A trip to the dentist is usually filled with terminology that is not in your everyday vocabulary. Florida Dental Association’s publication Today’s FDA includes a list of the most frequently used dental terminology so that you can be in the loop when it comes to dental lingo.
Abscess: acute or chronic localized inflammation, probably with a collection of pus, associated with tissue destruction and, frequently, swelling; usually secondary to infection.
Amalgam: a mixture of silver, mercury, tin and copper that provides a strong, hard, durable filling; sometimes described as ‘silver-colored’ fillings.
Bicuspid: a premolar tooth; a tooth with two cusps.
Bleaching: cosmetic whitening of teeth using peroxide.
Caries: cavities; tooth decay.
Cavity: the destruction of your tooth enamel, the hard, outer layer of your teeth. A cavity may be due to decay, erosion, or abrasion.
Composites: tooth-colored restorative materials.
Crown: an artificial replacement that restores missing tooth structure by surrounding the remaining tooth structure or placing on a dental implant. It is made of metal, ceramic or polymer materials, or a combination of such materials.
Do-it-yourself (DIY) Dentistry: any kind of dental treatment that is not executed under the expert care or supervision of a dentist or specialist. This includes at-home treatments, such as teeth whitening and straightening kits, veneers, or alternative treatments like using charcoal or oil pulling on your teeth.
Edentulous: having lost most or all the natural teeth.
Endodontics: the branch of dentistry that is concerned with dental pulp and the nerves, blood vessels and tissues surrounding the roots of a tooth.
Extraction: the process or act of removing a tooth or tooth parts, usually because of disease, trauma or crowding.
Filling: the restoration of lost tooth structure by using materials such as metal, alloy, plastic or porcelain.
General dentistry: primary care for patients in all age groups for the diagnosis, treatment, management and overall coordination of services to meet patients’ oral health needs.
Gingivitis: the early stage of gum disease.
Gum disease: an infection of the tissues that surround your teeth; caused by a buildup of plaque; also known as periodontal disease.
Implants: a replacement for the roots of your teeth that can anchor crowns or dentures to your jaw bone so they behave more like natural teeth.
Incisor: a tooth for cutting or gnawing; located in the front of the mouth in both jaws.
Mandible: the lower jaw.
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.
Occlusion: any contact between biting or chewing surfaces of maxillary (upper) and mandibular (lower) teeth.
Resin: plastic material used in bonding, restorative and replacement procedures.
Root canal: the chamber within the root of the tooth that contains the pulp (blood vessels and nerve tissue).
Root canal treatment: procedure to remove the diseased pulp from the root of the tooth, then clean and seal the canal.
Scaling: removal of plaque and calculus from below the gum line.
Sealant: a thin protective coating (made from plastic or other dental materials) that adheres to the chewing surface of your back teeth. Sealants are meant to prevent cavities by blocking sticky foods from lodging in the grooves of the back teeth.
Third molars: wisdom teeth.
Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ): the connecting hinge mechanism between the base of the skull (temporal bone) and the lower jaw (mandible).
Veneers: thin, custom-made shells crafted of tooth-colored materials designed to cover the front side of teeth. They are an option for correcting stained, chipped, decayed or crooked teeth.
There you have it! After reading over these dental terms a few times, you should be ready to understand more during your next dental appointment.
If you have any questions or concerns about dental terminology or your oral health, call us at 954-344-4488, or complete an online appointment request to schedule your consultation.