|
 — A — |
| ABSCESS |
Localized collection
of pus in a cavity formed by the breakdown
of tissue cells. |
| ACUTE CONDITION |
A type of illness
or injury that has a rapid onset and ordinarily
lasts less than 3 months. (Pregnancy is also
considered to be an "acute condition"
despite lasting longer than 3 months). |
| ANAEROBIC BACTERIA |
Those organisms
that cannot live in the presence of oxygen. |
| ANTIBIOTICS |
Drugs used to combat
both minor and life-threatening bacterial
infections. |
— B — |
| BICUSPIDS |
Also called premolars,
these are the two teeth behind the cuspids
or eyeteeth. There are a total of 8. |
| BIRTH WEIGHT |
According to the National Center for Health
Statistics, is defined as the first weight
of the newborn obtained after birth.
Low birth weight is defined as less than
2,500 grams or 5 pounds 8 ounces.
Very low birth weight is defined as less
than 1,500 grams or 3 pounds 4 ounces.
|
— C — |
| CALCULUS |
Hard, calcified dental plaque. It is the
mineralized remains of dead bacteria attached
to surfaces of the teeth. Also called "tartar."
There are two types of calculus: that which
forms above the gingival margins, called
supragingival calculus, and that which forms
on roots below the gingival margins, called
subgingival calculus.
|
CANINES or
CUSPIDS |
Eyeteeth. |
CARIES or
DENTAL CARIES |
Tooth decay. |
| CARIOUS LESION |
An area of decay
on a tooth. |
| CAVITRON |
Ultrasonic dental
tool that uses high frequency sound waves
to remove hard deposits from the teeth. |
| CEMENTUM |
Hard tissue that
covers the roots of teeth. Teeth are held
in place by connective tissue fibers, the
periodontal ligament that attaches the cementum
to the bony sockets in the jaws. |
| CHARTING |
To record the depth
of the gum pockets around teeth. |
| CLORHEXIDINE |
An anti-microbial
agent effective in controlling gum diseases. |
— D — |
| DEBRIDEMENT |
Removal of infection
from a wound. |
| DENTAL CARIES |
Tooth decay. |
| DENTIFRICE |
Any preparation
used in the cleaning of the teeth. |
| DENTIN |
Hard, living inner
layer of a tooth just below the enamel layer. |
| DISTAL |
The surface that
faces toward the back, away from the midline
of the jaw. |
DRY
MOUTH
(XEROSTOMIA) |
Occurs when the
salivary glands in your mouth don't produce
enough moisture, disrupting the balance of
normal microorganisms in your mouth. This
dryness increases your risk of oral thrush,
(yeast) dental caries, and periodontal infections. |
— E — |
ENAMEL
|
The hardest substance
of the body, the covering of the crown of
the tooth, located above the gum line. |
| EYE TEETH |
The four canines
or cuspids. |
— F — |
| FACIAL |
Pertaining to the
face. The outer side of a tooth, that side
facing the face |
| FLAP SURGERY |
Loosening of gums
from bone to expose and debride the periodontal
pocket as well as the underlying tooth structures. |
— G
H — |
| GESTATIONAL DIABETES |
Approximately 3 percent to 5 percent of
pregnant women in the United States develop
gestational diabetes, a type of diabetes
mellitus, usually beginning in the second
or third trimester of pregnancy.
Like other forms of diabetes, it affects
the way your body uses blood sugar (glucose).
In many cases it goes away after pregnancy,
but more than 50% of women who experience
this condition later develop a permanent
form of diabetes - type 2 (formerly called
adult-onset or noninsulin-dependent) diabetes.
|
| GINGIVA, GINGIVAE |
The anatomical
word for the gums. |
| GINGIVAL |
The adjective pertaining
to the gums. |
| GINGIVECTOMY |
Surgery to remove
gum tissue. |
| GINGIVITIS |
The initial stage
of gum disease that is caused by pathogenic
bacteria that reside in the gingival crevices
(under the gums.) This initial stage of gingival
disease may progress into destructive periodontitis.
The gums usually become red, swollen, bleed
easily, and are often tender to touch. |
— I
J K — |
| INCISORS |
Four upper and
four lower front teeth, the central and lateral
incisors (excludes the canine teeth). |
| IMPLANT |
Artificial device usually made from titanium,
surgically placed in the jaw to substitute
for a natural tooth root. Prosthetic teeth
and bridges are attached to the part of
the implant that protrudes through the gum.
An implant functions like a natural tooth
and needs to have the same care or will
be lost through the same process of infection,
called peri-implantitis rather than periodontitis.
|
— L — |
| LAVAGE |
Washing out or
cleansing with water. |
| LINGUAL |
Pertaining to the
tongue. That side of a tooth that faces the
tongue. |
— M
N — |
MAINTENANCE or
RECALL THERAPY |
An ongoing program,
designed to supplement the anti-infective
self-care that patients use at home. This
treatment, usually every 3-4 months, includes
the professional examination of teeth and
periodontal tissues for evidence of disease
activity. Teeth are then scaled and polished,
and pockets are irrigated with an antiseptic
solution. |
| MALOCCLUSION |
"Bad bite"
between the upper and lower teeth, causing
your teeth to align incorrectly |
| MANDIBLE |
The lower jaw. |
| MAXILLA |
The upper jaw. |
| MESIAL |
The surface (of
the tooth) that faces closer to the front
or to the midline of the jaw. |
| MICROBIOLOGICAL |
Pertaining to microorganisms
and their effects on other living organisms. |
| MOLARS |
The three back
teeth in each quarter of the mouth, including
the wisdom teeth. |
| MORNING SICKNESS |
The overall queasiness,
nausea, or vomiting that many pregnant women
experience during the first 12 to 14 weeks
of their pregnancy. |
— O — |
| OCCLUSAL |
The surface of
the tooth that is used for chewing. |
| OCCLUSION |
How the upper
and lower teeth come together. |
| ORAL HYGIENE |
The process of
maintaining the cleanliness of the mouth. |
| OSSEOINTEGRATION |
The attachment
and assimilation of the bone to a dental implant.
This process takes from three to six months
after the implant has been placed in the mouth. |
— P
Q — |
| PALATINE, PALATAL |
Related to the
hard or soft palate. |
| PAPILLA, PAPILLAE |
The cone shaped
portion of gum tissue between the teeth |
| PARTIAL |
Removable denture
replacing some of the teeth often lost through
gum disease. |
| PATHOGENIC |
Disease-causing. |
| PERIDEX |
Clorhexidine. |
| PERIODONTAL LIGAMENT |
The fibers of tissue
that attach the teeth to the bone. When these
ligaments are destroyed by advanced cases
of periodontal disease, the teeth become loose.
|
| PERIODONTAL POCKET |
A separation of
the gum tissues surrounding the tooth forming
a space or pocket. The pocket fills with plaque
and infection. If not treated, the bone and
connective tissue surrounding the tooth may
become so severely damaged that the tooth
will fall out or need to be extracted. |
| PERIODONTAL DISEASE(S) |
Include gingivitis,
rapidly advancing destructive periodontitis,
and chronic destructive periodontitis. |
| PERIODONTITIS, PERIODONTAL
DISEASE, PERIODONTAL INFECTIONS, DESTRUCTIVE
PERIODONTITIS |
Infections caused
by invasive bacteria that colonize root surfaces
and the periodontal tissues that surround
them. Various types of periodontal disease
affect about 80% of the American adult population.
Untreated, destructive periodontitis will
progress until the body, trying to protect
itself, will cause the teeth to loosen and
eventually fall out. |
| PERIODONTIUM |
The tissues that
surround and support the teeth, including
the gums, periodontal ligament and bone. |
| PERIODONTOPATHIC |
Causing periodontal
diseases. |
| PERMANENT TEETH |
The thirty-two
adult teeth. |
| PLAQUE or DENTAL PLAQUE |
Also called bacterial
bio-films. These soft, sticky coatings form
as many strains of bacteria colonize and grow
on tooth surfaces above and below the gum
margins. If plaque is not removed carefully
each day by brushing, irrigating, and flossing,
bacteria attached to tooth-surfaces die and
harden from the minerals in the saliva and
crevicular exudates. These mineralized deposits
are called calculus or tartar. |
| PREGNANCY |
An extraordinary
chain of events that begins with the union
of egg and sperm and the preparation of the
body to provide the nourishment and hormones
that govern the baby's growth and development
|
| PREGNANCY TUMOR |
A large lump or
overgrowth of gum tissue that is not cancerous,
generally is not painful, and usually disappears
or diminishes after pregnancy. If the tumor
persists, it may require removal by a periodontist
or oral surgeon. |
| PROXIMAL |
The surfaces nearest
to or next to. |
| PYOGENIC GRANULOMA |
Another name for
pregnancy tumor. |
— R — |
| ROOT |
The below the gum
part of tooth that anchors the tooth to the
bone. |
| ROOT SCALING and PLANING |
A non-surgical
procedure where the hygienist, dentist, or
periodontist removes soft bacterial plaques
and their calcified remains (calculus) from
tooth surfaces and periodontal pockets. |
— S — |
SLOUGHING
(as related to the mouth) |
The casting off
of the outside layer of skin or gum tissue. |
| SPECIFIC PLAQUE HYPOTHESIS |
Asserts that specific
bacteria cause gum infections. The culprits
are: Porphyromonas
gingivalis, Bacteroides forsythus,
and Treponema denticola.
|
| SUPRAGINGIVAL |
Above the gum line. |
| SUBGINGIVAL |
Below the gum line. |
— T — |
| TARTAR |
A synonym for calculus. |
| TEMPROMANDIBULAR JOINT
(TMJ) |
The joint that
links the two jaws, the maxilla and the mandible. |
| THERASOL |
A pleasant tasting,
non-staining, anti-infective medication that
can be used as a rinse or, when mixed with
water, as an irrigating solution. |
| TORUS |
A benign outgrowth
of bone that usually develops on the roof
of the mouth or under the tongue, on the lower
jawbone. |
| TORI |
Plural for torus. |
— U — |
|
UVULA
|
The little dangling
structure in the back of your throat. |
— V
W — |
| VASOCONSTRICTOR |
Something that
causes the narrowing of blood vessels so that
less blood is able to flow through at a time. |
— X Y Z —
|
| XEROSTOMIA |
See "dry
mouth." |
XYLITOL CHEWING GUM
(pronounced zy-li-tall) |
A gum containing
a natural sweetener made from the bark of
birch trees. Recent studies show that xylitol
gum helps to reduce the levels of Streptococcus
Mutans, the bacteria responsible for
dental caries. |
