Do you find yourself often confused by terms you hear in a dental office? Many patients do! What is an abscess? What is dental caries? The dentist says “posterior”, “anterior”, “occlusion” and other terms—what do they mean? Don’t get lost in dental terms used during your appointment! Here are some of the most common terms and services talked about in a dental office and what they mean.

Dental Terms about Dental Conditions

Cavities are known by many terms such as “dental caries”, “dental decay” and “tooth decay”. When you eat, sugars in your food mix with mouth bacteria to create plaque. That plaque is an acidic substance that sits on your teeth (because it doesn’t wash away with water) and decays them.

Basically, plaque is super harsh on your teeth and even though the teeth themselves are hard, it’s like a solution that wears away the layers a little at a time. It works similar to nail polish remover, with plaque slowly taking away your tooth enamel. When you brush and floss it away, plaque can’t hurt you. However, when your oral hygiene is lacking, plaque will start to wear away and decay areas of your teeth.

Decay creates a “cavity”—or open space—in your teeth. You may also hear the term “gum disease”. That means that plaque has been around long enough to irritate your gums. The gums also swell up, turn more red and may even bleed. Your gums try to move away from plaque, which means they “recede” from the teeth and more of your tooth root starts to show. That recession can lead to gum disease, which leads to tooth loss.

Basic Dental Work

Many dental problems are found during cleanings and exams:

• Dental Cleaning – The most basic dental service, this is recommended every 6 months. We meticulously clean, floss, buff, and polish your teeth to remove any stuck-on substances. We also provide a fluoride treatment, which is an element that helps coat the teeth in a protective layer that’s more resistant to plaque and acids.
• Comprehensive Exam – After your dental cleaning, you will get x-rays on your face to find internal areas of tooth decay. The dentist will look at everything in your mouth, as well as the individual teeth for any decay, infections or signs of disease. That examination is also an oral cancer screening, which checks for lumps and abnormalities.

Dental Terms and Services

• Cavity Filling – A dentist drills out decayed areas of your teeth, cleans out any infection, and fills the area with composite resin and other materials. That material is shaped to look like your tooth and keeps your teeth functioning like normal. Tooth-colored fillings are ones made from white material.
• Dental Sealant – Wish you could prevent cavities in the first place? Besides good oral hygiene, you can get a dental sealant, which means the dentist paints a plastic dental coating on your tooth to seal it from food and other substances. This reduces your risk for tooth decay.
• Tooth Extraction – When decay is severe or a dental injury is too large, we may take out a tooth, which is an “extraction” of the tooth. We then prep the area for a dental implant by placing a screw in the jaw area immediately, or by letting the area heal a bit, then placing the screw.
• Dental Implant – When a screw sets in place after a tooth extraction, we implant a new tooth on top of that screw. This is a custom-made tooth that screws in on top of the implant in your jawbone.
• Gum Disease/Periodontal Treatment – A disease of the gums that is fairly painless, but can lead to tooth loss, toothlessness, or mushy gums that can’t hold implants. Periodontal maintenance is where we treat your gum area to lessen your gum disease. We use tools for “root planing and scaling” that gets pockets of infection and substances out of your gum line to calm down inflammation and gum recession. Some patients will get gum grafts to fix gum recession.
• Porcelain Veneers – Custom-made teeth shells that we make in a lab, then bond to the front of your teeth for a perfect, straight and white smile.

Tools, Teeth and Positions

There are many dental terms and tools used when working on your mouth that include:

• Molar – The big teeth in the back of your mouth meant to crush up food.
• Cuspid/Bicuspid – Your cuspids are the sharper, pointy teeth in front that help you cut up food. The teeth right behind them that are mid-sized are your bicuspids, or “premolars”.
• Bilateral – Both the right and left sides of the mouth.
• Calculus – Hard mineralized coating on your teeth. This is generally tartar, or plaque that has hardened, but it can be calcium or other minerals as well.
• Dentin – The second, or middle, layer of your teeth under the enamel.
• Enamel – Your enamel is the hard, outer layer of your teeth that is incredibly strong.
• Erosion – When the tooth enamel has worn away from foods, plaque and oral problems.
• Amalgam/Composite – Amalgam is a silver filling, while composite is white or tooth-colored material for a filling.
• Gingivitis – This refers to your gum tissue that is starting to be irritated and inflamed. It’s the first stage of gum disease, but it can be reversed.
• Malocclusion – Improper bite or alignment of the teeth and jaws, which can cause dental and speech problems.
• Palate – The roof of your mouth.
• Abscess – Inflammation, usually with pus as well.
• Scaler – This is a simple metal tool used to remove plaque and food particles. We use it to test for sensitive areas on the teeth to detect tooth decay as well.
• Suture – A stitch to repair an incision.
• Posterior – Teeth towards the back of the mouth.
• Anterior – Teeth towards the front.

If you see a word that’s not on this list that you want to know more about, call Mountain Aire Dentistry today at (303) 731-7755!