Appendix:Glossary of dental terms

A

 * alveolar bone : A ridge on the surface of a teeth-bearing bone, such as maxilla and mandible in humans, that contains the tooth sockets.

B

 * bridge : A prosthesis replacing one or several adjacent teeth.

C

 * canine : In heterodont mammals, the pointy tooth between the incisors and the premolars; a cuspid.
 * caries : The progressive destruction of bone or tooth by decay.
 * cavity : A soft area in a decayed tooth.
 * cementum : A bony substance that covers the root of a tooth; cement
 * crown : A prosthetic covering for a tooth.

D

 * dentistry : The study, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of teeth and surrounding tissues.
 * dry socket : An inflammation, usually acutely painful, of the alveolar bone following extraction of a tooth.

E

 * enamel : The hard covering on the exposed part of a tooth.
 * extraction : A removal of a tooth from its socket.

F

 * filling : A piece of amalgam used to fill a cavity in a tooth.

G

 * gingivitis : Inflammation of the gums or gingivae.
 * gum : The flesh round the teeth.

M

 * malocclusion : A misalignment of the upper and lower sets of teeth.
 * mandible : The lower jaw, especially the lower jawbone.
 * maxilla : Either of the two bones that together form the upper jaw.
 * molar : A back tooth having a broad surface used for grinding one's food.

I

 * incisor : One of the front teeth of mammals, between the canines.

O

 * overbite : A malocclusion, in which the upper teeth extend over the lower ones.
 * orthodontics : A specialty of dentistry concerned with correcting misalignment of teeth.

P

 * periodontics : The study of supporting structures of teeth—gums, alveolar bone, cementum, and the periodontal ligament—and diseases and conditions that affect them.
 * periodontitis : Any of a number of inflammatory diseases affecting the periodontium—the tissues that surround and support the teeth.
 * periodontium : The specialized tissues that both surround and support the teeth, maintaining them in the maxillary and mandibular bones; the tissues including alveolar bone, cementum, gums and periodontal ligament.
 * pulp : The soft center of a tooth.
 * pulpotomy : The surgical removal of part of the dental pulp.

R

 * root canal : The hollow part of the root of a tooth containing the nerve and blood vessels.

T

 * tooth : A hard, calcareous structure present in the mouth of many vertebrate animals, generally used for eating.
 * tooth socket : A socket in the jaw in which the roots of teeth are held in the alveolar process of maxilla with the periodontal ligament.

U

 * underbite : A malocclusion, in which the lower teeth extend past the upper ones.

W

 * wisdom tooth : One of the four (one upper and one lower on each side) rearmost molars in humans, which typically develop between ages 18-24.