Dental Terminology - Anatomic Terms

Question 1

alveolar bone

Answer 1

cancellous bone directly surrounding the tooth roots

Question 2

alveolar crest

Answer 2

the ridge of bone between two adjacent teeth or between the roots of a tooth

Question 3

alveolar mucosa

Answer 3

less densely keratinized gingival tissue covering the bone

Question 4

alveolus

Answer 4

the cavity or socket in either jaw bone that surrounds and supports the root of the tooth

Question 5

anterior teeth

Answer 5

the canine and incisor teeth

Question 6

apex

Answer 6

terminal portion of the root

Question 7

apical delta

Answer 7

the diverging branches of the root canal at the apical end of the tooth root

Question 8

apical foramen

Answer 8

the opening in the apex of the root through which nerves and vessels pass into the root canal

Question 9

attached gingiva

Answer 9

the gingiva that extends from the free gingival groove to the mucogingival line

Question 10

attachment apparatus

Answer 10

the periodontal ligament, cementum, and alveolar bone that holds the tooth in place

Question 11

canine tooth

Answer 11

large single root tooth designed for tearing and grasping

Question 12

carnassial tooth

Answer 12

shearing tooth upper P4 and lower M1 in the dog and cat

Question 13

cementoenamel junction

Answer 13

found at the neck of the tooth where the enamel and the cementum meet

Question 14

cementum

Answer 14

bony layer covering the root surface

Question 15

cingulum

Answer 15

the cervical third of the palatal surface of the anterior teeth

Question 16

crown

Answer 16

the portion of the tooth covered with enamel

Question 17

cusp

Answer 17

tip or pointed prominence on the occlusal surface of the crown

Question 18

deciduous teeth

Answer 18

teeth of the primary dentition (“baby teeth”)

Question 19

dental arch

Answer 19

formed by the curve of the crowns of the teeth in their normal position or by the residual ridge if the teeth are missing

Question 20

dental quadrant

Answer 20

half of each dental arch when divided at the midline

Question 21

dentin

Answer 21

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.

Question 22

diastema

Answer 22

the space between two adjacent teeth that are not in contact with each other in an arch

Question 23

enamel

Answer 23

the hard shiny outer layer of the crown composed of hydroxyapatite crystalline components

Question 24

free gingiva

Answer 24

portion of the gingiva not directly attached to the tooth that forms the gingival wall of the sulcus

Question 25

epithelial attachment

Answer 25

tissue attaching the gingiva to the tooth

Question 26

free gingival groove

Answer 26

on the surface of the gingiva a slight concavity or line seperating free from attached gingiva

Question 27

free gingival margin

Answer 27

the free edge of the gingiva on the tooth surface

Question 28

furcation

Answer 28

space between the tooth roots where they join the crown

Question 29

gingiva

Answer 29

soft tissue surrounding the teeth

Question 30

gingival sulcus

Answer 30

the normal space created by the free gingiva and the tooth

Question 31

gnathic

Answer 31

referring to the jaw

Question 32

halitosis

Answer 32

foul, offensive or unpleasant breath

Question 33

incisal edge

Answer 33

the cutting edge of the incisors

Question 34

incisor

Answer 34

small anterior tooth with a single root

Question 35

infrabony pocket

Answer 35

a periodontal pocket in the alveolar bone

Question 36

interdental

Answer 36

the area between the proximal surfaces of adjacent teeth in the same arch

Question 37

interproximal

Answer 37

between adjoining surfaces of the teeth in the same arch

Question 38

interradicuar

Answer 38

between roots of multirooted teeth

Question 39

juga

Answer 39

the depressions between the ridges of bone formed by roots in the alveolar process on the mandible or the premaxilla and maxilla

Question 40

lamina dura

Answer 40

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

Question 41

lateral or accessory canal

Answer 41

small canal leading from the root canal to the outer surface of the toot

Question 42

line angle

Answer 42

the imaginary intersection of two tooth walls

Question 43

mental foramen

Answer 43

openings in the mandible through which nerves and vessels pass

Question 44

molar

Answer 44

large multicusp teeth designed for grinding upper (2) molars have three roots and lower (3) molars have two roots in dogs

Question 45

mucogingival line

Answer 45

definite line of demarcation where the attached gingiva and alveolar mucosa meet

Question 46

neck (cervical line)

Answer 46

the junction of the crown and root

Question 47

odontoblast

Answer 47

the cells in the pulp that produce dentin

Question 48

palate

Answer 48

the structure that separates the oral and nasal cavities

Question 49

periodontal ligament

Answer 49

a network of fibers connecting the tooth to the bone

Question 50

posterior teeth

Answer 50

the premolar and molar teeth

Question 51

premolar

Answer 51

the teeth distal to the canine and mesial to the molars with one to three roots

Question 52

primary teeth

Answer 52

the first teeth to erupt, eventually replaced by adult teeth

Question 53

proximal

Answer 53

the surface of a tooth that is adjacent to another tooth

Question 54

pulp

Answer 54

soft tissue component of the tooth consisting of blood and lymphatic vessels, nerve tissue and loose connective tissue

Question 55

pulp chamber

Answer 55

portion of the crown containing the pulp

Question 56

radicular

Answer 56

pertaining to the root

Question 57

root

Answer 57

the portion of the tooth normally covered by cementum

Question 58

root canal

Answer 58

portion of the root containing the pulp

Question 59

ruga palatina

Answer 59

the irregular ridge in the mucous membrane covering the anterior part of the hard palate