2. The portion of the pulp
cavity inside the root of the
tooth; the
chamber within the root of
the tooth that contains the
pulp; the passage which
transmits vessels and
nerves through the jaw to
branches that distributes
them to the teeth.
ROOT CANAL
3. The tip or end of
the root of the
tooth
Root APEX
4. The area surrounding
the end of a tooth
root.
Periapical area
5. Lay terms: pus.
Definition: A material
usually resulting from
infection and
inflammation.
EXUDATE
6. Lay terms: gum boil
Definition: A drainage spot
in the gums. It is a sign that
infectious pus is draining
into the mouth. Very often
people have fistulae with no
symptoms at all; however,
the cause of this drainage
must be addressed.
Fistula
7. It is the treatment of
disease and injuries of
the pulp. Root canal
treatment is carried out
when the pulp (or
nerve) inside the tooth
is damaged or becomes
infected. If infected pulp
is not treated, it may
become an abscess.
ROOT CANAL THERAPY
9. A surgical root canal
treatment used to seal the
tip of a root when
conventional root canal
treatment has failed or is
contraindicated. It is
usually a very
straightforward treatment
with quick recovery.
Apicoectomy
10. A surgical procedure
whereby the roots of a
tooth are separated and
treated as individual
teeth. Used when
maintaining the tooth
intact is impossible
because of gum disease.
Hemisection
11. Describes a tooth
with extreme
inflammation of the
nerve, and often
hard to numb with
the usual
techniques.
Hot Tooth
13. Alternate term: Gingival
pocket; gingival crevice
Definition: A shallow
depression between the
gingival crest and the neck of
the tooth.
Usage: In a healthy state, the
gingival sulcus may be up to 2
mm in depth, but this deepens
in periodontal disease to form
a periodontal pocket.
Gingival Sulcus
14. Alternate term: Periodontal
membrane
Definition: Fibrous connective
tissue that attaches the cementum
of the tooth root to the alveolar
bone of the jaw.
Usage: The periodontal ligament
feels and sends pressure
information to the brain, which is
used to coordinate chewing.
Periodontal Ligament
15. A soft sticky substance that
accumulates on teeth
composed largely of bacteria
and bacterial derivatives.
PLAQUE
16. Lay term: Tartar
Definition: Hard deposit of
mineralized plaque which is
attached to crowns and/or roots
of teeth.
Usage: Supragingival calculus
accumulates most easily on the
lingual surface of the lower
anterior teeth.
CALCULUS
17. Definition: Plaque above
the gum line.
Usage: In studies of
supragingival plaque
removal, the manual
toothbrush is considered
the gold standard against
which new technologies
are compared.
Supragingival Plaque
18. Definition: Plaque below
the gum line.
Usage: Subgingival plaque
removal is essential for
controlling inflammatory
periodontal disease.
Subgingival Plaque
19. It is the first stage of periodontal
disease, characterized by inflammation
of the gum tissue without any bone
loss. The clinical signs are swelling and
bleeding upon stimulation. Gingivitis is
the result of chronic infection caused
by plaque bacteria. Gingivitis is the first
stage of your body's literally trying to
reject your teeth, and requires
immediate treatment if it is not to
progress into more destructive forms
of gum disease.
Gingivitis
20. Lay term: Periodontal disease.
Definition: Infection and
inflammation of the gingival
tissues and/or periodontal
membrane of the teeth,
possibly producing
periodontal pockets and loss
of supporting bone.
PERIODONTITIS
21. Lay term: Receding gums
Definition: Describes the gingival
margin if it migrates towards the
apex of the tooth and can be
measured as the distance
between the cemento-enamel
junction and the gingival margin.
Usage: One cause of gingival
recession is brushing too hard or
incorrectly over a period of time.
Gingival Recession
22. A feature of periodontal
disease where the
connecting tissue has lost
its attachment leaving an
abnormally deep “pocket”
where bacteria and debris
collect and threaten the
whole tooth attachment
(periodontium) resulting in
loosening and tooth loss.
Periodontal pocket
23. Definition: The process
of measuring the depth
of periodontal pockets
using a blunt-ended
graduated probe.
Usage: Periodontal
probing is an essential
tool for diagnosing
gingival disease.
Probing
24. Lay term: scaling, dental
prophylaxis
Definition: Removal of
subgingival and/or
supragingival plaque
and calculus from teeth
with special
instruments.
DEBRIDEMENT
25. A treatment of periodontal
disease that involves
scraping the roots of a
tooth to remove bacteria
and tartar and diseased
cementum or dentin on the
tooth surfaces and in the
pocket of teeth with loss of
attachment surrounding
structure.
ROOT PLANING
26. The reshaping of gum
contours, often for
esthetic
purposes. Generally very
easy and non-painful, is
often a good solution for a
"gummy
smile". Performed with a
device very similar to a
laser in function.
Gingivoplasty
27. The removal of excess or extra
gum tissue to improve
cleansibility and health. Often
necessary to treat gum
overgrowth caused by a variety
of medications, including
Dilantin. Chronic mouth
breathing can also cause gum
hypertrophy.
Gingivectomy
28. Surgical replacement of
bone around tooth roots or
in preparation for a dental
implant. The predictability is
generally good, but varies
according to the particulars,
and should be carefully
discussed with your doctors.
Bone Graft
