Dental dictionary

A pocket of pus from a bacterial infection, at the root of a tooth or in the gum. It needs treatment, and it does not clear up on its own even if it drains.

The connector that joins a dental implant to the crown on top of it. The word is also used for a tooth that anchors a bridge.

The silver-colored filling material used for generations. A sound amalgam filling does not need replacing just because of its color.

An antibiotic in tiny particles, placed directly into a deep gum pocket after it has been cleaned, to help it heal.

An X-ray of the back teeth, upper and lower together, mainly used to find decay between the teeth.

A fixed replacement for a missing tooth, held in place by crowns on the teeth on either side of the gap.

Grinding or clenching the teeth, often during sleep. Over time it wears teeth down and can strain the jaw joint.

Also called tartar: plaque that has hardened on the teeth. Brushing cannot remove it, and a professional cleaning can.

A hole in a tooth caused by decay, also called caries. Caught small, it needs a small filling.

Tooth-colored filling material, bonded to the tooth so less healthy tooth needs cutting away.

A cap that covers the whole visible part of a tooth, holding a weakened tooth together and restoring its shape.

Scaling and root planing: cleaning below the gum line, under local anesthetic, to treat gum disease.

The layer of a tooth beneath the enamel. When it is exposed, a tooth can become sensitive to cold and sweet things.

A removable replacement for missing teeth. A full denture replaces a whole arch, and a partial denture replaces some teeth.

A painful condition after an extraction, when the blood clot that protects the socket is lost too early.

The hard outer layer of a tooth, and the hardest substance in the body. Once it is lost, it does not grow back.

Removing a tooth, when it cannot be saved or keeping it would cause more trouble than it is worth.

A mineral that strengthens enamel and helps it resist decay. A professional varnish is painted on in seconds.

The early, reversible stage of gum disease: red, swollen gums that bleed easily when brushed.

Gums pulling back from the teeth, which exposes the root surface and often causes sensitivity.

A small post placed in the jaw bone to replace a tooth's root, topped with a crown, a bridge or a denture.

A denture that clips onto implants so it stays put while you eat and talk.

A copy of the teeth used to make a crown, a bridge or aligners. Here it is taken with a digital scanner instead of putty.

A system of clear, removable aligners that move teeth gradually, each set a small step from the last.

A digital scanner, a small camera on a wand, that records the teeth in three dimensions without impression putty.

Medicine injected near a tooth to numb it, so treatment is felt as pressure rather than pain.

A gas breathed through a small nose mask that helps you relax while staying awake. It wears off quickly once the mask is off.

How the upper and lower teeth meet when you bite. A crown or filling that sits high changes it, which is why the bite is checked.

A check of the lips, tongue, cheeks, palate, throat and neck for anything that should not be there. It is part of every exam here.

A prescribed pill taken before an appointment to help you relax. You will need someone to drive you home.

A cleaning every 3 to 4 months for people whose gum disease has been treated, to keep the pockets from coming back.

The small space between a tooth and the gum. Healthy pockets are shallow, and deeper ones are a sign of gum disease.

Advanced gum disease, in which the gum and bone that hold the teeth in place are being lost.

The soft, sticky film of bacteria that builds up on the teeth every day and is removed by brushing and flossing.

The formal name for a routine professional cleaning.

The soft tissue in the center of a tooth, containing its nerve and blood supply.

Cleaning infected or damaged pulp out of the inside of a tooth and sealing it, so the tooth can be kept.

A thin protective coating painted into the grooves of the back teeth to keep decay out.

Breathing that repeatedly stops and starts during sleep because the airway closes. A physician diagnoses it after a sleep study.

The temporomandibular joint, which connects the lower jaw to the skull. Problems with it are often called TMD.

A thin shell bonded to the front of a tooth to change how it looks.

The third molars, usually the last teeth to come in, often in the late teens or twenties.

An image of the teeth and bone. Taken with a digital sensor, it needs a fraction of the exposure film did.