Term

A tooth or implant used to support a prosthesis. A crown unit used as part of a fixed bridge.

A procedure where a weak acid is smeared on teeth to ready teeth for brackets. The acid etch helps brackets stay on better.

A plastic used for false teeth, retainers, and other dental products.

A plaster like compound used to take impressions.

An opening in the bone of the jaw in which a tooth is attached.

A silver/mercury mixture, which is used for fillings.

A drug which a doctor or dentist uses to place an individual asleep, or a specific area of the body asleep so the individual does not feel any pain during dental or medical procedures.

An adjective used to describe things pertaining to centrals, laterals and cuspids (the front teeth).

The centrals, laterals, and cuspids. These are the teeth in the front of the mouth.

A chemical agent that can be applied to living tissue in order to destroy germs.

The very bottom of the root of the tooth.

Anything the orthodontist attaches to the teeth of a patient in order to move teeth or to change the shape of a jaw.

The shape of the dental arch. For example, some patients have a ‘horseshoe' or a ‘v' shaped archform.

A metal wire, which is attached to the brackets in order to move the teeth.

A general term for the dental chairs, lights and equipment used by a dentist or orthodontist.

A special holder for models of the teeth of a patient. The articulator holds the models in the same alignment as the jaw so the orthodontist can look carefully at the bite of a patient.

The avoidance of potentially pathogenic microorganism. In practice, asepsis refers to those techniques, which aims to exclude all microorganisms.

Removal of fluids from the mouth with an aspirator.

A tube like a straw, which the dentist puts in the mouth of a patient to extract all the saliva.

A metal ring that is usually placed on the teeth to hold on to parts of the braces.

The process of cementing orthodontic bands to teeth.

A special plier, which the orthodontist uses to remove bands from teeth.

A removable appliance made of acrylic designed to open a deep bite.

A device the orthodontist uses to help put on bands. The orthodontist puts the band in place. The patient then bites down on the bite stick to help push the band in place.

The process of attaching brackets to teeth using special safe glue.

A metal or ceramic part that is glued onto a tooth and serves as a means of fastening the arch wire.

A breakaway is a small plastic piece with an internal spring that is used to provide force on a facebow.

Clenching or grinding of teeth especially at night.

The tooth surface that is next to the cheeks. Usually only posterior teeth touch cheeks. The term "buccal" applies only when talking about the back teeth.

A small metal part that is welded on the outside of a molar bank. The buccal tube contains a slot to hold archwires, lip bumpers, facebows and other things the orthodontist uses to move teeth.

Another name for the cuspids.

Another name for cavities (tooth decay).

A small hole in one of your teeth caused by tooth decay.

A bony substance covering the root of a tooth.

The two upper and two lower teeth in the very center of the mouth.

An x-ray viewer.

An x-ray of the head that shows whether the teeth are aligned and growing properly.

Small plastic pieces used to draw back your lips and cheeks so the orthodontist can more easily see the teeth and work in the mouth.

A Malocclusion where your bite is OK (your top teeth line up with your bottom teeth) but your teeth are crooked, crowded or turned.

A Malocclusion where the upper teeth stick out past the lower teeth. This is also called an ‘overbite'.

A Malocclusion where the lower teeth stick out past the upper teeth. This is also called an 'underbite'.

A malocclusion where the upper teeth cover the lower teeth when a patient bites down. This is also called a ‘deep bite'.

A meeting between a patient and a dentist/orthodontist where the practitioner discusses a treatment plan.

A malocclusion where some of the upper teeth are inside of the lower teeth when a patient bites down.

Passing bacteria or viruses indirectly from one patient to another through the use of improper sterilization procedures or unclean instruments.

An orthodontic problem caused by having too many teeth in too small of a space.

The part of your tooth above your gum or an artificial replacement for the covering on a tooth.

A tooth movement in which the root of the tooth is tipped forward or backward to correct the angle of the crown.

A tooth movement in which the root of the tooth is tipped toward cheeks (lips) or toward the lingual (palate) of the mouth.

A periodontal procedure where the gums are scraped to remove bacteria.

A special UV light used to help attach brackets to teeth.

The chewing or tearing points of the cuspids, bicuspids, and molars.

The teeth just behind the laterals. These teeth have one cuspal (or point). Cuspids are also called canines.

The removal of cemented orthodontic bands.

The removal of the brackets from the teeth.

The loss of calcium from the teeth. This weakens the teeth and makes them more susceptible to decay.

Excessive overbite or closed bite.

The calcium part of a tooth below the enamel containing the pulp chamber and root canals.

The arrangement of the teeth.

A synthetic replacement for all of the teeth in either the upper or lower jaw.

The process of identifying the nature of a disorder.

A space between two teeth.

Direct contact with impurities or germs.

A cleaning process which destroys most microorganism, but not highly resistant forms such as bacterial and mycotic spores.

Materials intended for one use and discarded.

Towards the back of the mouth. For example, one might say that the first bicuspid is distal to the cuspid.

A special plier used to cut off the ends of the arch wires.

A hard ceramic, which covers the exposed part of the teeth.

A dentist who specializes in root canals and the treatment of diseases or injuries that affect the root tips or nerves in your teeth.

When a new tooth comes in, the tooth is said to erupt when the tooth breaks through the surface of your gums.

To fall out. ( The deciduous teeth exfoliate and permanent teeth erupt into the space).

A hook-like, fine-pointed instrument used in examining the teeth.

Outside of the mouth.

Facial photos.

Tooth movement in the direction of eruption. Natural extrusion: teeth grow until there is contact with another tooth. Mechanical extrusion: to pull the teeth so that it extends farther out of the gums.

A term used to indicate the position of the teeth. The upper teeth are flared lingually (toward the lip).

A chemical solution or gel, which you put on your teeth. The flouride hardens your teeth and prevents tooth decay.

The process of receiving braces.

Small pieces of pink colored skin that attach your lips, cheeks and tongue to your mouth.

Another name for the gums.

The abnormal enlargement of the gingivae surrounding the teeth caused by poor oral hygiene.

The inflammation of your gums caused by improper brushing. The first sign of periodontal (gum) disease.

The pink area around the teeth.

An non-erupted tooth that is obstructed from coming in through the surface of the gums.

A replacement for a missing tooth. The implant is different than a bridge in that the implant is permanently attached into the jaw.

The first step in making a model of the teeth of a patient. A patient bites into a container filled with algenate, and the algenate hardens to produce a mold of the teeth.

Another name for the centrals and laterals.

Orthodontic treatment usually done when a patient is age 6-8. The objective of interceptive orthodontic treatment is to expand the palate and make other corrections.

A wax bite which is used to see how the teeth come together.

The space between adjacent teeth.

Reduction of the enamel of the teeth on both sides of the tooth. This procedure is performed to create space for crowded teeth.

A device used to remove some of the enamel from the spaces between the teeth. The stripper is used to create extra space for crowded teeth.

Inside your mouth. For example, orthodontic rubber bands are called intraoral products since the rubber bands are designed to go in the mouth.

Movement of a tooth back into the bone.

The technique of using a solution to wash out the mouth and to flush debris.

The teeth just adjacent to the centrals.

An adjective used to describe components used to attach archwires to brackets. For example, a ligating module is a small plastic piece that goes over the brackets to hold in archwires.

A process where an archwire is attached to the brackets on the teeth.

A small, oval plastic piece, which is used to hold the arch wires in the brackets on the teeth.

Orthodontic appliance fixed to the inside of the teeth.

An orthodontic wire attached from molar to molar on the inside of the teeth.

A variation of the lingual arch going from cuspid to cuspid.

A lip bumper is used to push the molars on the lower jaw back to create more space for other teeth. The lip bumper consists of an arch wire, which is attached to a molded piece of plastic. The arch wire is mounted in the buccal tubes on the lower jaw, and a plastic piece rests against the lips. When one eats or talks, one pushes the plastic piece back, which pushes on the molars. This action pushes the molars back.

Poor positioning of the teeth.

The lower jaw.

Pertaining to the lower jaw.

To chew food and mix the food with saliva.

A special plier that locks when it closes so it holds on to small parts.

The upper jaw.

Forward or front. For example, the cuspid is mesial to the bicuspid. The mesial surface of the bicuspid is the part of the bicuspid closest to the cuspid.

An environment in which both deciduous and permanent teeth are present.

A device that is used to protect the mouth from injury when one is participating in sports. The use of a mouthguard is especially important for orthodontic patients, to prevent injuries.

An especially strong orthodontic wire, which allows for rapid tooth movement.

The numerical notation for teeth is an alternate to Palmer's notation. In this notation, the centrals are designated as 1's, the laterals as 2's, the cuspids as 3's, the first bicuspids as 4's, the second bicuspid's as 5's, etc.

The chewing or grinding surface of the bicuspid and molar teeth.

The imaginary surface on which upper and lower teeth meet.

The alignment and spacing of the upper and lower teeth when one bites down.

A malocclusion in which the teeth do not close or come together in the front of mouth.

Pertaining to the mouth.

Braces.

A dentist who has been specially trained to do orthodontics.

Cells which aid the growth and development of teeth and bones.

Cells which help create the sockets in bones. For example, osteoclasps create the openings in the jaw bone which is required to hold teeth.

Vertical overlapping of the upper teeth over the lower.

A device used to make the jaw wider.

Palmer's notation is a widely used method to designate individual teeth. In Palmer's notation, the mouth is divided into four parts called quadrants. These quadrants are; the upper left quadrant, the upper right quadrant, the lower left quadrant, and the lower right quadrant. Each individual tooth in the quadrant is given a name. For example, the two upper and two lower teeth at the center of the mouth are called central's. One combines the names of the quadrant and the tooth to come up with a Palmer's notation. For example, the central on the upper right side of your mouth is called an upper right central.

An x-ray taken by a machine that rotates around the head to give the orthodontist a picture of the teeth, jaws and other important information.

A dentist who specializes in the treatment of children's teeth.

X-ray of individual teeth or groups of teeth.

Pertaining to the gums. For example, periodontal disease is gum disease.

A dentist who specializes in the treatment of diseases of the gums.

A special plier used to cut off arch wires, ligatures etc.

A colorless, odorless, sticky substance containing acids and bacteria that causes tooth decay.

An adjective used to describe things pertaining to the back of the mouth or the back teeth.

The bicuspids and molars. These are the teeth in the back of the mouth.

The first set of teeth. Primary teeth are also called ‘baby teeth' or deciduous teeth.

Cleaning the teeth.

A dentist who specializes in the replacement of missing teeth.

Refers to the surfaces of teeth that touch the next tooth.The space between adjacent teeth is the interproximal space.

Another name for the pulp chamber.

The four regions of the mouth. The upper left, the upper right, the lower left, and the lower right quadrants.

Another name for an x-ray.

A device that the orthodontist gives a patient to wear after the orthodontist removes braces. The retainer attaches to the upper teeth and holds them in the correct position. A patient wears the retainer at night to make sure that none of the teeth move while the jaw hardens and the teeth get strongly attached to the jaw.

A term used when the front teeth are slated lingually (i.e. toward the back of your mouth).

The part of the tooth in the gums.

A procedure where the nerve of a heavily decayed tooth is removed from the tooth replaced with a filling material.

A movement in which the tooth turned along the long axis of the tooth.

A plastic strap which prevents a facebow from coming loose and hurting a patient.

The longitudinal vertical plane that divides the mouth into two halves (left and right).

A cleaning process, which reduces germs to a ‘safe' level.

A tool with a curved hook on one end. The orthodontist uses the scaler to remove excess cement and check for gaps.

The teeth just behind the first bicuspids. These teeth also have two cuspals (or points).

The teeth just behind the first. These teeth also have a level surface with four cuspals.

Your permanent teeth or the second group of teeth to come in.

A plastic or metal part, which the orthodontist uses to create space between the teeth for bands.

Another name for the first molar.

A device used to maintain a space in the mouth of a patient. One would use a space maintainer when one loses one of the baby teeth. The space maintainer will keep a space in the mouth of a patient until a permanent tooth comes in to fill the space.

The curve of spee is the curvature of the occlusal plane of the teeth.

A bend or auxiliary attachment placed on a wire to limit the archwire from sliding or moving in the slot of the bracket.

A process where a medical material is treated to remove all possible germs and bacteria.

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Another name for calculus.

The teeth just behind the second molars. These teeth also have a level surface with four cuspals.

A process that occurs every 3-6 weeks when a patient has braces. A patient goes into the orthodontist's office and the orthodontist's assistant either makes adjustments to the wires in the braces, or changes the wires.

A tooth movement in which the root of the tooth is tipped labially (lip) or lingually (tongue) to correct the angle of the crown of the tooth.

An abreviation for the ‘temporomandibular joint'. The ‘temporomandibular joint' is the joint where the lower jaw connects to the skull.

The rotation of a tooth on the long axis moving the root of the tooth in a buccal or labial direction.

An overlay drawing traced over a cephalometric x-ray that shows specific structures and landmarks that provides a basis for orthodontic therapy.

The act of drawing or pulling the teeth.

A tooth movement in which the entire tooth moves forward or backward without tipping or rotating.

Another name for the second molar.

A device used to help place ligating modules on brackets.

A plastic model of a typical mouth, showing the alignment of teeth. A typodont is used in teaching orthodontic procedures.

The universal numerical notation is an alternative numerical notation for teeth. In this notation, the upper right third molar is designated as tooth#1, and then each tooth is numbered sequentially moving right to left and down across the mouth of a patient.

A clear wax used to prevent braces from irritating lips when braces are first put on.

A procedure to measure how well the teeth of a patient come together. A patient bites a sheet of wax and leaves bitemarks in the wax. The orthodontist looks at the bitemarks to see how well the teeth are aligned.