Dental Dictionary

ADA – American Dental Association, an organization of professional dentists within the United States, commonly known for providing public dental health education
Alloy/Amalgam – compound made up of two or more elements and containing properties not found in the individual elements
Anesthesia (Local) – medication used to block pain in one area for treatment
Anesthesia (General) – medication used to induce partial or complete unconsciousness during treatment
Anterior – refers to teeth or tissues in the front part of the mouth

Banding – orthodontic process of fitting and cementing bands to teeth
Benefit – payment for covered dental services by a third-party insurer
Bonding – the process of attaching brackets to teeth for braces or restoring teeth with composite resin to repair tooth color or shap
Braces – orthodontic devices used to reposition teeth over time to correct misalignment, generally consisting of brackets and archwires
Bridge/Partial Denture – a dental prosthetic device used to replace one or more missing teeth, generally attaches to surrounding teeth or implants for support
Bruxism – involuntary grinding of the teeth, usually while sleeping, often causing tooth wear, sensitivity, headaches, and jaw pain

CAD/CAM – Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing
Cap – commonly used term for a dental crown
Cavity – missing tooth structure caused by decay, abrasion, or erosion
Cavitron – dental tool used in cleaning teeth, uses high-frequency ultrasonic waves
Complete Denture – set of prosthetic teeth that are used to replace all upper or lower teeth
Composite Resin – tooth-colored material composed of plastic with small particles of ceramic or glass, generally cured with a chemical catalyst or filtered light
Cosmetic Dentistry – dental services used to improve appearance, rather than health or function
Crown – may refer to the visible tooth above the gumline or to a prosthetic dental restoration that replaces part or all of a natural tooth
Crown Lengthening – surgical manipulation of gum tissue to expose more tooth structure, often used in conjunction with other treatment
Coverage: Benefits available to an individual covered under a dental benefit plan.
Claim: A request for payment under a dental benefit plan; a statement listing services rendered, the dates of services, and itemization of costs. The completed request serves as the basis for payment of benefits.
Claim Form: A form, paper or electronic, used to report dental procedures to a third-party payer in order to file for benefits under a dental benefit program. The paper claim form was developed by the American Dental Association.

DDS – Doctor of Dental Surgery, this degree is equivalent to DMD
Decay – the destruction of tooth structure
Dental Implant – small cylinder, generally titanium, implanted into the upper or lower jawbone to anchor a dental appliance or restoration
Dentistry – medical field characterized by the evaluation, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and disorders of the teeth, mouth, gums, jaws, and other oral and maxillofacial areas by a trained and certified professional
Denture – set of one or more prosthetic teeth
Diagnostic Cast – impression used to aid in planning treatment
Diagnostic Imaging – photographs or radiographs taken for the purpose of diagnostic evaluation
Displaced Tooth – tooth that has grown or shifted into an incorrect placement within the mouth
DMD – Doctor of Medical Dentistry, this degree is equivalent to DDS
Dry Socket – painful localized inflammation of a tooth socket after extraction, caused by infection or loss of the blood clot needed for proper healing

Enamel – hard tissue exterior of a tooth, covers the dentin
Endodontics – dental field concerned with care and treatment of tooth pulp and associated areas
Endodontist – dental specialist focused on treating disease and injuries of the tooth pulp and associated areas
Extraction – removal of a tooth

General Anesthesia – the use of medication to induce a controlled unconscious state in a patient during treatment, allows reduced or eliminated sensation of pain and reflexive motion
Gingiva – also called gum tissue, soft tissue that surrounds teeth within the mouth
Graft – surgical addition of natural or synthetic tissue to repair or reinforce tissues with defects or deficiency

Health Maintenance Organization (HMO): A legal entity that accepts responsibility and financial risk for providing specified services to a defined population during a defined period of time at a fixed price. An organized system of health care delivery that provides comprehensive care to enrollees through designated providers. Enrollees are generally assessed a monthly payment for health care services and may be required to remain in the program for a specified amount of time.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996: A federal law that includes Administrative Simplification Provisions that require all health plans, including ERISA, as well as health care clearinghouses and any dentist who transmits health information in an electronic transaction, to use a standard format. The HIPAA standard electronic dental claim also requires use of the ADA’s Code on Dental Procedures and Nomenclature code set. Paper transactions are not subject to this requirement
Hygienist – dental professional who is trained and certified to perform dental cleanings, scaling and root planing, and other functions, provides patient education, and may administer local anesthetic or nitrous oxide

Immediate Denture – teeth replacement prosthetic designed to be placed as soon as teeth are removed, generally will be replaced with permanent denture once healing is complete
Immediate Implant Placement – dental implant placed during the same visit as the extraction of the tooth it replaces
Impacted Tooth – a tooth that is partially or fully unable to erupt and remains embedded in soft tissue or wedged against bone or another tooth
Implant – to insert or graft material into tissue
Implant, Dental – small metal cylinder, usually titanium, placed in or on jawbone, used in conjunction with dental prosthetic as a tooth replacement solution
Implant Dentistry – field of study and practice involving the surgical placement and maintenance of dental implants and implant-anchored tooth replacement prosthetics
Inlay – filling made outside the tooth, then cemented or bonded in place to restore lost structure
interocclusal – between upper and lower teeth of the bite
Intracoronal – inside the tooth crown
Intraoral – inside the oral cavity
Intraoral Camera – specially designed camera for use in photographing inside the mouth, used for diagnostic purposes

Jaw – common term referring to maxilla or mandible bone

Laminate Veneer – thin material, generally tooth-colored, used to cover the front of a healthy tooth to restore the appearance from discoloration, damage, misalignment, or other such cosmetic issues
Lesion – tissue injury, generally due to trauma, infection, or illness
Local Anesthesia – medication used to block nerve impulses to provide partial or complete elimination of pain during treatment

Malocclusion – improper alignment of upper and lower jaw or teeth
Mandible – lower jaw
Maxilla – upper jaw
Mouth Guard – appliance used to protect the mouth and teeth during rigorous activity, such as sports

NSAID – analgesic medication, stands for Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug
Night Guard – appliance used to protect teeth and jaw during sleep in cases of grinding
Nitrous Oxide – also known as laughing gas, an odorless inhalant that causes a mild sedative effect

Onlays – prosthetic restoration that covers the occlusal (biting/chewing) surface of a tooth, but not the whole tooth
Oral – referring to the mouth
Oral cavity – the inside of the mouth
Oral hygiene – establishment and maintenance of habits designed to keep the mouth, gums, and teeth healthy
Orthodontics – dental specialty concerned with the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of malocclusion and other neuromuscular or skeletal abnormalities of the orofacial structure
Orthodontist – dental specialist who focuses on the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of malocclusion and other neuromuscular or skeletal abnormalities of the orofacial structure
Overbite – orthodontic issue, when upper front teeth significantly overlap the lower

Patient: An individual who has established a professional relationship with a dentist for the delivery of dental health care. For matters relating to communication of information and consent this term includes the patient’s parent, caretaker, guardian, or other individual as appropriate under state law and the circumstances of the case.
Palate – hard and soft tissues that form the roof of the mouth, separating the oral and nasal cavities
Partial denture – prosthetic device that is used to replace one or more missing teeth, but not the full upper or lower set, may be fixed or removable, also known as a bridge
Pediatric dentist – dental specialist focusing on the dental treatment of infants, children, and adolescents
Pediatric dentistry – dental specialty that focuses on preventive care and treatment for infants, children, and adolescents, including care for special needs patients
Periodontal – refers to the tissues that surround and support the teeth
Periodontal disease – includes gingivitis and periodontitis, inflammation of the periodontal tissues, may include the development of periodontal pockets, bone loss, and tooth loss can be treated but not cured
Periodontal surgery – surgery to treat diseased gum tissue in the mouth
Periodontics – dental specialty focusing on placement of dental implants and the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases that affect the tissues that surround and support the teeth
Periodontist – dental specialist who focuses on placement of dental implants and the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases that affect the tissues that surround and support the teeth
Periodontitis – inflammation of the periodontal tissues, may include the development of periodontal pockets, bone loss, and tooth loss, can be treated but not cured
Permanent teeth – the second and final set of teeth, also known as adult teeth, usually 32 in total
Plaque – soft, sticky substance that can accumulate on teeth, generally made up of food debris and bacteria
Preventive dentistry – aspect of dentistry that focuses on the promotion of good oral hygiene habits to protect oral health and reduce or prevent the development of oral health issues

Reimplantation – reinsertion of tooth into its socket following trauma that partially or completely removed it
Retainer – appliance used to ensure teeth do not return to prior misaligned state following orthodontic treatment
Root – portion of the tooth that attaches the tooth to the gums and socket
Root Canal – pulp cavity inside the tooth root
Root Canal Therapy – treatment of disease or injury to the tooth pulp, generally involves the removal of part or all of the pulp and replacement with inert material
Root Planing – a procedure used in the treatment of periodontal disease, involves deep cleaning of teeth at the roots to remove calculus and other substances

Scaling – professional deep cleaning to remove plaque, calculus, and surface stains from teeth, a common treatment for periodontal disease
Sealant – thin, resinous material that is applied to occlusal surfaces of rear molars to help prevent decay
Sinus Graft – bone graft on the maxillary sinus to allow the placement of dental implants
Sleep Apnea – interruptions in breathing during sleep due to airway collapse
Schedule of Benefits: A listing of dental services and the maximum benefit amounts an insurer will pay for a given service. Specificity will vary by benefit plan.
Service Corporations: Dental benefit organizations established under not-for-profit state statutes for the purpose of providing health care coverage, e.g., Delta Dental Plans, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans.

Usual, Customary, and Reasonable (UCR) Fee – term meaning that a fee for a given procedure has been set according to a common consensus on its rate
Unerupted Tooth – tooth that has not yet emerged from the gum into the mouth

Veneer – thin facing bonded onto the front surface of a tooth to improve the appearance

Wisdom Teeth – third and final set of molars in the rear of the mouth, generally erupt between ages 18 and 25.
Worker’s Compensation: A benefit paid to an employee who suffers a work-related injury or illness.