| Abscess:
infection caused by severe decay, trauma, or gum disease. You may
have pain and swelling, requiring root canal treatment or surgical
intervention.
Amalgam: Typical
silver colored filling made of mix of silver, tin, mercury, and some
other trace elements like copper. Advantages- placement easier than
other materials, cost. Disadvantages-color, breaks down in mouth
releasing mercury and other trace metals. Stains teeth over
time.
Bleaching:
Whitening of teeth with a peroxide based material. May
take from 1 visit to 2 weeks to complete.
Bonding: The
covering of a tooth surface to correct stained or damaged teeth, by
painting a layer of plastic like material on the tooth. Has
limitations for use.
Bridge: One or
more artificial teeth attached, usually on both sides, by crowns to
adjacent teeth. It is used to maintain space and function for
missing teeth. May be made of gold or porcelain on gold.
Usually called a fixed bridge.
Bruxism: Tooth
grinding, often caused by stress. Most often done at night, while
sleeping.
Composite: Tooth
colored resin filling materials. Main advantages- color, adhesives
available to strengthen rather than weaken tooth. Disadvantages-
They have shrinkage, stain and wear problems, very technique
sensitive.
Composite Inlay:
A two visit procedure to repair the decayed area of back (posterior)
teeth.
Crown: A crown or
a cap is a cover for a decayed or damaged tooth made of porcelain
and/or metal.
Dentures: A
plastic appliance with plastic or porcelain teeth attached to it.
Used to replace all missing teeth in one arch.
Extraction: The
removal of teeth - may be simple or surgical.
Fistula: A bump or
boil on the gum tissue, which is a tract, in which an abscessed
tooth can drain. A path by which trapped bacteria can escape
from an infected tooth.
Gingivitis:
Inflammation of the gum tissue caused by plaque and or tarter
build-up. Precursor to periodontitis, if not treated.
Impacted Tooth:
Usually associated with a wisdom tooth, it is a tooth that is
submerged under the gum tissue. It may be malpositioned, and may
never erupt.
Implant: A
titanium cage or screw placed in the bone to replace a lost tooth or
teeth. A crown, bridge, or bar and denture can be fixed to the
implant(s).
Inlay: A gold,
porcelain, or composite custom-made filling cemented into the tooth.
If it covers the tips of the teeth or otherwise supports the tips it
is called an onlay.
Margin: The point
at which prepared tooth structure ends and unprepared tooth
begins.
Night Guard: A
plastic mouthpiece to prevent damage from grinding teeth at night.
May be a hard or soft material.
Partial Denture: A
removable appliance replacing some missing teeth in one arch.
Periodontitis:
Advanced gum disease; inflammation of gum tissue, which causes bone
loss resulting in tooth loss if left untreated.
Porcelain Fused to Gold
Inlay: A gold inlay covered with porcelain. Stronger than a
pure porcelain inlay.
Porcelain Inlays:
A two visit procedure where decayed tooth surface is replaced with
tooth colored porcelain.
Porcelain Jacket:
A crown made entirely of porcelain for maximum aesthetics.
Porcelain Laminate Veneer:
A thin porcelain shell bonded to the tooth to correct imperfections
in shape, color, size, and position of teeth.
Prophy: Simple
cleaning of teeth with rubber wheel and dental toothpaste.
Root Canal Therapy:
Cleaning out the inside nerve of the tooth to preserve the tooth.
Once the nerve is removed, the root is filled with a root canal
filling material.
Root Planing: The
removal of hard deposits, with metal scalers, on the root surface
and smoothing the root surface to allow for reattachment of the gums
to the tooth and ultimately pocket reduction.
Sealant: Plastic
coating applied to grooves of teeth to prevent decay. No age limit.
Tooth Colored Fillings:
Usually referring to bonded fillings, porcelain inlays, or porcelain
fused to gold inlays. |
