Glossary of Dental Terms

Dentists use a lot of terms to describe problems and procedures. They would be glad to explain any term you don't know, of course, but here are a few:

• Abrasion—tooth wear caused by forces other than chewing, such as improper brushing¹

• Abutment—a tooth or an implant that supports an artificial device replacing teeth¹

• Amalgam—an alloy used in dental restorations¹

• Arch—upper or lower jaw²

• Band—a metal ring orthodontists cement to a tooth to strengthen and anchor it²

• Bonding—a composite resin applied to change the shape or color of a tooth¹

• Bruxism—grinding and clenching of teeth during the day or while sleeping¹

• Calculus—a hard deposit of mineralized material adhering to crowns or roots of teeth¹

• Caries—tooth decay¹

• Cementum—the hard connective tissue covering the tooth root¹

• Crown—an artificial covering that can cover or replace the major or whole part of a tooth¹

• Dentin—the part of the tooth beneath enamel and cementum¹

• Enamel—hard, calcified tissue of the crown of a tooth¹

• Gingivitis—inflammation of the soft gingival tissues that encircle the necks of teeth¹

• Impacted tooth—one blocked from surfacing, partly or completely, by another tooth, bone, or soft tissue¹

• Implant—a device that is placed surgically in bone as support for a prosthesis¹

• Malocclusion—improper alignment of biting and chewing surfaces of upper and lower teeth¹

• Mandible—lower jaw²

• Maxilla—upper jaw¹

• Palate—the hard and soft tissues forming the roof of the mouth¹

• Plaque—a soft, sticky, naturally occurring substance that accumulates on teeth¹

• Pulp—the connective tissue inside the tooth containing blood vessels and nerves¹

• Retainer—a device used to stabilize teeth¹

• Root canal—treatment of disease and injury of the pulp¹

• Scaling—a procedure to remove plaque, calculus, and stains from teeth¹

• Veneer—a tooth covering that may be made of porcelain, ceramic, composite, or acrylic resin¹

¹ “Glossary of Dental Terms.” American Dental Association. www.ada.org/public/resources/glossary.asp Accessed 2008.

² “Orthodontic Glossary.” American Association of Orthodontics. www.braces.org/knowmore/glossary Accessed 2008.