covering that forms the outer surface of the crown of the tooth. Endodontist: A dentist who specializes in root canal treatment. Evulsion: Complete separation of the tooth from its socket due to trauma (avulsion). Excision: Surgical removal of bone or tissue. Filling: A lay term used for the restoring of lost tooth structure by using materials such as metal, alloy, plastic or porcelain. Fracture: The breaking of a part, especially of a bony structure; breaking of a tooth. Gingiva: Soft tissues overlying the crowns of unerupted teeth and encircling the necks of those that have erupted. Gingivitis: Inflammation of gingival tissue without loss of connective tissue. Hygienist: The person who is usually responsible for the preventive dentistry program; licensed to perform scaling and cleaning of 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. Implantation, tooth: Placement of an artificial or natural tooth into an alveolus. Implantologist: A dentist who specializes in placing and restoring dental implants. Incisor: Any of the front cutting teeth between the cuspids in either jaw. Indirect pulp cap: Procedure in which the nearly exposed pulp is covered with a protective dressing to protect the pulp from additional injury and to promote healing and repair via formation of secondary dentin. Lesion: An injury or wound; area of diseased tissue. Malocclusion: Improper alignment of biting or chewing surfaces of upper and lower teeth. Molar: One of the twelve teeth located distal to the second bicuspid on each side of each arch. Grinding teeth, having large crowns and broad chewing surfaces. 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. Operculum: The flap of tissue over an unerupted or partially erupted tooth. 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. Orthodontist: A dentist who specializes in the prevention and correction of irregularities of the teeth and malocclusion, and associated facial problems. 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. Pediatric dentist: A dental specialist whose practice is limited to treatment of children from birth through adolescence; formerly known as pedodontist. Pedodontist: See pediatric dentist. 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. Periodontist: A dentist who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment and management and abnormal conditions of gum and bone tissues. Pits and fissures: Little holes and cracks in tooth surfaces. Plaque: A soft sticky substance that accumulates on teeth composed largely of bacteria and bacterial derivatives. Deposit of material on tooth surface causing dental caries. Posterior: Located behind; rear. Pre-molar: See bicuspid. Prosthodontist: A dentist who specializes in the restoration of oral function by the replacement of missing teeth and structures by artificial devices. Pulp: The highly vascular connective tissue contained within the pulp chamber and canals. It is made up of arteries, veins, nerves and lymph tissue. RDH: Registered Dental Hygienist Root: The portion of the tooth that is fixed in the socket and is covered with cementum. 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. Scaling: Removal of plaque, calculus and stain from teeth. Socket: A hollow or depression into which a tooth fits into the gums. Suture: Stitch used to repair incision or wound. Tartar: A mineral deposit on teeth. Temporomandibular (TMJ): The connecting hinge mechanism between the base of the skull (temporal bone) and the lower jaw (mandible). Temporomandibular joint disfunction: Abnormal functioning of temporomandibular joint; also refers to symptoms arising in other areas secondary to the dysfunction. 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. Copyright 2003 Healthy Smiles Hawaii • Privacy Policy
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