Patient Education
Our caring dentist, Dr. Vatan, and his dental team strive to improve the overall patient education and health of our patients through proper diagnoses and treatment. Please use our dental education library to learn more about various dental conditions and treatments available. If you have questions or need to schedule an appointment, we invite you to call our dental office in Los Angeles, California. We look forward to speaking with you!
Online Dental Education Library
Our caring dentist, Dr. Vatan, and his dental team strive to improve the overall patient education and health of our patients through proper diagnoses and treatment. Please use our dental education library to learn more about various dental conditions and treatments available. If you have questions or need to schedule an appointment, we invite you to call our dental office in Los Angeles, California. We look forward to speaking with you!
The information below is courtesy of Wikipedia.
A
Abrasion: Removal of tooth structure due to rubbing and scraping (e.g. incorrect brushing method)
Abscess: A collection of pus that usually forms because of infection
Abutment: A tooth or tooth structure that is responsible for the anchorage of a bridge or a denture
Amalgam: A silver filling material
Anesthetic: An agent that causes temporary loss of sensation/feeling; a numbing solution
Anterior: The front position
Apex: The end of the tooth root
Arch: The upper or lower jaw
Asepsis: No micro-organism
Attrition: Wear of teeth due to activities such as chewing
B
Baby Bottle Tooth Decay: Decay caused by sugary substances in breast milk and some juices, which combine with saliva to form pools inside the baby’s mouth
Bicuspids: Back teeth in front of the molars and behind the canines used for chewing
Bitewing: A kind of dental X-ray that is taken with the teeth bite down together; the main function of this kind of X-ray is to detect cavities in between teeth and height of bone support
Bleaching: Whitening of teeth
Bonding: Application of tooth-colored resin materials to the surface of the teeth
Bridge: A prosthesis that is fixed inside the mouth to replace missing teeth
Bruxism: Teeth grinding
C
Calculus: A sticky substance (also called tartar) that has hardened
Canal: The narrow chamber inside the tooth’s root
Canine: The third tooth from the middle of the jaw; there are totally 4 of canines, and they are the longest teeth in humans (vampire teeth)
Canker Sore: An ulceration with yellow base and red border in mouth; can be caused by trauma or stress
Caries: Tooth decay
Cavity: A hole on the tooth
Cast: A model of teeth
Cementation: The process of placing “glue” to bond restoration to tooth
Chlorhexidine: An anti-microbial agent; it is available in many forms such as gels and rinses, and is an effective agent in controlling gum diseases
Clasp: A metal arm that extends from a removable partial denture; it helps to hold on to natural tooth structure and thus provide anchorage for the denture
Cold Sore: An ulcer or blister on the lip; a form of herpes simplex
Composite: Tooth-colored filling made of resin, also known as bonding
Crossbite: An abnormal bite relationship of upper and lower jaw in which the lower teeth/tooth align toward the cheek/ lip side more than the upper teeth/tooth
Crown (porcelain/plastic/metal): A “cap” on a tooth that covers the tooth partially or completely above the gum to restore its function and look and to prevent fracturing
Cusps: The pointed parts on top of the back teeth’s chewing surface
Cuspids: Front teeth that typically have a protruding edge
D
Decay: The rotten part of the tooth
Dentin: The tooth layer underneath the enamel
Dentistry: A branch of medicine that involves diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of any disease concern about the teeth, oral cavity, and associated structures
Dentition: The position, type, and number of teeth in the upper and lower jaw
Denture (Immediate/complete/partial, overdenture, temporary): An artificial object to replace missing teeth and their neighboring structures; there are many different types of dentures to satisfy different treatment requirements and patient preferences
Denturist: The person who specializes in fabricating dentures; a denturist is not responsible for making any type of diagnosis or carrying out any other treatment (e.g. removing teeth)
Desensitization: A procedure to reduce the sensitivity of teeth
Diagnosis: The process of identifying dental disease
Diastema: The space in between two adjacent teeth
Distal: A direction indication in the mouth; it indicates the direction away from the middle of the jaw
E
Edentulous: No teeth
Endodontics: A specialty of dentistry involving diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of dental pulp (where the nerves and blood vessels reside)
Eruption: The process of the tooth appearing and rising in the mouth
Excision: The action of cutting something off
Extraction: The process of removing teeth
F
Filling: A restoration placed on a tooth to restore its function and appearance
Flipper: A temporary denture to replace missing teeth during the waiting period for long-term treatment
Floss: A thread/tape goes in between teeth for cleaning
Fluoride: A compound of fluorine (an element) that be put in different forms such as water, gels, and rinses to strengthen teeth
Fluoride Treatment: Teeth treated with fluoride agents like gel or rinse; this treatment helps to prevent tooth decay
Fluorosis: A harmless overexposure to fluoride, resulting sometimes in tooth discoloration
Framework: A metal skeleton of a removable partial denture to support the false teeth and the plastic attachments
G
Gingiva: Another word for gum tissue
Gingivitis: The mildest form of gum disease; inflammation of the gums (the earliest sign is usually bleeding gums)
Gum Disease: An infection of the gum tissues, also called periodontal disease
H
Hemorrhage: Bleeding
Homeostasis: Stop bleeding
I
Impacted Teeth: A condition in which a tooth is not able to come in normally or is stuck underneath another tooth or bone
Implant: A device (usually “screw-like”) put in the jawbone to support a false tooth, a denture, or a bridge
Impression: A mold taken with a jelly-like material loaded on a tray
Incisal: The cutting edge of front teeth
Incisor: The four upper and lower front teeth
Inlay: A restoration (usually porcelain or ceramic) fabricated in the lab and cemented on a tooth to replace any decayed or fractured tooth structure; it helps to restore the normal function and outlook of the tooth
Interproximal: The space in between two adjacent teeth
Invisalign®: Process of moving teeth for the purpose of alignment and creating proper occlusion through the use of clear aligners
L
Laminate Veneer: A shell that is bonded to the enamel of a front tooth; the shell is usually thin and made from porcelain resin
Lingual: The side of the tooth towards the tongue
M
Malocclusion: Bad bite relationship
Mandible: The lower jaw
Maxilla: The upper jaw
Molar: The last 3 upper and lower teeth on each side of the mouth
Mouth Guard: A device worn in the mouth to prevent injury to the teeth and/or the jaw; often used during sport events
N
Night Guard: A mouth guard that is worn at night time, usually to control grinding and protect teeth from wear
Nitrous Sedation: Method of relaxing patients through the use of nitrous oxide gas
O
Occlusal: The biting surface of the back teeth
Occlusion: The way the upper and lower teeth close and fit together
Onlay: A restoration (usually porcelain or ceramic) fabricated in the lab and cemented on a tooth to replace any decayed or fractured tooth structure; it helps to restore the normal function and outlook of the tooth
Open Bite: A situation where the upper front teeth do not contact the opposing lower front teeth
Orthodontics: A specialty in dentistry that involves diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of bite abnormalities or facial irregularities
Oral Surgery: A specialty of dentistry dealing with the surgical treatment or repair of various conditions of the mouth or jaws
Overbite: The overlap of upper teeth and lower teeth when they close together
Overdenture: A non-fixed dental appliance applied to a small number of natural teeth or implants
Overhang: The portion of filling material that hangs beyond the border of the cavity
P
Palate: The roof of the mouth
Partial Denture: A removable appliance that replaces teeth; the denture can be made of acrylic or valplast and the teeth from resin or porcelain
Panoramic Radiograph: An X-ray film used to obtain the wide view of the upper and lower jaws and their associated structures
Pedodontics: A specialty of dentistry involving diagnosis and treatment of children’s teeth
Perforation: An opening on a tooth or other oral structure
Periapical: The surrounding portion of the end of a root
Perio Pocket: An opening formed by receding gums
Periodontal Disease: Infection of the gum tissues; also called gum disease
Periodontics: A specialty of dentistry involving diagnosis and treatment of supporting gum and bone around teeth
Permanent Teeth: Adult’s teeth; the first permanent tooth usually comes in around 6 years of age
Pin: A piece of “nail-like” metal; it usually is used for better retention of a filling
Plaque: A sticky, colorless substance that covers the teeth after sleep or periods between brushing
Polish: A process to make the tooth or filling or other denture smooth and glossy
Pontic: The false tooth in a bridge or denture used to replace the missing tooth
Post: A big pin that can be made with different materials, such as metal or carbon; its function usually is to support a big buildup on a tooth
Posterior: Located at the back
Pre-authorization: An approval for a procedure from the particular authority (usually insurance company in dentistry) before any action (treatment) is carried out
Pre-medication: Medication that needs to be taken before treatment
Premolar: The two teeth located in front of the molar
Prescription: A written statement (from a doctor to a pharmacist) regarding the type, amount, and direction of the use of a medication for a patient; in dentistry, a prescription may also be a written statement on preparation of an appliance from a dentist to a lab technician
Primary Teeth: A person’s first set of teeth; also called baby teeth or temporary teeth
Prophylaxis/Prophy: The procedure of teeth polishing; it also means the prevention of diseases
Prosthesis: An artificial part to replace missing teeth and their associated structures
Prosthodontics: A specialty of dentistry involves diagnosis, treatment planning, and fabrication of artificial parts to replace missing teeth and their associated structures
Pulp: The inner most part of a tooth; it contains nerves and blood vessels inside a tooth
Pulpectomy: The removal of the whole pulp inside a tooth
Pulpotomy: The removal of the top part of the pulp inside a tooth
R
Radiograph: An X-ray image
Recall: The regular check-up and teeth cleaning appointment
Receding Gum: A condition in which the gums separate from the tooth, allowing bacteria and other substances to attack the tooth’s enamel and surrounding bone
Recementation: The process of placing “glue” on an appliance/prosthesis and placing it back on the tooth
Resin Filling: An artificial tooth-colored filling used to restore teeth; also called a composite filling
Restoration: An item a dentist uses to restore the normal function of a tooth or an area in the mouth; it may be a filling, a crown, a bridge, etc.
Retainer: A device used to maintain the position of teeth in the jaw in orthodontic treatment
Retreatment: The process of repeating the root canal treatment
Root: The bottom part of tooth; it anchors the tooth to its supporting units
Root Canal: The canal that runs inside the root of the tooth; it contains the nerves and blood vessels inside the tooth
Root Canal Treatment: Canals inside the root of teeth are cleaned, shaped, and filled to remove infectious nerve tissue and alleviate discomfort
Root Planing: The action of cleaning teeth below the gumline in an effort to reduce bleeding and pocket depth and prevent loss of bone (periodontal disease)
Rubber Dam: A rubber sheet that fits around teeth; it isolates the treatment area from the rest of the oral cavity
S
Scaling and Root Planing: The action of cleaning teeth below the gumline in an effort to reduce bleeding and pocket depth and prevent loss of bone (periodontal disease)
Sealant: A thin layer of plastic-like material that covers the grooves and pits on a tooth to prevent cavity
Sedation: The use of medication to relax patients
Smile Makeover: Creating optimum aesthetics through the use of cosmetic procedures, such as teeth whitening, veneers, Invisalign®, implant dentistry, and crown and bridge restorations
Space Maintainer: An appliance to maintain the space in between teeth
Splint: An appliance used to control shifting of teeth or a material used to prevent movement of loose teeth
T
Tartar: A hardened substance compiled of food, bacteria, and debris (also called calculus) that has calcified and stuck to the tooth’s surface
Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ): The joint that links two jaws
Torus: An outgrowth on bone; it usually develops on the roof of the mouth or around the premolar area on the lower jaw
V
Veneer: A thin layer of tooth-colored material, usually porcelain or ceramic, that is bonded to the front of the tooth; it is usually done to improve aesthetics
W
Whitening: The process of removing intrinsic stains within teeth through the use of hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide
Wisdom Tooth: The eighth (also the last tooth) tooth from the middle of the jaw
X
Xerostomia: Dry mouth