| Abutment | Teeth on each side of a missing tooth. Used as a support for a Bridge |
| Amalgam | Soft silver metal filling that hardens on the tooth |
| Anterior | The front teeth: incisors and cuspids. Opposite of Posterior |
| Arch | Term referring to either the Upper or Lower jaw |
| Bridge | Artificial tooth held in the mouth by an adjacent tooth or Abutment |
| Calculus | see: Tartar |
| Cleaning | see: Prophylaxis |
| Composite | Tooth-colored filling made of synthetics |
| Crown | Repair to broken/missing portion of tooth in a complete manner |
| Cusp | The high points on the back (anterior) teeth |
| Dentition | General term for a set of teeth or tooth properties as they relate to dentistry |
| Denture | Full set of artificial teeth (removable), upper and/or lower |
| Denture, partial | Partial set of artificial teeth (removable) |
| Enamel | Hard White outer coating of the tooth |
| Endodontics | Treatment of root, nerve and pulp |
| Eruption | Emergence of a tooth during adolescence |
| Filling | A substance placed inside the cavity for restoration after the decay has been removed. See: Amalgam, Composite |
| Fluoride | Chemical that hardens the tooth's Enamel against decay. |
| Gingiva | The Gums |
| Impaction | A tooth that can not emerge or Erupt due to an obstructing tooth, bone, or tissue |
| Implant | A Post placed into the bone to anchor a Crown, Bridge, or Denture |
| Inlay | A Lab Processed restoration not involving the high-points of the teeth or Cusps |
| Onlay | A Lab Processed restoration involving the high-points of the teeth or Cusps |
| Orthodontics | Controlling & Straightening of the mouth geometry with braces |
| Partial | see: Denture, partial |
| Pedodontics; Pedo | Children's dentistry, requiring special training |
| Periodontics | Treatment of the gums and bone |
| Plaque | Film on teeth that is not removed by brushing and hardens into Tartar (calculus) |
| Pontic | The part of the Bridge that replaces the missing tooth |
| Posterior | The rear teeth: bicuspids and molars. Opposite of Anterior |
| PPO | Preferred Provider Organization. Subscriber may visit any dentist, or a discounted fee Preferred dentist (our offices are a PPO for most plans) |
| Prophylaxis; Prophy | Scaling and polishing of the teeth (cleaning), sometimes involving Fluoride |
| Prosthodontics | Restoration of dentition with artificial teeth (bridge, denture) |
| Pulp | Soft, fleshy inner part of the tooth |
| Resin | see: Composite |
| Restoration | Reparation of the tooth through dentistry |
| Root Canal; RCT | Destruction of the tooth's nerve endings to end pain |
| Scaling | Removal of hard Plaques with an instrument. See: Prophylaxis |
| Tartar | Hardened Plaque |
| Temporomandibular Disorder; TMD | A problem involving the Jaw Joint. Click Here to go to our TMD Page |
| X-Ray | Radiograph. A 'photo' of your mouth showing bone and tooth structures used to diagnose dental problems and to map invisible areas of the mouth. More Information Here |