Basic Dental Terminology Flashcards
occlusal
portion of the tooth that occludes or the grinding surface
incisal
edge of front tooth used for cutting off food
Dent- or Odont-
tooth
Perio-
around
Endo-
inside
-ist
person who treats or does the procedure
-itis
inflammation
Perio-dont-itis
inflammation of the tissues around the tooth
Gingiva
gums
Pulp(nerve)
tissue inside the tooth containing the nerve, blood vessels and cells that repair the tooth to protect it from approaching caries by forming a layer of dentin.
Pulp-itis
inflammation of the nerve
Osseous
refers to bone
Osseous surgery
surgery involving manipulation of bone
Apex
tip or point
Peri-
around
Peri-apical
around the point (root tip)
Peri-apical film
film that shows the end of the root
Bite-wing film
a film that has a tab (wing) on the side to bite on when taken
Pediatric dentist
limited to treatment of children, including special problems (handicapped, behavior problems, extensive dental disease in the young)
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
mainly do extensive surgical extractions (e.g., impacted wisdom teeth), treat fractured jaws and perform surgical procedures involving the jaws and teeth
Orthodontists
fit braces for malocclusions (crooked teeth)
Periodontists
treat diseases of the gums and bone (supporting tissues) - surgical procedures/scaling and root planing
Prosthodontists
(Prosthetic appliances are artificial replacements for body parts.) Provide dentures, implants, fixed bridges, extensive reconstruction with crowns, etc.
Oral Pathologists
specialize in diagnosis of diseases and abnormalities by clinical examinations and analysis of biopsies or laboratory tests
Endodontists
treat problems with the pulp, root canals and perform surgery of the tissues around the end the roots (periapical).
Maxilla
upper jaw bone
Mandible
lower jaw bone
Arch
he horseshoe (U)-shaped arrangement of the teeth and bone
Maxillary arch
upper teeth and bone around the teeth
Mandibular arch
lower teeth and bone
Quadrant
area divided in fourths. For dentistry, the mouth is divided in the midline between the two central incisors and separated between the upper and lower arches for descriptive purposes
Upper right quadrant
teeth and bone in patient’s upper right segment. Right and left always refers to the patient’s right or left. Abbreviations refer to upper right, upper left, lower left and lower right (UR, UL, LL, LR)
Incisor tooth
one of the four upper or lower front teeth that have an edge versus apoint and used for incising food (cutting it off)
Cuspid
pointed tooth at corners of each arch; also called canine because dogs have large cuspids or eye teeth because root is long and apex of the root is under the eye
Bicuspid
has two cusps, there are two bicuspids on each side of each arch
Pre-molar
teeth in front of molars (just another name for bicuspids)
Molar
multiple cusp teeth used for grinding food. There are three permanent molars in each quadrant.
Decay
decompose or come apart
Abscess
localized infection that can spread
Prophylaxis
cleaning, scaling and polishing the surfaces of the teeth to remove the stains and deposits (calculus)
Root planing
the exposed root surfaces are smoothed with instruments to remove the deposits causing the irritation and inflammation
Amalgam restoration
silver filling made by mixing an alloy of silver, tin, copper and zinc with mercury; used for fillings in posterior (back) teeth
Composite resin
tooth-colored plastic with silica particles as a filler; may be cured with a light or chemical catalyst; primarily used for restoring front teeth.
Veneers
partial crowns, done on front teeth where a thin layer of enamel is removed from the front surface (labial) and a thin layer of porcelain or plastic is bonded to the tooth.
Cast restorations
used when the tooth has such a large cavity or fracture that it needs additional strength for support
