Dental Dictionary

Abutment
A tooth (or implant) that supports a dental prosthesis.

Alveolar bone
The part of the jaw that surround the roots of the teeth.

Alveolus
The socket in the alveolar bone into which the tooth's root fits.

Bridge
See Fixed Partial Denture and/or Removable Partial Denture .

Bruxism
Constant grinding or clenching of teeth during they day or while asleep.

CAT Scan
A three dimensional type of x-ray that provides more information then a regular x-ray.

Decay
The lay term for carious lesions in a tooth; decomposition of tooth structure.

Dental Prosthesis
An artificial device that replaces one or more missing teeth.

Denture
An artificial substitute for natural teeth and adjacent tissues.

Edentulous
Toothless.

Evaluation

• Periodic Oral Evaluation: An evaluation performed on a patient of record to determine any changes in the patient's dental and medical health status since a previous comprehensive or periodic evaluation. This may require interpretation of information acquired through additional diagnostic procedures. Report additional diagnostic procedures separately.
• Limited Oral Evaluation: Problem focused: an evaluation limited to a specific oral health problem. This may require interpretation of information acquired through additional diagnostic procedures. Definitive procedures may be required on the same date as the evaluation. Typically, patients receiving this type of evaluation have been referred for a specific problem and/or present with dental emergencies, trauma, acute infection, etc.
• Comprehensive Oral Evaluation: Typically used by a general dentist and/or a specialist when evaluating a patient comprehensively. It is a thorough evaluation and recording of the extraoral and intraoral hard and soft tissues. It may require interpretation of information acquired through additional diagnostic procedures. This would include the evaluation and recording of the patient's dental and medical history and a general health assessment. It may typically include the evaluation and recording of dental caries, missing or unerupted teeth, restorations, occlusal relationships, periodontal conditions (including periodontal charting), hard and soft tissue anomalies, etc.
• Comprehensive Periodontal Evaluation: Typically includes evaluation of periodontal conditions, probing and charting, evaluation and recording of the
  patient's dental and medical history and general health assessment. It may include the evaluation and recording of dental caries, missing or unerupted
  teeth, restorations, occlusal relationships and oral cancer screening.
• Detailed And Extensive Oral Evaluation—Problem-Focused, By Report:
  A detailed and extensive problem-focused evaluation entails extensive diagnostic and cognitive modalities based on the findings of a comprehensive oral evaluation. Integration of more extensive diagnostic modalities to develop a treatment plan for a specific problem is required. The condition requiring this type of evaluation should be described and documented. Examples of conditions requiring this type of evaluation may include dentofacial anomalies, complicated perio-prosthetic conditions, complex temporomandibular dysfunction, facial pain of unknown origin, severe systemic diseases requiring multi-disciplinary consultation, etc.
• Re-Evaluation—Limited, Problem Focused (established patient; not post-operative visit): This includes assessing the status of a previously existing condition. Examples of conditions requiring this type of evaluation may include: A traumatic injury where no treatment was rendered but the patient needs follow-up monitoring; Evaluation for undiagnosed continuing pain: A soft tissue lesion requiring follow-up evaluation.
  

  Extraction

The process or act of removing a tooth or tooth parts.

• • Dental Implant
    A device specially designed to be placed surgically within or on the mandibular or maxillary bone as a means of providing for dental replacement; endosteal (endosseous); eposteal (subperiosteal); transosteal (transosseous).
  • Orthodontic Retainer: Appliance to stabilize teeth following orthodontic
    treatment.
  • Prosthodontic Retainer: A part of a fixed partial denture that attaches a
    pontic to the abutment tooth, implant abutment, or implant.

Fixed Appliances
Orthodontic devices, commonly known as braces, that are bonded to the teeth to produce different tooth movements to help reposition teeth for orthodontic therapy.

Fixed Partial Denture
A fixed partial denture is a prosthetic replacement of one or more missing teeth cemented or attached to the abutment teeth or implant abutments adjacent to the space.

Gingiva
Soft tissues overlying the crowns of unerupted teeth and encircling the necks of those that have erupted.

Gingivitis
Inflammation of gingival tissue without loss of connective tissue.

Graft
A piece of tissue or alloplastic material placed in contact with tissue to repair a defect or supplement a deficiency.

Guided tissue regeneration (GTR)
Procedure during flap surgery for periodontal disease in which a membrane is inserted between the alveolar bone and the bone graft to encourage the gum tissues to grow onto the alveolar bone.

Imaging, Diagnostic
This would include, but is not limited to, CAT scans, MRIs, photographs, radiographs, etc.

Implant
Material inserted or grafted into tissue.

Implantation, Tooth
Placement of an artificial or natural tooth into an alveolus.

Maintenance, Periodontal
Therapy for preserving the state of health of the periodontium.

Occlusal
Pertaining to the biting surfaces of the premolar and molar teeth or contacting surfaces of opposing teeth or opposing occlusion rims.

Occlusion
Any contact between biting or chewing surfaces of maxillary (upper) and mandibular (lower) teeth.

Osseointegration
The process by which bone heals around an implant.

Periapical X-Ray
An x-ray that shows several entire teeth (crowns and roots) and includes a small amount of the periapical bone (surrounding the root tips).

Periodontal
Pertaining to the supporting and surrounding tissues of the teeth.

Periodontal Abscess
An infection in the gum pocket that can destroy hard and soft tissues.

Periodontal Disease
Inflammatory process of the gingival tissues and/or periodontal membrane of the teeth, resulting in an abnormally deep gingival sulcus, possibly producing periodontal pockets and loss of supporting alveolar bone.

Periodontal Pocket
Pathologically deepened gingival sulcus; a feature of periodontal disease.

Periodontitis
Inflammation and loss of the connective tissue of the supporting or surrounding structure of teeth with loss of attachment.

Plaque
A soft sticky substance that accumulates on teeth composed largely of bacteria and bacterial derivatives.

Radiograph
An image produced by projecting radiation, as x-rays, on photographic film. Commonly called x-ray.

Reline
To resurface the side of the denture that is in contact with the soft tissues of the mouth to make it fit more securely.

Removable Appliance
Removable orthodontic appliances used to effect simple tipping movements of one tooth or several.

Removable Partial Denture
A removable partial denture (removable bridge) is a prosthetic replacement of one or more missing teeth that can be removed by the patient.

Resorb
To dissolve.

Retainer

Root
The anatomic portion of the tooth that is covered by cementum and is located in the alveolus (socket) where it is attached by the periodontal apparatus; radicular portion of tooth.

Splint
A device used to support, protect, or immobilize oral structures that have been loosened, replanted, fractured or traumatized. Also refers to devices used in the treatment of temporomandibular joint disorders.

Temporary Removable Denture
An interim prosthesis designed for use over limited period of time.

Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction
Abnormal functioning of temporomandibular joint; also refers to symptoms arising in other areas secondary to the dysfunction.

*source: http://www.ada.org/public/resources/glossary.asp