Dental Terminology - Anatomic Terms Flashcards
alveolar bone
cancellous bone directly surrounding the tooth roots
alveolar crest
the ridge of bone between two adjacent teeth or between the roots of a tooth
alveolar mucosa
less densely keratinized gingival tissue covering the bone
alveolus
the cavity or socket in either jaw bone that surrounds and supports the root of the tooth
anterior teeth
the canine and incisor teeth
apex
terminal portion of the root
apical delta
the diverging branches of the root canal at the apical end of the tooth root
apical foramen
the opening in the apex of the root through which nerves and vessels pass into the root canal
attached gingiva
the gingiva that extends from the free gingival groove to the mucogingival line
attachment apparatus
the periodontal ligament, cementum, and alveolar bone that holds the tooth in place
canine tooth
large single root tooth designed for tearing and grasping
carnassial tooth
shearing tooth upper P4 and lower M1 in the dog and cat
cementoenamel junction
found at the neck of the tooth where the enamel and the cementum meet
cementum
bony layer covering the root surface
cingulum
the cervical third of the palatal surface of the anterior teeth
crown
the portion of the tooth covered with enamel
cusp
tip or pointed prominence on the occlusal surface of the crown
deciduous teeth
teeth of the primary dentition (“baby teeth”)
dental arch
formed by the curve of the crowns of the teeth in their normal position or by the residual ridge if the teeth are missing
dental quadrant
half of each dental arch when divided at the midline
dentin
the main component of the tooth, consists of multiple tubules that extend from the pulp to its outer surface. the tubules contain sensory nerve fibers that register various degrees of pain. Harder then bone, dentin is covered by enamel on the crown and by cementum on the root.
diastema
the space between two adjacent teeth that are not in contact with each other in an arch
enamel
the hard shiny outer layer of the crown composed of hydroxyapatite crystalline components
free gingiva
portion of the gingiva not directly attached to the tooth that forms the gingival wall of the sulcus
epithelial attachment
tissue attaching the gingiva to the tooth
free gingival groove
on the surface of the gingiva a slight concavity or line seperating free from attached gingiva
free gingival margin
the free edge of the gingiva on the tooth surface
furcation
space between the tooth roots where they join the crown
gingiva
soft tissue surrounding the teeth
gingival sulcus
the normal space created by the free gingiva and the tooth
gnathic
referring to the jaw
halitosis
foul, offensive or unpleasant breath
incisal edge
the cutting edge of the incisors
incisor
small anterior tooth with a single root
infrabony pocket
a periodontal pocket in the alveolar bone
interdental
the area between the proximal surfaces of adjacent teeth in the same arch
interproximal
between adjoining surfaces of the teeth in the same arch
interradicuar
between roots of multirooted teeth
juga
the depressions between the ridges of bone formed by roots in the alveolar process on the mandible or the premaxilla and maxilla
lamina dura
the dense cortical bone forming the wall of the alveolus next to the tooth. it appears on a radiograph as a white line next to the dark line of the periodontal ligament
lateral or accessory canal
small canal leading from the root canal to the outer surface of the toot
line angle
the imaginary intersection of two tooth walls
mental foramen
openings in the mandible through which nerves and vessels pass
molar
large multicusp teeth designed for grinding upper (2) molars have three roots and lower (3) molars have two roots in dogs
mucogingival line
definite line of demarcation where the attached gingiva and alveolar mucosa meet
neck (cervical line)
the junction of the crown and root
odontoblast
the cells in the pulp that produce dentin
palate
the structure that separates the oral and nasal cavities
periodontal ligament
a network of fibers connecting the tooth to the bone
posterior teeth
the premolar and molar teeth
premolar
the teeth distal to the canine and mesial to the molars with one to three roots
primary teeth
the first teeth to erupt, eventually replaced by adult teeth
proximal
the surface of a tooth that is adjacent to another tooth
pulp
soft tissue component of the tooth consisting of blood and lymphatic vessels, nerve tissue and loose connective tissue
pulp chamber
portion of the crown containing the pulp
radicular
pertaining to the root
root
the portion of the tooth normally covered by cementum
root canal
portion of the root containing the pulp
ruga palatina
the irregular ridge in the mucous membrane covering the anterior part of the hard palate
