Dental Terminology

Revised 4/17/2019

Purpose: To understand the meaning of dental terminology and procedures.

  1. Arch- Upper or Lower Jaw bone.
  2. Apex- Tip of the root.
  3. Abutment- Tooth located on either side of a missing tooth space.
  4. Anterior- Located towards the front of the mouth.
  5. Bruxism- Grinding of the teeth.
  6. Buccal- Surface of the tooth that faces the cheeks.
  7. Calculus- Hard deposit that forms on the teeth due to poor hygiene.
  8. Caries- Dental term for cavities.
  9. Crown- The part of the tooth above the gum line.
  10. Cusp- Point on the tooth that assists in chewing.
  11. Denture- Fabricated replacement for the natural dentition.
  12. Diagnosis- identifying a specific concern or disorder.
  13. Distal- Behind; towards the back of the throat.
  14. Edentulous- When all of the teeth are missing from either the upper or lower jaw.
  15. Erupt- When a new tooth is coming through.
  16. Exfoliate- To fall out; when primary teeth are lost.
  17. External- Outside of the mouth.
  18. Facial- Surface of the anterior teeth facing the lips.
  19. Fluoride- A mineral that helps prevent cavities in children and adults by making teeth more resistant to the acid attacks that cause cavities.
  20. Gingiva-Gum tissue.
  21. Gingivitis- Inflammation of the gum tissue. First sign of periodontal disease.
  22. Impacted Tooth- Unerupted tooth.
  23. Implant- Replacement for a missing tooth; typically titanium.
  24. Incisal- The biting edge of the anterior teeth.
  25. Interproximal- Space between the teeth.
  26. Intraoral- Inside of the mouth.
  27. Lingual- The surface of the tooth facing the tongue.
  28. Mandible- Lower jaw.
  29. Mandibular- Pertaining to the lower jaw.
  30. Masticate- To Chew.
  31. Maxilla- Upper Jaw.
  32. Maxillary- Pertaining to the upper jaw.
  33. Mesial- Forward; towards the front of the mouth.
  34. Midline- An up-and-down plane through the center of the mouth.
  35. Mixed Dentition- Where both primary and permanent teeth are present.
  36. Occlusal- The chewing or grinding surface of the tooth.
  37. Periapical- X-Ray of individual teeth.
  38. Periodontal Disease- A chronic bacterial infection that can damage the gum tissue and bone around teeth.
  39. Plaque- Substance located on the teeth that can form into calculus.
  40. Posterior- Toward the back.
  41. Prophylaxis- A preventative procedure of cleaning the teeth.
  42. Proximal- Surface that touches the adjacent teeth.
  43. Pulp- Soft tissue located inside the tooth structure, containing nerves and blood supply for the tooth.
  44. Radiograph- Medical term for X-Ray.
  45. Root Canal- Procedure necessary when the pulp (tissue inside tooth containing blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue) is removed from the tooth.
  46. Tartar- Another term for calculus.
  47. TMJ- Temporomandibular Joint.
  48. Veneer- A thin, custom-made shells crafted of tooth-colored materials designed to cover the front side of teeth.

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