Treatment Near YouA
Abscess: Local inflammation (chronic or acute), usually filled with pus; a sign of infection and tissue decay
Acute Periradicular Apical Abscess: There’s that $10, written-on-a-scroll term again. But now that you know what an abscess is, you can probably decode this Rosetta Stone of a medical term. Acute periradicular apical abscesses—or just periapical abscess for short—is a type of abscess that occurs at the root of a tooth. The abscess forms as a response to a bacterial infection that has permeated the tooth’s pulp through an untreated cavity or crack. These types of abscesses are very serious and, if left untreated, can lead to extreme pain, severe gum disease and may even become life-threatening. If you believe that you might have a periapical abscess, seek out your dentist immediately—and then impress them with your new dental vocabulary.
Acid Etching: You’ve probably heard that acidic foods such as lemons and limes are bad for your teeth. While that’s definitely true—acidic foods can and do erode your enamel—it’s not always such a bad thing. In fact, dentists and dental surgeons use “acid etching” to prepare teeth for dental bonds.
Apex: The apex of the tooth is the portion of the tooth at the very end of the root. It’s easy to think of the apex as the “south” end of your tooth that lies beneath the gumline. If the apex becomes exposed—usually through trauma or injury—the soft tissue that surrounds it becomes susceptible to infection (acute periradicular apical abscess) that can lead to gum disease. Which is why your dentist may recommend apexification...
Apexification: Apexification is a dental treatment that induces your body to create a calcific barrier to protect an open or otherwise exposed apex. Apexification usually requires several visits to the dentist’s office and treatments with calcium hydroxide but a 2009 study showed the effectiveness of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA).
Artificial Teeth: Artificial teeth refers to any type of dental replacement for a natural tooth or set of teeth. Artificial teeth come in as many shapes, sizes and materials as the smiles they are designed to fix. Artificial teeth can be fixed in nature—implants, crowns and bridges—or removable such as dentures. Dentists used to craft artificial teeth out of wood but modern dentists use mostly porcelain, acrylic, metal or a combination of thereof.
Abrasion: In dentistry, abrasion refers to any type of injury that results from scraping or otherwise removing tissue in the mouth. Abrasion could occur on the surface of a tooth, the roof of the mouth, or any other biting surface or chewing surface within the mouth. Common culprits for these types of dental injuries are oral tools such as toothbrushes or hard, abrasive foods. We all love some toasty garlic bread even if it leaves us with some pretty bad abrasions—and really bad breath.
Abutment: Implant fixture or tooth used to support the prosthesis
Alveolar: Reference to jaw bone where teeth are attached
Alveolar Bone: The alveolar bone—otherwise known as the alveolar process—is the part of the jaw bone that holds our teeth firmly in place. In fact, humans technically have two alveolar bones; one on the maxilla and the other on the mandible (scroll down to “M” to learn what those terms mean). Our gum tissue covers most of the alveolar bone, which is why it’s so important to protect your gums.
Anesthesia, general: Medically induced unconsciousness during which patients are asleep and cannot be roused by/feel pain
Anesthesia, local: Numbing sensation in one part of the mouth by using gels or injection
B
Bicuspid: Premolar tooth
Bleaching: Unlike your coloured laundry, you definitely want to bleach your teeth. (Refer to “whitening”).
Bonding: Process of joining fillings, dentures, and other oral appliances to teeth
Bridge: Tooth replacement prosthetic; may or may not be removable by a patient
Bruxism: Condition of grinding teeth or clenching teeth; can occur while awake or asleep
C
Cuspid: If “bicuspid” means “two cusps” then, cuspid must mean… six cusps? Just kidding. Cuspid teeth are teeth that only have one cusp. Using our tongue-and-teeth counting technique once again, these cuspid teeth would be the third tooth on your maxilla and mandible. You might know them as your vampire teeth. If they start growing and you develop a craving for blood, you’ll need more help than a dentist can provide.
Calculus: Mineralized substance deposited on roots of teeth, crowns, and prosthetic devices like implants
Cavity: Space/hole in a tooth caused by decay or abrasion of the tooth
Crown: Prosthetic made of metal, ceramic, or polymers to restore the missing structure of teeth
Calcium Hydroxide: Calcium hydroxide—Ca(OH)2—is a chemical compound that has many clinical, medicinal and even cultural uses. Outside of the dentist’s office where oral care professionals use it for “linings, indirect and direct pulp cupping, root dressing, root canal sealant [and] apical closure”, calcium hydroxide has many more names. Hydrated lime, caustic lime, builders’ lime, slaked lime and pickling lime to name a few
Curettage: Curettage is the process of scraping off—with a curette—soft tissue or growths inside of bodily cavities. In a dental context, dentists have used curettage on some of the soft tissues in the mouth such as gums to treat infections. As a form of treatment of disease, however, curettage has fallen out of favour with dentists.
D
Decay: Decomposition/erosion of the surface of a tooth
Dentin: Hard tissue forming a majority of the tooth structure
Denture: Partial or complete replacement for natural teeth
Deep Sedation: Deep sedation is an anesthetic state in which a patient is minimally conscious. Usually, the patient will have some response to repeated stimuli but will, generally, not have impaired cardiovascular function. Basically, it’s like anyone after a long day at the office.
Deciduous Teeth: More commonly referred to as primary teeth or baby teeth, deciduous teeth are the first set of teeth to develop in the mouth. The process of tooth eruption usually begins between 5 and 6 months of age and completes between 20 and 30 months of age. Most people will have lost or “exfoliated” their deciduous teeth by the time they are 13 years of age.
E
Enamel: Thin, hard covering surrounding the dentin composed mostly of calcium; hardest tissue in the human body
Evulsion: Tooth becoming dislodged/falling out of its socket due to decay or trauma (also called avulsion)
Extraction: Removal of whole or part of tooth/teeth
Edentulism: If someone has one of those winning, toothless, all-gums smiles, you can say that they have an edentulous smile. Simply put, edentulism refers to the condition of having no teeth. Of course, edentulism is nothing that a dental prosthesis can’t solve.
Eruption: Tooth eruption refers to the stage of tooth growth and development at which point the tooth emerges from the surface of the gums and becomes visible. Teeth will have been growing beneath the gumline prior to eruption and will continue to grow thereafter until they reach maturity.
F
Filling: Plastic, porcelain, metal, or alloy used to ‘fill’ gaps in teeth or lost tooth structure
Foramen: Because you’re now a dental terminology wizard, you know that your alveolar bone holds your teeth in place. And it uses foramen to do that. Foramen is any natural opening in or passage through bone. So, your teeth sit in the foramens of your alveolar bone. Now you really sound like a dentist.
G
Gingivitis: Inflammation of gum or gingival tissue due to the accumulation of plaque on the surface of the teeth
General Anesthesia: General anesthesia refers to a drug-induced state of lowered or suppressed consciousness—because who wants to be awake for a dental implant? While under general anesthesia, a patient will require respiratory aid and may or not require cardiovascular aid.
Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT): If you’ve been doing your dental homework then you know that the number one cause of gum disease, tooth decay and dental caries is plaque and tartar buildup. GBT is an innovative 8-step dental treatment process that removes plaque and tartar—i.e., biofilms—from the surface of your teeth. GBT uses pressurized air and water to remove plaque with efficiency and minimal abrasion, making it a perfect option for people with sensitive gums and teeth.
Guided Bone Regeneration (GBR): There’s no reason that you can’t have a strong jaw… bone. GBR is a dental procedure whereby a dental surgeon uses bone grafts to reinforce weakened areas of the alveolar bone, usually around dental implants. For those who would like to “bone up” on their GBR knowledge, the National Library of Medicine offers a more detailed and technical description.
Guided Tissue Regeneration (GTR): GTR is a similar dental procedure to GBR but focuses on soft tissues—i.e., gums—instead of hard tissues such as bone. Most often, your dentist or dental surgeon will perform a GTR procedure following a surgical operation where the results were less than hoped for. GTR aims to reattach gum tissue to affected areas.
I
Imaging: Capturing images of teeth and jawbone to diagnose and plan procedures; includes MRIs, CAT scans, photographs, radiographs, X-rays, and more
Impacted tooth: A tooth that will erupt or has erupted partially into the side of another tooth, bone, or tissue
Implant: Artificial root implanted into the jaw bone; supports artificial teeth/prosthetics
Incisor: Teeth located at the front of the mouth on upper and lower jaws; used for cutting
M
Malocclusion: Misalignment between biting/chewing surfaces of teeth on upper and lower jaws
Mandible: Low jaw
Maxilla: Upper jaw
Molar: Teeth behind premolars; used for grinding and chewing
Mesial of the Tooth: The mesial of the tooth is the surface of the tooth that is nearest to the middle of your mouth’s arch. In other words, it is the “inward-facing” portion of the tooth that you floss regularly. You are, we hope, flossing regularly. Cavities that form on the mesial of a tooth can be difficult to treat as they are oftentimes “abutting” another tooth.
N
Natural Teeth: These are the teeth that erupt naturally into your mouth. The term “natural teeth” refers both to deciduous teeth—baby teeth, milk teeth, etc.—as well as adult or permanent teeth. Damaged or missing natural teeth can lead to any number of oral diseases the worst of which is likely a less radiant smile. Fortunately, dentists and dental surgeons can replace natural teeth with natural-looking artificial teeth to restore dental and oral health and brighten smiles.
O
Occlusion: Occlusion refers to the alignment of mandibular and maxillary chewing and biting surfaces. This includes the alignment of the upper and lower jaw, upper and lower teeth and even the tongue and the palate. Modern dental treatments can fix just about any misalignments—or malocclusions—with varying degrees of intrusiveness and success.
P
Palate: Roof of the mouth comprised of hard and soft tissues
Periodontitis: Inflammation of gingival tissue or tissue supporting tooth causing pockets and alveolar bone loss (also called periodontal disease)
Plaque: Soft and sticky yellow substance comprised of bacteria and bacterial secretions; causes teeth yellowing, gingivitis, and periodontitis
Prophylaxis: Removal of calculus, plaque, and stains from teeth
R
Root Canal: Pulp cavity inside the root of the tooth; also refers to procedure removing nerve and pulp of tooth and cleaning of the cavity
S
Sealants: Dental sealants save lives. That’s only a slight exaggeration but they definitely do save smiles. Dental sealants are resin or glass ionomer coating that bond to the chewing surfaces of your teeth to protect them from decay. It’s easy to think of dental sealants as a protective coating for your enamel. Since at least 2016, the American Dental Association (ADA) has recommended the application of dental sealants to the occlusal surfaces—i.e., chewing and biting surfaces—of adolescents and adults alike.
Sedatives: Depending on what you’re having done, a trip to the dentist’s office can get a little painful. For that reason and many others, dentists and dental surgeons offer a variety of sedatives. A sedative is any substance that acts as a central nervous system depressant, thusly reducing a patient’s responsivity to their environment and external stimuli. The most commonly used sedatives in dentistry for conscious sedation are propofol, ketamine, midazolam and dexmedetomidine.
Scaling: Procedure to remove plaque, deposits, and stains on teeth
Splint: Used to support and hold oral structures in place
Succedaneous tooth: Permanent tooth that replaces primary ‘baby’ teeth (deciduous)
Supernumerary teeth: Extra or unerupted teeth that resemble the shape of normal teeth
U
Unerupted tooth: A tooth that has not penetrated/started to penetrate in the mouth
V
Veneer: Thin covering applied to the surface of the tooth; restores discoloured, damaged, and uneven teeth
W
Whitening: No matter how much brushing, flossing, rinsing and repeating you do, there is only one way to get your smile to the next level of brightness—teeth whitening. Teeth whitening or teeth bleaching refers to any number of procedures that use various methods to break down the chromogens on the surface of a tooth to whiten its appearance. Your dentist or dental surgeon will more than likely choose to use a hydrogen peroxide solution along with light treatment to brighten your smile.
X
Xerostomia: Xerostomia is the clinical term for “dry mouth”. Those who suffer from xerostomia don’t produce enough saliva to keep the inside of their mouth wet. Dry mouth drastically increases your chances of developing gum disease and dental caries. Xerostomia is often a side effect of medication.
At Dawson Dental we believe information is essential. Our dental professionals take care to explain procedures thoroughly to patients. Speak to an experienced dentist about your oral concerns.
This article was written by a third party and does not reflect the views and opinions of Dawson Dental. The content of the article is based on general information available online and should not be relied on as a substitute for medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult with your dentist or another qualified oral health professional for questions regarding your dental condition. Never disregard professional dental advice or delay seeking it based on information from this article.