DNHY Fundamentals Flashcards
Angle
formed by 2 straight lines that meet at an endpoint.
Angulation
the relation between an instrument and the tooth surface to which it is applied
Anterior
Facing toward the front of the mouth
Posterior
Facing toward the back of the mouth
Biofilm
a well-organized colony of bacteria. (also called plaque)
Calculus
Calculus- mineralized biofilm or plaque (deposits too hard to remove at home, must be scal instruments, another name is “tartar”)
Carious lesion
Tooth decay (or “cavity”)
Cross section
Formed by cutting through an object, like a tree, to count the rings
Crown of the tooth
part of the tooth that is typically visible in the oral cavity
Root of the tooth
part of the tooth that is not visible, anchored in the jaw bone and contains the nerve, root canal and pulp of the tooth
Curets and scalers
types of sharp instruments used to remove calculus and stain from teeth
Cutting edge
the sharp working edge of an instrument- can be straight or curved
Ergonomics
the science of adjusting equipment, tools and environment for safe human use
Extrinsic and intrinsic stains
stains that occur on the external and internal surfaces of teeth
Fulcrum
a stabilizing point for a clinician’s hand during instrumentation; usually the ring finger is the fulcrum finger
Gingiva
commonly known as the “gum tissue”- the soft tissue covering certain areas of the oral cavity
Gingivitis
a bacterial infection confined to a part of the gingiva
Horizontal
Parallel to the ground
Indirect vision
Use of a mouth mirror in the oral cavity to see something that cannot be viewed directly
Line angle
an imaginary line formed where two tooth surfaces meet (mesiolingual, distolingual etc…).
Long axis
an imaginary line that passes through the center of teeth and divides the tooth symmetrically into equal parts
Magnification loupes
magnifying surgical telescopes that can aid vision during instrumentation
Maxillary
The upper jaw bone / arch of teeth
Mandibular
The lower jaw bone / lower arch of teeth
Midline
an imaginary line that divides arches of teeth into two equal parts. The midline is between the two Maxillary (upper) central incisors and between the two Mandibular (lower) central incisors.
Millimeter
a unit of length, equal to one thousandth of a meter (mm is the abbreviation). A very common measurement used in the oral cavity.
Mobility
the loosening of a tooth in its socket/ jaw bone support
Modified pen grasp
the grasp used to hold instruments; allows for control and variable movements
Oblique
a line that has sloping or slanting direction; this direction is used as a working stroke in removing calculus deposits from teeth
Oral cavity
The mouth
Paired working ends
Instruments that are double ended, two working ends are mirror images
Parallel lines
lines that run in the same direction and will never meet/ intersect
Periodontal disease
a bacterial infection of the periodontium; (a disease of the gingiva and bony tissues)
Perpendicular lines
two lines that intersect to form a 90 degree angle (example is a door and a floor)
Selective polishing
an esthetic procedure to remove visible stains from the teeth
Periodontal probe
a blunt ended instrument, marked in millimeters, used to take measurements in the oral cavity
Quadrant
what the areas are called when the oral cavity is divided into four equal parts. There are two Maxillary quadrants and two Mandibular quadrants. Each quadrant contains 1 central incisor, 1 lateral incisor, 1 canine, 2 premolars and 3 molars. (8 teeth in each quadrant).
Sextant
what the areas are called when the oral cavity is divided into six parts- there are 3 Maxillary and 3
Mandibular sextants- 2 Maxillary posterior sextants (molars and premolars), 2 Mandibular posterior sextants (molars and premolars)and 2 anterior sextants (canines and incisors).
Retraction
use of the mouth mirror or fingers to hold a patient’s lip, cheek or tongue away from areas being worked on, for better access and visibility
Right angle
A 90 degree angle
Scaling
instrumentation of the teeth to remove plaque/biofilm, calculus and/ or stain
Supine position
the patient’s position during dental treatment; horizontal, nearly parallel to the floor-comfortable for the patient and clinician
Surfaces of the teeth toward the clinician
surfaces of the teeth that are closest to the clinician’s dominant working hand. (also “Surfaces Away” from the clinician)
Tactile sensitivity
the ability of the clinician to sense and feel vibrations transmitted from the tooth surface to the working instrument, mainly experienced with the “explorer” instrument
Transillumination
the ability of the mirror to reflect light through the anterior teeth (front of the mouth).
Carious lesions (cavities) can be found this way.
Vertical
A line that is perpendicular to level ground; upright
Working end
the part of the instrument that contains the sharp edges, or working edges; the end of the instrument that contains the cutting edge or edges.
How many teeth do adults have
32
How many teeth do children have and what are they called ?
20 deciduous teeth or “baby teeth”
Adult teeth have…
12 molars, 8 premolars, 4 canines, 4 lateral incisors, 4 central incisors.
How are adult teeth labeled?
Teeth are numbered 1 through 32 beginning on the maxillary (upper right): #1 around to #16 (last tooth on maxillary left); then drop down to Mandibular (lower left) #17 around to #32 (mandibular right)
How are deciduous teeth labeled?
The capital letters A through T instead of numbers
Mesial surface
the surface of the tooth closest to the midline of the mouth, facing the front of the mouth
Distal surface
the surface of the tooth closest to the back of the mouth, facing away from the midline
Lingual surface
surfaces of the teeth facing toward the tongue or palate
Facial surface
surfaces of the teeth toward the cheeks or lips in the anterior of the mouth
Buccal surface
surfaces of the teeth toward the cheeks or lips in the posterior of the mouth
