| If your eyes glaze over when your dentist says cap, dentures or retainers you are far from alone. It is a good idea to have an alphabetical list of dental health care terms along with their explanations to better understand what your dentist is talking about.
Amalgam filling - silver-like metallic tooth filling that is a combination of silver, zinc, lead, tin and mercury
Apicoectomy - the root end of a tooth is sliced off.
Braces - ortho-dental procedure in which a person has to put on metallic strips around their teeth to correct the position of the teeth.
Bridge - an appliance inserted in place of a missing tooth.
Cap - also known as crown.
Caries - a cavity.
Cavity - the rotted part of a tooth; correct dental term is caries.
Composite filling - a dental filling that is white and made of resin and quartz crystals.
Crown - a cap used to wrap the tooth portion above the gum line made of metal, plastic or porcelain.
Dentures - a customized appliance used to replace missing teeth; can be partial or complete.
Dental floss - a thread made of nylon or any other strong material that is used to remove food particles from between the teeth.
Extraction - when a tooth is pulled out surgically; can be minor or major.
Filling - the stuffing used to fill a cavity in a tooth; the two types are composite and amalgam.
Gingivitis - a condition in which the gums become swollen, tender and bleed.
Implant - a dental insert that is surgically positioned and is hooked onto the upper or lower jawbone to hold up a crown, bridge or partial or full denture.
Inlay - a stuffing made of silver, porcelain or any other hard material that is positioned on to a tooth cavity and then fixed into place.
Orthodontics - branch of dentistry that deals with the proper positioning of teeth and jaws.
Partial denture - a prosthetic device that is made to replace the missing teeth; can be detachable or permanent.
Plaque - a gooey material that gradually forms on teeth due to improper cleaning consisting of food bits and bacteria; if not removed can lead to gingivitis and cavities.
Root canal treatment - treatment of a tooth that has a damaged pulp located within the root canal; the pulp chamber and root canal are removed and filled with a sealing material.
Retainer - detachable dental appliance that is used to grip teeth onto a fixed location for a certain period of time.
Scaling - a process in which tartar, plaque and stains are removed from teeth with a special device.
Sealant - material that is used to fill a cavity made of resin, porcelain, metal or plastic.
Tartar - hard deposits on teeth that have to be removed by scaling.
Veneer - expensive cosmetic covering for front teeth made of porcelain, ceramic, plastic or some composite material.
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