Glossary of Dental Terms
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- Abscess
A dental abscess is a build up of pus resulting from the infection of a tooth or the gum tissue.
- Abrasion
An abrasion is the wearing away of the tooth structure due to factors such as poor brushing, using a hard bristled tooth brush or grinding the teeth (bruxism); this type of wear is not caused by chewing.
You can avoid an abrasion caused by grinding the teeth by wearing one of our custom made nightguards.
- Abutement
Method of support for a fixed or removable dental bridge used to replace a missing tooth. The abutment typically uses one or both teeth on either side of the missing tooth. Abutments can be made from a variety of materials, such as titanium, surgical stainless steel and gold. More modern abutments are now also made from zirconia, which is a white ceramic, to better complement the aesthetics of a dental implant restoration.
- Alveolar Ridge
An alveolar ridge (also known as the alveolar margin) is one of the two jaw ridges either on the roof of the mouth between the upper teeth and the hard palate or on the bottom of the mouth behind the lower teeth.
- Alveoloplasty
The surgical shaping of the alveolar ridges in preparation for dentures or after the removal of several teeth.
- Amalgam
Dental amalgam is the most commonly used dental restorative material used for dental fillings.
- Anterior Teeth
Anterior teeth are the six upper and six lower front teeth. The anterior teeth consist of Incisors and Cuspids (also known as Canines).
- Apicoectomy
An Apicoectomy, or Root-End Resection, is the removal of the root tip and the surrounding infected tissue of an abscessed tooth. An apicoectomy may be required when an infection develops or persists after root-canal treatment.
- Apex
An apex of a tooth is the tip of the root of a tooth.
- Apthous Ulcer
An Apthous Ulcer, also known as a canker sore, is a type of oral ulcer, which presents as a painful open sore inside the mouth or upper throat characterized by a break in the mucous membrane. Its cause is unknown, but they are not contagious. Regular use of non-alcoholic mouthwash may help prevent or reduce the frequency of sores.
- Arch
The dental arches are the horseshoe-shaped sections of the jaws that contain the teeth.
- Artificial Crown
An artificial crown is a dental prosthesis that restores part or all of the crown of a natural tooth. It is a tooth-shaped "cap" that is placed over a tooth - covering the tooth to restore its shape and size, strength, and/or to improve its appearance. Permanent artificial crowns can be made from all metal, porcelain-fused-to-metal, all resin, or all ceramic.
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