Dental glossary

In this section you will find explanations of some common terms used in communication between the doctor and the patient.

A

Dental abscess - is a purulent collection, well delimited from the surrounding tissues, and painful. It is accompanied by swelling of the adjacent region and by an altered general state: fever, chills, tachycardia, general fatigue, headache. It is a complication of an untreated condition of the dental pulp. Treatment consists of local incision and drainage, and systemically of antibiotic therapy. Without treatment, it develops into phlegmons of the neighbouring spaces.

Dental abrasion – is the loss of hard dental tissue through mastication or parafunctions (bruxism, harmful habits). Dental abrasion has several grades, classified as follows:

• grade I (affects the enamel layer);
• grade II (islands of dentine appear);
• grade III (bridges of union appear between the islands of dentine);
• grade IV (opening of the pulp chamber).

Air Flow – a device used in dental prophylaxis, which uses water, air and sodium bicarbonate powder to remove stains, bacterial plaque and soft deposits from the surfaces of the teeth. Thanks to the slightly abrasive bicarbonate powder, polishing of the cleaned surfaces is also achieved at the same time.

Tooth whitening – is a safe and effective procedure used to remove staining and to change the natural colour of the teeth when the patient wishes to do so.

Orthodontic appliance – This is a device made of acrylic, metal or combinations of these. Fitted in the oral cavity, its role is to correct the dento-maxillary anomaly, to maintain the result obtained and to prevent relapse from occurring.

Types of orthodontic appliances: mechanical or active appliances (activators), functional appliances (fitted with inclined planes or pads which, on closing the arches, convert the contraction force of the muscles that raise the mandible into orthodontic forces), passive or retention appliances (prevent the appearance of dento-maxillary anomalies or prevent relapse from occurring), fixed appliances (Brackets).

B

Periodontal disease – is the whole set of processes that affect the periodontal tissues responsible for supporting the teeth in the alveolus. Left untreated, it leads to premature loss of the teeth.

C

Dental caries – is the process of loss of hard dental tissue through demineralisation caused by the acidic environment.

Retention – A passive stage that concludes orthodontic treatment, aimed at maintaining the result obtained and preventing relapse.

D

Scaling – A therapeutic method by which supra- and subgingival tartar deposits are removed from the teeth and from prosthetic work.

Diastema – Interdental spacing of 2-10 mm between the two upper central incisors.

E

Extraction – A surgical intervention performed out of necessity, which consists of removing a diseased tooth that causes and sustains local, regional and general pathological processes that cannot be resolved through conservative treatments.

F

Dental veneers – are prosthetic pieces applied to the surface of the teeth with the aim of improving the colour, shape and/or position of the tooth. They can be direct, made of composite resins directly on the surface of the tooth, or indirect, made in the laboratory from ceramic materials and then bonded onto the surface of the tooth in the surgery.

Phlegmon – acute or subacute inflammation of the deep connective tissue or of the adipose tissue, most often a complication of an untreated abscess.

G

Gingivectomy – surgical intervention to remove gingival tissue for a therapeutic purpose – in cases of gingival hypertrophy – or an aesthetic one – in the case of prosthetic rehabilitations.

H

Fetid breath – Unpleasant odour of the breath; among the causes are poor oral hygiene, infections of the nasopharyngeal structures and pulmonary abscesses.

I

The dental implant – is a prosthetic device made of titanium that is inserted into the maxillary bones with the aim of supporting prosthetic work.

Inlays – a prosthetic piece made in the laboratory with the aim of filling extensive carious processes.

M

Tooth mobility – is the physiological property of teeth to move within the dental alveolus.

O

Dental filling – The dental filling is the treatment of choice for dental caries. It consists of filling the carious process with materials that are natural-looking and mechanically resistant to the process of mastication.

Natural-looking fillings – treating the carious process by filling the cavity with aesthetic materials (composite resins)

T

Dental tartar – is a deposit of mineral salts laid down on the dental surfaces, resulting from the maturation of bacterial plaque that persists on the surface of the teeth.