A

 
Abrasion: wearing away of a tooth due to abrasives
Abscess: the formation of a sac of bacteria.  Symptoms are swelling pain, throbbing, and a sensation of heat.
Anesthesia: drug to block off any pain impulses from the nerves
Analgesic: pain killer
Ankylosis: teeth that do not fully erupt because they are attached to the bone
Antibiotics: medication to fight off bacteria causing infection
Asepsis: sterilization of the surroundings and instruments to prevent infections
Attrition: wearing away of a tooth due to the opposing tooth and grinding

B

Bleaching: oxygenating and conditioning the teeth with an acid based gel
Bridge: when missing teeth, a dentist can use two or more teeth present to "bridge" the space

C

Calcification: the pulp is hardened due to calcium and phosphorous salts
Calculus: hardened plaque
Cavities: when acids decalcify the tooth enamel and disintegrates the dentin
              - Caused by acids produced by microbialenzymatic action on ingested carbohydrates
Cementum: the dull yellow surface of a root
Cingulum: an enlargement or bulge on the lingual aspect of the front teeth
Contact Point: area where two adjacent teeth touch each other.  You floss the contact point
Crossbite: when the lower back teeth overlap the upper back teeth when closing the mouth
Crowding: lack of space produces teeth that are overlapping
Cusp: a point or peak on the top surface of a tooth

D

Deciduous Dentition: (baby teeth) the primary dentition, also know as the milk teeth
Dentin: the hard tissue under the enamel and cementum
Denture: Full Denture: when the patient has no teeth (edentulous)
                Immediate: getting a denture at the time the patient gets teeth extracted
                Partial: when the patient has a few teeth (partially edentulous)
Diastema: the space present when the central incisor are separated

 

E

Edgewise: orthodontic appliance
Enamel: the hard shiny surface of a tooth
Erosion: a dissolution of tooth due to reason unknown
Excision: cutting and harvesting the tissue usually for study of possible pathology
Extraction: removal of a tooth

F

Fistula: tract made by infection exiting often through the gingiva and resembling a pimple
Full Denture: when the patient has no teeth (edentulous)
Fusion: tooth appears double but a separation is present due to two teeth fusing together

G

Gemination: tooth appears double due to splitting of a single tooth germ
Gingiva: the soft tissue that surrounds a tooth (the gum)
Gingivitis: inflammation of the gingiva (bleeding gums)
Graft: a piece of tissue taken from one area and placed at another
Groove: a sharply defined linear depression

H

Hutchinson's Teeth: screwdriver shaped teeth due to prenatal syphilis

I

Immediate Denture: a getting a denture at the time the patient gets teeth extracted
Impacted Tooth: a tooth that is blocked fully or partially from exiting the gum line by an adjacent tooth
- Full bony extraction: the tooth is submerged in the tissue, full bone removal is necessary
- Partly bony extraction: partial bone must be taken out to be able to reach the tooth to be extracted
- Partly soft tissue extraction: partial cutting of the tissue is needed to reach the tooth to be extracted
Implant: A substitute for a lost tooth.  It functions as additional support, most often providing the very important option of esthetics, non removable rather than removable tooth replacement.  Implants are fabricated from body compatible biomaterials, most often titanium or one of its alloys.   It can vary in shape from a blade  like shape to a screw type shape.
Incision and Drainage: cutting a tissue in order to allow the infection to flow out and reduce pain and the swelling
Incision: cutting
Inlay: restoration used when less than 3/4 of a tooth is present and the cusps are not missing
Intravenous Sedation: putting someone to sleep with an IV

L

Laminate Veneer: fingernail like restoration made of porcelain or composite

M

Mandible: the lower jaw
Maxillae: the upper jaw

N

Nightguard: occlusal guard

O

Occlusal Guard: appliance used to prevent grinding (nightguard)
Onlay: restoration used when 3/4 of a tooth and part of the cusps are missing
Open Bite: due mostly to thumb sucking, the front teeth do not touch when closing the mouth
Over Bite: when the upper front teeth overlap the lower front when closing the mouth
Over Denture: denture made over existing teeth or root tips that have had root canal.  These roots are left there in order to reduce bone loss.
Over Jet: the distance between the upper and lower front teeth, when the upper are bucked out and the lower are more refracted inside towards the tongue

P

Palate, Hard: the front part of the roof of the mouth
Palate, Soft: the back part of the roof of the mouth
Paraesthesia: lack of sensation at the sensory level
Papillate: gums between the teeth.
Partial Denture: when the patient has a few teeth (partially edentulous)
Pericoronitis: gingival tissue area of an empty tooth that is inflamed. Most often the wisdom tooth.
Pin and Tube: orthodontic appliance
Plaque: film of materials made up of saliva, molds and bacteria.   Dead cells, blood cells, food particles and bacterial residues.
Post and Core: used in order to build up tooth to be able to place a crown on it
Pulp: the center of a tooth made up of vessels and nerve tissue

R

Recontouring: reshaping the teeth
Retainer: appliance to hold the teeth in a certain position
Ribbon Arch: orthodontic appliance
Root Canal: removal of the nerve tissue due to infection from cavities or trauma, and filled with gutta percha
Root Planning: scraping root below the gums

S

Scaling: scraping of the tooth above the gums
Sinus: air spaces above the upper teeth
Space Maintainer: appliance used to allow teeth to come into a certain area
Splint: appliance used to stabilize loose teeth
Succedaneous Dentition: the permanent dentition
Suture: stitches

T

Teeth: Canines: the cornerstone of the mouth, the fangs or the cuspid (upper and lower)
            Incisors, Lateral: the next teeth on either side of the central incisors (upper and lower)
            Incisors, Central: the two front teeth, the cutting teeth ( upper and lower)
            Molars: the back teeth, the chewing teeth (upper and lower)
            Premolar: the middle teeth or the bicuspid (upper and lower)
TMJ (TMD): temporomandibular joint (disorder), the place near the car where the lower jaw "joins" the skull.  A defect of the disc or other parts are involved. A clicking is most common.

U

Uvula: a small fleshy structure hanging from the center of the soft palate