Glossary

Dentistry
from A to Z.

Understand the terms used in dental care, when they matter and what to ask at your appointment.

I

Impacted tooth

An impacted tooth has not erupted normally and remains partly or completely within the bone or beneath the gum.

Inlay or onlay

An inlay or onlay is a restoration made outside the mouth and then attached to a prepared tooth.

L

Local anaesthesia

Local anaesthesia temporarily blocks pain signals in a selected area.

A

Ablation

Ablation means removing tissue or material from a particular area.

Apicoectomy

An apicoectomy is surgery used in selected cases to address a problem around the end of a tooth root.

B

Bruxism

Bruxism is one possible explanation.

Bone tissue

Bone is living tissue that continuously remodels.

C

CBCT

CBCT is a dental scan that uses a cone shaped beam of radiation to create a three dimensional image of a selected area of the jaws.

D

Devitalisation

Devitalisation means causing the dental pulp, the tissue inside a tooth, to lose its vitality.

Dental implant

A dental implant is a component placed in the jawbone to support a crown, bridge or denture.

Dental bridge

A dental bridge is a fixed restoration replacing one or more missing teeth.

Dentine sensitivity

Dentine sensitivity is a short, sharp pain from exposed dentine, triggered by something such as cold, touch or a stream of air.

E

Endodontics

Endodontics deals with conditions affecting the dental pulp and the tissues around tooth roots.

F

Fluoride treatment

A professional fluoride treatment applies a product containing fluoride to the teeth when additional protection against decay may be useful.

G

Gingivitis

Gingivitis means inflammation of the gums.

P

Professional dental hygiene

A professional hygiene appointment combines cleaning the teeth with an assessment of your cleaning needs.

Periodontology

Periodontology concerns the tissues surrounding and supporting teeth: the gums, periodontal ligament, root cementum and bone.

R

Rubber dam

A rubber dam is a thin, flexible sheet placed around the tooth or teeth being treated.

V

Veneer

A veneer is a thin restoration covering mainly the front surface of a tooth.

O

Occlusion

Occlusion describes how the upper and lower teeth meet when you close your mouth and move your jaw.

Occlusal splint

An occlusal splint is an appliance fitted over the teeth for a specific purpose.

S

Scaling

Scaling is the professional removal of tartar.