Dental Terminology
1. Arch- Upper or Lower Jaw bone.
2. Apex- Tip of the root.
3. Abutment- Tooth located on either side of a missing tooth space.
4. Anterior- Located towards the front of the mouth.
5. Bruxism- Grinding of the teeth.
6. Buccal- Surface of the tooth that faces the cheeks.
7. Calculus- Hard deposit that forms on the teeth due to poor hygiene.
8. Caries- Dental term for cavities.
9. Crown- The part of the tooth above the gum line.
10. Cusp- Point on the tooth that assists in chewing.
11. Denture- Fabricated replacement for the natural dentition.
12. Diagnosis- identifying a specific concern or disorder.
13. Distal- Behind; towards the back of the throat.
14. Edentulous- When all of the teeth are missing from either the upper or lower jaw.
15. Erupt- When a new tooth is coming through.
16. Exfoliate- To fall out; when primary teeth are lost.
17. External- Outside of the mouth.
18. Facial- Surface of the anterior teeth facing the lips.
19. Fluoride- A mineral that helps prevent cavities in children and adults by making teeth more resistant to the acid attacks that cause cavities.
20. Gingiva-Gum tissue.
21. Gingivitis- Inflammation of the gum tissue. First sign of periodontal disease.
22. Impacted Tooth- Unerupted tooth.
23. Implant- Replacement for a missing tooth; typically titanium.
24. Incisal- The biting edge of the anterior teeth.
25. Interproximal- Space between the teeth.
26. Intraoral- Inside of the mouth.
27. Lingual- The surface of the tooth facing the tongue.
28. Mandible- Lower jaw.
29. Mandibular- Pertaining to the lower jaw.
30. Masticate- To Chew.
31. Maxilla- Upper Jaw.
32. Maxillary- Pertaining to the upper jaw.
33. Mesial- Forward; towards the front of the mouth.
34. Midline- An up-and-down plane through the center of the mouth.
35. Mixed Dentition- Where both primary and permanent teeth are present.
36. Occlusal- The chewing or grinding surface of the tooth.
37. Periapical- X-Ray of individual teeth.
38. Periodontal Disease- A chronic bacterial infection that can damage the gum tissue and bone around teeth.
39. Plaque- Substance located on the teeth that can form into calculus.
40. Posterior- Toward the back.
41. Prophylaxis- A preventative procedure of cleaning the teeth.
42. Proximal- Surface that touches the adjacent teeth.
43. Pulp- Soft tissue located inside the tooth structure, containing nerves and blood supply for the tooth.Radiograph- Medical term for X-Ray.
44. Root Canal- Procedure necessary when the pulp (tissue inside tooth containing blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue) is removed from the tooth.
45. Tartar- Another term for calculus.
46. TMJ- Temporomandibular Joint.
47. Veneer- A thin, custom-made shells crafted of tooth-colored materials designed to cover the front side of teeth.
Dental Abbreviations
1. ADJ- Adjustment
2. ASAP- As Soon As Possible
3. B- Buccal
4. BID- Twice a Day
5. B/U- Build Up
6. BP- Blood Pressure
7. BWX- Bitewings X-rays
8. CaOH- Calcium Hydroxide
9. caps- Capsules
10. carp- Carpules
11. comp- Composite
12. crn- Crown
13. CDA- Certified Dental Assistant
14. CDAEF- Certified Dental Assistant Expanded Functions
15. COA-Certified Orthodontic Assistant
16. CONS-Consult
17. PCONS- Partial Consult
18. D- Distal
19. DA- Dental Assistant
20. DCONS- Denture Consult
21. DDS- Doctor of Dental Surgery
22. DMD- Doctor of Medical Dentistry
23. Dx- Diagnosis
24. epi- epinephrine
25. EXT- Extraction
26. FMX- Full Mouth X-rays
27. GP- Gutta Percha
28. hr- Hour
29. HVE- High Vacuum Evacuation
30. INS- Insurance
31. irrig- Irrigation
32. IV- Intravenous
33. I- Incisal
34. L- Lingual
35. LL- Lower Left Quadrant
36. LR- Lower Right Quadrant
37. M- Mesial
38. Med Hx- Medical History
39. N2O- Nitrous Oxide
40. NaOci- Sodium Hypo-Chlorite (Bleach)
41. NP- New Patient
1. O- Occlusal
2. OCONS- Orthodontic Consult
3. Ortho- Orthodontics
4. OV- Office Visit
5. OCCS- Occlusal Guard Seating
6. PA- Periapical X-rays
7. PANO- Panoramic Film
8. Porc- Porcelain
9. PCN- Penicillin
10. PFM- Porcelain Fused to Metal
11. Perm- Permanent
12. PP- Paper Point
13. Pstop- Post Op
14. Quad- Quadrant
15. RBC- Root Canal/Build-up/Crown Combination
16. RCT- Root Canal Therapy
17. RDH- Registered Dental Hygienist
18. RT- Re-cement Temp
19. Rx- Prescription
20. SCONS- Surgical Consult
21. SC- Seat Crown
22. Septo- Septocaine
23. SSC- Stainless Steel Crown
24. SLD- Seat Lower Denture
25. SLP- Seat Lower Partial
26. SUD- Seat Upper Denture
27. SUP- Seat Upper Partial
28. TX- Treatment
29. UL- Upper Left Quadrant
30. UR- Upper Right Quadrant
31. W/O- Write Off
32. Xylo- Xylocaine
Dental Tooth Diagrams
