Restore Your Smile · Fishersville
Dental dictionary: every term, in plain English.
Heard a word during your visit and weren't sure what it meant? Saw a code on a treatment plan that needs translating? Use this A-Z reference — written by your team at Willis Family Dentistry, for the people who actually need it.
Definitions are written for everyday patients, not for clinicians. Nothing in this glossary replaces a one-on-one conversation with your dentist — if you'd like a term explained against your own treatment plan or X-rays, give the office a call on 540-885-8037.
A
- Abscess
- A collection of pus, usually caused by infection inside or around a tooth.
- Abutment
- A tooth or implant that anchors a bridge or denture in place.
- Amalgam
- A traditional silver filling material made of mercury combined with other metals.
- Anesthetic
- A medication that causes temporary loss of sensation in a small area.
- Anterior
- The front of the mouth — your incisors and canines.
- Apex
- The very tip of a tooth's root.
- Asepsis
- The absence of micro-organisms — a sterile environment.
- Attrition
- Wear of teeth from normal activities like chewing.
- Avulsed
- A tooth that has been completely knocked out of its socket.
B
- Bitewing
- A small dental X-ray taken with the teeth biting together. Used to check for cavities between teeth and the height of the supporting bone.
- Bleaching
- Whitening teeth using a peroxide-based product.
- Bridge
- A fixed prosthesis that replaces one or more missing teeth by anchoring to the teeth on either side of the gap.
- Bruxism
- Grinding or clenching the teeth, often at night.
C
- Canine
- The pointed third tooth from the middle of the jaw — your longest natural tooth.
- Canker sore
- A small, painful ulcer with a yellow base and red border that forms inside the mouth.
- Caries
- Tooth decay.
- Cavity
- A hole in a tooth caused by decay.
- Cast
- A model of your teeth, made from an impression or digital scan.
- Cementation
- The process of bonding a crown, bridge, or other appliance into place.
- Chlorhexidine
- A prescription antimicrobial rinse or gel used to control gum disease.
- Clasp
- The metal arm of a removable partial denture that grips a natural tooth for stability.
- Cold sore
- A blister or ulcer on the lip caused by herpes simplex virus.
- Composite
- A tooth-colored white filling material.
- Cross-bite
- A bite alignment problem where one or more lower teeth sit outward of the matching upper teeth.
- Crown
- A custom "cap" that covers a tooth above the gumline to restore its function and appearance — typically porcelain or metal.
D
- Decay
- Bacterial breakdown of tooth structure that creates a cavity.
- Dentition
- The arrangement, type, and number of teeth in your mouth.
- Denture
- A removable replacement for missing teeth — full (replacing all teeth) or partial (replacing some).
- Diastema
- A noticeable space or gap between two adjacent teeth.
- Distal
- The side of a tooth facing away from the midline of your mouth.
E
- Edentulous
- Having no remaining natural teeth.
- Endodontics
- The branch of dentistry focused on the dental pulp — i.e., root canal treatment.
- Eruption
- The process of a tooth emerging through the gum tissue.
- Extracted
- A tooth that has been removed from its socket.
- Extruded
- A tooth pushed partially out of its socket — usually from injury.
F
- Filling
- A restoration placed in a tooth to replace structure lost to decay or fracture.
- Flipper
- A temporary partial denture used while a permanent restoration is being made.
- Floss
- A thin thread or tape used to clean between teeth where a brush can't reach.
- Fluoride
- A mineral that strengthens tooth enamel and helps prevent decay — found in water, toothpaste, and professional varnishes.
- Fracture
- A crack in a tooth, which may extend into the root and damage the nerve.
G
- Gingivitis
- The earliest, mildest form of gum disease — inflammation of the gums, often signaled by bleeding when you brush.
H
- Hemorrhage
- Bleeding.
- Hemostasis
- The control or stopping of bleeding.
I
- Impaction
- A tooth that is unable to come in normally — often blocked by another tooth or bone (most commonly wisdom teeth).
- Implant
- A small titanium post surgically placed in the jawbone to support a crown, bridge, or denture.
- Impression
- A mold of your teeth — taken with a soft material on a tray, or now more often with a digital scan.
- Incisal
- The biting edge of your front teeth.
- Incisor
- One of the four flat front teeth on the upper or lower jaw.
- Inlay
- A custom lab-made restoration that fits into the chewing surface of a tooth, like a puzzle piece.
- Interproximal
- The space between two adjacent teeth.
L
- Lingual
- The tongue side of a tooth.
M
- Mesial
- The side of a tooth facing toward the midline of your mouth.
- Molar
- One of the large back teeth used for grinding food. Adults have up to twelve, including wisdom teeth.
- Mouthguard
- A custom or stock device worn over the teeth to protect against sports injuries or grinding.
N
- Nightguard
- A custom-fit mouthguard worn while sleeping to protect against bruxism (teeth grinding).
O
- Occlusal
- The biting surface of a back tooth.
- Occlusion
- The way your upper and lower teeth meet when you close your mouth — your bite.
- Onlay
- A custom lab-made restoration that covers the entire biting surface of a tooth.
- Open bite
- A bite condition where the upper and lower front teeth don't meet when you close your mouth.
- Orthodontics
- The dental specialty focused on correcting bite alignment and tooth position with braces or aligners.
- Overbite
- The vertical overlap of the upper front teeth in front of the lower front teeth when biting.
- Overhang
- Excess filling material extending beyond the edge of the cavity — a small but real problem because it traps plaque.
P
- Palate
- The roof of your mouth.
- Panoramic Radiograph
- A wide-view X-ray that captures both jaws and the surrounding structures in a single image.
- Periapical
- The tissue immediately surrounding the tip of a tooth's root.
- Periodontics
- The dental specialty focused on diagnosing and treating gum (periodontal) disease.
- Permanent teeth
- Adult teeth — the first one usually appears around age 6.
- Polish
- A finishing step in a cleaning that smooths and brightens tooth or filling surfaces.
- Pontic
- The artificial tooth in a bridge or denture that fills the gap left by a missing tooth.
- Post
- A small support — usually metal or fiber — placed in a root canal-treated tooth to anchor a crown.
- Posterior
- The back of the mouth — your premolars and molars.
- Pre-authorization
- An insurance company's advance approval of a proposed dental treatment.
- Premolar
- One of the smaller two-cusp teeth located between the canines and molars.
- Primary teeth
- Baby teeth — the first set of 20 that begin coming in around 6 months of age.
- Prophylaxis
- A professional dental cleaning. Sometimes shortened to "prophy."
- Prosthesis
- Any artificial replacement for missing teeth — bridge, denture, implant crown.
- Prosthodontics
- The dental specialty focused on the replacement of missing teeth and the rebuilding of severely worn or damaged smiles.
- Pulp
- The innermost layer of a tooth, containing the nerve and blood vessels.
- Pulpectomy
- Removal of the entire pulp tissue inside a tooth.
- Pulpotomy
- Removal of just the upper portion of the pulp inside a tooth — most often done in baby teeth.
R
- Radiograph
- An X-ray image.
- Recall
- Your routine return cleaning and exam appointment — typically every six months.
- Recementation
- Re-bonding a crown, bridge, or other appliance back into place.
- Restoration
- Anything used to repair or rebuild a tooth — a filling, crown, bridge, inlay, or onlay.
- Retainer
- A custom appliance worn after orthodontic treatment to keep teeth in their new position.
- Retreatment
- Repeating a root canal procedure on a tooth that did not heal as expected the first time.
- Root
- The portion of a tooth below the gumline that anchors it in the jawbone.
- Root canal
- The hollow channel inside a tooth's root, containing the nerve and blood vessels — also a common shorthand for root canal treatment.
- Root planing
- A deep-cleaning procedure that smooths the surface of a tooth's root below the gumline to remove bacteria and tartar.
- Rubber dam
- A thin sheet of latex (or latex-free material) that isolates a tooth being worked on from the rest of the mouth.
S
- Scaling
- A deep cleaning that removes tartar and bacteria from below the gumline.
- Sealant
- A thin protective resin coating bonded to the chewing surface of a back tooth to prevent cavities from starting in the grooves.
- Sedation
- The use of medication to help an anxious patient relax during a dental procedure.
- Space Maintainer
- A small appliance used to hold space in a child's mouth when a baby tooth is lost too early.
- Splint
- A device or material that stabilizes a loose tooth or part of an appliance.
T
- Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ)
- The hinge joint that connects your lower jaw to your skull, just in front of the ear.
- Torus
- A harmless bony growth, most often found on the roof of the mouth or along the inside of the lower jaw.
V
- Veneer
- A thin layer of porcelain or composite bonded to the front of a tooth to improve its appearance.
W
- Wisdom tooth
- The eighth and last tooth from the midline of the jaw — usually erupts (or fails to) between ages 17 and 25.
X
- Xerostomia
- Dry mouth — often a side effect of medications, certain medical conditions, or radiation treatment.
Don't see a term you're looking for? Email or call us with the word and we'll add a clear definition — and explain it for your own situation while we're at it.
Want a term explained for your own plan?
The dictionary is a starting point. Your dentist on Medical Park Drive will walk you through your X-rays, photos, and estimate in plain English — no jargon, no surprises.
Questions about dental terminology
Is this dental dictionary written for patients or clinicians?
It's written for you — a plain-language reference for terms you'll hear during a visit, on a treatment estimate, or on an insurance breakdown. It's not a clinical textbook, and nothing here replaces a real conversation with your dentist on Medical Park Drive about your specific situation.
I saw something on my treatment plan that isn't in the dictionary. Can you explain it?
Yes — every estimate from Willis Family Dentistry is walked through with you before any chair time begins. If a procedure code or term doesn't make sense, ask the front desk or your hygienist when you call 540-885-8037 and we'll explain it in everyday English.
What's the difference between a cleaning, a deep cleaning, and Arestin?
A regular cleaning (prophylaxis) removes plaque and tartar above the gumline. A deep cleaning (scaling and root planing) goes below the gumline when gum disease is present. Arestin is an antibiotic some patients receive after a deep cleaning when one or more pockets stay stubbornly deep — see our pages on each for details.
What's the difference between an inlay, an onlay, and a crown?
An inlay sits inside the chewing surface like a puzzle piece. An onlay covers the entire chewing surface but leaves the sides of the tooth alone. A crown covers the whole visible portion of the tooth above the gum. Each one preserves a different amount of your natural enamel — your dentist will recommend the most conservative option that solves the problem.
Who put this glossary together?
It's compiled and maintained by our clinical team at Willis Family Dentistry on Medical Park Drive in Fishersville. Definitions are reviewed by Dr. Brian Podbesek, DDS, and updated whenever materials, terminology, or clinical practice change.
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