Oral Health Care Flashcards
Oral health
A state of being free from chronic mouth and facial pain, oral and throat cancer, oral sores, birth defects, periodontal disease, tooth decay and tooth loss
Licensure
Process by which a government agency grants an individual the right to practice in its jurisdiction based on meeting predetermined standards and minimal qualifications
Certification
Process by which an agency or organization grants formal recognition to an individual for accomplishments
Practice
Performance of the duties and responsibilities of a health care profession
Accreditation
Process whereby an educational program is evaluated to determine compliance With national established standards
Oral health care team
Composed of the dentist, dental therapist, dental hygienist, dental assistant, office support staff and dental laboratory technician
Dental public health
The science and art of preventing and controlling dental diseases and promoting dental health through organize community efforts
Endodontics
Branch of dentistry which is concerned with the morphology, physiology and pathology of human dental pub and the surrounding tissues.
Root canals
Oral and maxillofacial pathology
Deals with the character, identification and management of diseases that affect the oral and maxillofacial regions.
Oral and maxillofacial surgery
Includes the diagnosis, surgical an adjunctive treatment of diseases, injuries and defects involving both the functional and aesthetic aspects of the hard and soft tissues of the Oral and maxillofacial
Orthodontics and dental facial orthopedics
Concerned with the prevention and correction of abnormally positioned teeth and malformations of their related structures
Pediatric dentistry
Provides primary and comprehensive preventative and therapeutic oral health care for infants and children through adolescence, including those with special health-care needs
Periodontics
Encompasses the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the supporting and surrounding tissues of the teeth or there’s substitutes and the maintenance of the Health function and aesthetics of these structures and tissues
Prosthodontics
Restoration of natural teeth and/or the replacement of missing teeth and contiguous oral and maxillofacial tissues with artificial substitutes
Oral and maxillofacial radiology
Uses imaging and associated technology for the diagnosis and management of a range of conditions affecting the mouth, jaws and related areas of the head and neck
Alveolar bone
Bone that surrounds and supports the tooth and associated structures, also called alveolar process
Phone is similar in appearance to a sponge
Alveolar bone loss (BL)
Loss of support and bone of a tooth, usually due to periodontal disease
Used as an indicator of the presents and severity of periodontal disease
Alveolar mucosa
Movable soft tissue that is loosely bound to underlying bone. Not present on maxillary hard palate
Usually looks redder than the rest of the gingiva
Amalgam
Metal alloy containing mercury commonly used for dental restorations
Also called a silver filling
Anterior
Situated near the front
Includes 12 teeth: 6 maxillary and 6 mandibular
Apex (apical)
Pointed end of a cone/shaped part or the terminal end of the root of a tooth
Directional term that indicates a direction toward the Apex or end of the route of a tooth
Arch
Structure of bow-like or curved outline
Often used to indicate the top or bottom jaw.
Bruxism
Grinding or clenching of teeth that damages both the tooth surface and surrounding periodontal tissues
Buccal
Pertaining to or directed toward the cheek. Often used to designate the side of the tooth that faces the cheek
Calculus
Tartar
Mineralized, hard deposit derived from plaque biofilm and salivary mineral salts
Forms on tooth and route surfaces and oral appliances
Canine teeth
An anterior tooth
Sharp, pointed tooth, located at the corners of the mouth and outside the incisors
4 canine teeth: 2 maxillary, 2 mandibular
Cariogenic
Produce or promote tooth decay
Simple sugars like glucose
Cementoenamel junction (CEJ)
Anatomic limit between the crown and root surface. The area of the union of the cementum and enamel at the cervical region of the tooth
Observed as an irregular line of color change. Can usually be felt as a “jump” with an explorer
Used as a fixed point of reference
Cementum
Calcified connective tissue that covers the outside surface of the tooth’s root
Clinical Attachment Loss (CAL)
Movement of the supporting structures of a tooth in an apical direction, usually the result of periodontal disease
Some of the alveolar bone is destroyed and the junctional epithelium, the soft tissue attachment, moves apically
With enough CAL the tooth becomes loose and may be lost
Col
Depression in the gingival tissue underneath a contact area between the lingual papilla and facial papilla
Volcano shaped tissue beneath area were two teeth contact one another
Concave
Rounded and somewhat depressed or hollowed out
Coronal
Toward the top or crown of a tooth, rather than toward the root
Debridement
Removal of a foreign material, such as calculus or plaque, or removal of necrotic tissue from or adjacent to a lesion
Dental Caries (carious lesion)
Tooth decay, which is actually an infection that causes continuing destruction of tooth structure
Dental cavity
Dentifrice
Toothpaste
Dentition
Teeth in the dental arches, top and bottom
Diastema
Open contact between teeth
Typically occurs between the upper front teeth, the maxillary central incisors
Distal
Away from the middle, Often used to describe the side of a particular tooth that is closest to the posterior or back of the mouth
Disto-occlusal (DO)
Usually refers to dental caries or a restoration located at the distal and extending onto the occlusal or chewing surface
Edema
Swelling
Edentulous
Lacking teeth
Can be a specific area or the whole mouth
Enamel
The hard outer surface layer of teeth
Protects against tooth decay
Considered the hardest mineral substance in our body, stronger than bone
Explorer
A slender, flexible instrument with a sharp point used to examine teeth for abnormalities and pathology, and to locate calculus through the use of touch
Excellent tactile sensitivity must be developed to use an explorer well
Extraction
Removal of a tooth or root fragment
Exudate
A fluid of epithelial cells, bacteria, serum, and other products of the inflammatory process
Pus
Facial
Of or toward the face, used to designate the side of the tooth that is facing away from the tongue side
The buccal and labial are both facial surfaces
Frenum
A narrow fold of tissue connecting movable tissue to a more fixed tissue to prevent undue movement
Singular form is frenum or frenulum. Plural is frena
Furcation
Concave area between the roots of a multi rooted tooth
Two roots: bifurcation
Three roots: trifurcation
Gingiva
Part of the oral masticatory mucosa that surrounds the necks of the teeth and is attached to the teeth and the alveolar bone
GUM
Halitosis/Oral Malodor
Bad breath
Iatrogenic
Adverse factors caused by a healthcare practitioner that result in a negative outcome for the patient
Incisal
Toward the cutting edge of anterior teeth
Incisors
Anterior teeth
2 large front teeth (central) and the tooth on either side (lateral)
8 incisors: 4 maxillary and 4 mandibular
Inferior
Below or lower than a specified point of reference
Interdental papilla
Gingiva That fills the space between two adjacent teeth (space is called interproximal)
Papilla is usually pointed pyramidal in anterior teeth and somewhat flatter between posterior teeth. If teeth overlap popular it may be tapered and narrow. If teeth do not touch the papilla may be flat or saddle shaped
2 papillae In teeth that contact, one facial and one lingual, connected by the col
Junctional Epithelium
Attachment epithelium, or the tooth and gingiva actually first begin to be attached
Found at the very bottom of the gingival sulcus or periodontal pocket
Labial
Of or toward the lips, use most often to designate the side of the tooth face in the lips, so the term will refer to an anterior tooth
Lateral
Toward the side
Lingual
Of or toward the tongue, to identify the surface of a tooth that faces the tongue
Mandible
Bottom jaw
Movable
Marginal gingiva
Water or edge of gingiva nearest the incisal/occlusal surface. Marks the opening of gingival sulcus
Also called free gingiva
Maxilla
Top jaw
Does not move
Mesial
Toward the middle
Often used to describe the side of a particular tooth that is closest to the anterior or front of the mouth
MO (Mesio-occlusal)
Usually refers to dental caries or a restoration located at the mesial and extending onto the occlusal surface
MOD (mesio-occlusal-distal)
Includes those 3 surfaces
Refers to the location of a filling/restoration
Molars
Posterior teeth
12 molars: 6 maxillary, 6 mandibular. Includes wisdom teeth
Mucogingival junction (MGJ)
On the facial side of a tooth, a scalloped line where the attached gingiva and the alveolar mucosa come together
Non-surgical periodontal therapy
Treatment for an infection that is sometimes the least invasive and very cost-effective. Therapy typically includes debridement, adjunctive therapy such as local delivery of anti-microbial’s based upon the needs of the patient.
Occlusal
Toward the chewing surface of posterior teeth
Occlusion
The way the teeth fit together when both arches come together (occlude)
Odontectomy
Removal of a tooth
Oral biofilm/microbial plaque
Dense, non-mineralized mass of bacterial colonies in a gel-like matrix
Adheres to tooth and route surfaces and oral appliances
Periodontium (periodontal)
All of the supporting structures of the teeth, including gingiva, periodontal ligament, cementum, and alveolar bone
Maintaining health and function of the periodontium is probably the most significant factor in how long the dentition will last
Periodontal ligament
Fibrous connective tissue that supports, surrounds, and attaches the roots of the teeth to alveolar bone
Consists of several fiber groups, including sharpey’s fibers
Periodontal probe
Slender instrument with a blunt or slightly bulbous and that is used to explore and measure the depth of the sulcus or pocket
Calibrated in various increments of millimeter markings depending on the type of probe
Periodontal probing depths
Measurement of the deepness of a sulcus or periodontal pocket
Used to distinguish a sulcus from a pocket
Posterior
Directed toward or situated at the back, opposite of anterior
20 teeth including molars and premolars; 5 in each quadrant, includes wisdom teeth
Premolars
Posterior teeth
Have a broad chewing or grinding surface but are smaller than molars
8 premolars; 4 maxillary, 4 mandibular
Prophylaxis
Sometimes abbreviated as prophy or pro
Debridement to remove plaque, calculus and stains performed for dental patients in normal or good periodontal health to help prevent periodontal disease
Scaling is preventative while polishing is a purely cosmetic procedure and has no therapeutic value
Sealant
Resin material applied to the occlusal surface of teeth to prevent dental caries
Sharpey’s fibers
Name of the connective tissue fibers that actually in bed and cementum and stretch across to connect to alveolar bone
Sulcus
The gingival sulcus is located between the tooth and the free gingival margin and is the crevice that surrounds the tooth. And healthy gingiva the periodontal probing depth is 3 mm or less
Superior
Above or higher than a specified a point of reference
Supine position
A posture in which the individual is lying on the back with the face up. The most common treatment position for patients having dental treatment
Syncope
Fainting
Therapy
Treatment intended to relieve or heal a disorder
White knuckle syndrome
A condition in which the patient is apprehensive and fearful, often manifested by clutching the arm of the chair until the knuckles turn white
