Dental Assisting Terminology

Front 1

Abrasion

Back 1

loss of tooth structure caused by tooth grinding, an improper bite, a hard toothbrush or poor brushing technique.

Front 2

Abscess

Back 2

a localized infection of a tooth and/or the gum

Front 3

Abutment

Back 3

tooth or teeth that anchor a fixed or removable bridge

Front 4

Air Abrasion

Back 4

removal of tooth structure by blasting a tooth with air and abrasive, a relatively new technology in dentistry that often avoids the need for anesthetic

Front 5

Allergy

Back 5

an unwanted bodily response to a substance or organism

Front 6

Alveolar bone

Back 6

the bone surrounding the roots of teeth

Front 7

Amalgam

Back 7

the most common material used for fillings, also called silver fillings

Front 8

Analgesia

Back 8

partial loss of pain sensation

Front 9

Anesthesia

Back 9

absence of pain sensation;numbing a tooth is local anesthesia; with general anesthesia the patient is unconscious

Front 10

Anterior teeth

Back 10

the six upper and six lower front teeth

Front 11

Antibiotic

Back 11

a drug that stops or slows the growth of germs (bacteria)

Front 12

ANUG

Back 12

an acronym for Acute Necrotizing Ulcerative Gingivitis, more commonly known as trench mouth or Vincent's disease, often brought on by stress and/or smoking

Front 13

Apex

Back 13

the tip of the root of a tooth

Front 14

Apicoectomy

Back 14

removal of the root end of a tooth to treat an infection

Front 15

Arch

Back 15

shape assumed collectively by upper and lower teeth

Front 16

Baby teeth

Back 16

the first teeth, also called deciduous teeth; usually there are 20 baby teeth

Front 17

Base

Back 17

a cement applied under a filling or crown to decrease sensitivity to heat or cold and protect the filling

Front 18

Biopsy

Back 18

removal of a small piece of tissue to determine if it is diseased

Front 19

Bite

Back 19

how the upper and lower teeth come together

Front 20

Black hairy tongue

Back 20

excessive growth of fungi that normally live in the mouth

Front 21

Block injection

Back 21

anesthetizing a nerve that serves a large area of the jaw, usually the lower jaw, may numb teeth, tongue and half of the jaw in that area

Front 22

Bonding

Back 22

applying a tooth-colored resin to repair and/ or change the color or shape of a tooth, most often the front tooth

Front 23

Bone loss

Back 23

decrease in bone supporting the roots of teeth; a common result of gum disease

Front 24

Bone resorption

Back 24

the gradual loss of bone Orthodontists use this process to "pull" teeth through bone to new positions