Dental Dictionary

The Dental Dictionary explains the meaning of words often used in dentistry.

Infection caused by severe tooth decay, gum disease or trauma. May cause pain and swelling.
A silver colored filling material made of a mix of silver, tin, mercury, and small amounts of other metals such as copper. An easy filling material to use and fairly cheap. Amalgam unfortunately tends to expand with time and can lead to the tooth fracturing around the filling. The filling itself often becomes discoloured and starts to break down in 10-20 years. 
This is a surgical procedure used to seal the root tip of a tooth. Normally only done if root canal treatment cannot be performed satisfactorily on a tooth that developed an infection or abscess at the root tip. 
Used to replace missing teeth. Usually consists of one or more artificial teeth attached to crowns or caps on the neighboring teeth.
Tooth grinding, often done unconsciously at night. Sometimes, but not always, caused by stress. Can lead to severe loss of tooth structure. 
Also called tartar. A hard deposit on the tooth surface, formed by the mineralization of plaque.
The decay causing breakdown of teeth (holes). It’s a result of bacteria’s (present in the dental plaque) action on tooth structure. 
A hole in a tooth after decayed areas crumble and chip off.
Tooth coloured filling, also called composite resin or bonded resin fillings. Great color match with natural teeth. This material binds chemically bond to tooth strengthening it.
Misalignment of the teeth- the lower teeth biting on the outside or in front of the upper teeth.
Sometimes also called a cap. A crown is used to cover a decayed or broken tooth. Can be made of porcelain and/or metal.
An artificial metal or ceramic root planted into the gums in areas where teeth are absent. Crowns, bridges or dentures can then be fixed to the implants to replace missing teeth. These structures are either permanently fixed to the implants or made in such a way that they can be removed to facilitate cleaning.  
Swollen red areas or growths on the gums caused by ill-fitting dentures.
Primary/milk/baby teeth.
Treating tooth with a light concentration of acid. This is done to create a roughened surface on which dental material can be bonded.
Teeth removal.
A thin resin coating applied to fissures (grooves) of teeth to prevent decay.
Inflammation of the gum tissue (gingiva) surrounding teeth. Mainly caused by bacteria in dental plaque and hard deposits on the tooth surface. Leads to soreness, swelling and sometimes bleeding of the gums.
Bad breath.
Teeth that cannot grow into the mouth in their normal positions. This is caused either by a lack of space for the affected teeth or by the teeth growing in the wrong direction. Mostly affects the wisdom teeth.
A filling made of metal, porcelain, or composite material and cemented into the tooth. If the filling covers the cusps (tips) of the tooth it is called an onlay.
The technical term for teeth that don’t fit together correctly. Malocclusions not only affect the teeth, but also the appearance of the face. Malocclusions can be inherited or, more commonly, due to premature loss of primary teeth or acquired habits such as dummy/thumb sucking and tongue thrusting .
Lining layer of the inside of the mouth.
A plastic mouthpiece to prevent damage from grinding teeth at night. 
The way the upper and lower teeth meet and bite against each other.
Braces or other appliances fitted to teeth to correct their position in the mouth. 
The oral and facial surgery done to reposition and correct misaligned jaws.
This refers to the amount of vertical overlap of the front teeth. The normal range is between 0 and about 2-3 mm. 
This refers to the amount of distance between the upper and lower incisor teeth measured in a horizontal plane. Normal is 0 to about 1mm.
The name given to advanced gum disease. Inflammation of both the gum tissue and the bone surrounding the teeth. Can result in tooth loss if left untreated.
The soft whitish to brown substance that clings to teeth. This is what we remove from the teeth when brushing and flossing. Plaque consists of food particles, saliva, bacteria (germs), and dead cells from the soft tissues in the mouth. Plaque also contains sticky substances that cause it to cling to the tooth surface.  
An artificial (false) item made as replacement for a lost part of the body. In the case of dentistry this will mean dentures (false teeth), crowns, bridges and such.
The living tissue, arteries, veins and nerves found on the inside of a tooth (‘nerve’).
Partial removal of the pulp (nerve) from a deciduous (baby) tooth.
Cleaning out and filling the inside of the tooth and its roots. This is done in cases where the living tissue inside the tooth died down or became infected. Often done to treat teeth that are extremely sensitive to heat or cold and/or painful when bitten on.  
Cleaning of the root surface below the gum line to ensure healthy gum tissue, firmly attached to the bone surrounding the teeth.
The removal of hard deposits from the tooth surface and from the small fold of gum tissue surrounding the teeth. Hand instruments or special mechanical scaling machines are used (‘cleaning’)  
Also called calculus. A hard deposit on the tooth surface. Formed by the mineralization of plaque.
Temporo-mandibular joint- the joint of the jaw in the base of the skull. 
A thin layer of porcelain bonded to the tooth to hide imperfections in shape and colour.