Dental Jargon Simplified

Teeth Jargon/Dental Words Simplified

Deciduous teeth – Baby teeth

Supernumerary teeth– Extra teeth

Anterior – Front teeth

Posterior – Back teeth

Centrals – Front teeth in the centre

Incisors– The two teeth either side of your front ones

Canines – The ones that look pointier in shape (tooth number 3 from the front centrals)

Pre molars– Midpoint in the mouth

Molars – Back teeth

Wisdom teeth– Some people have them some don’t. They are found right at the back of the mouth if they were to ever erupt through the gum (normally erupt when older in age)

Apex – Tip of the root

Caries – A poorly tooth that has decay in it

Periodontal disease– Also known as gum disease

Subgingival – Below the gum margins

Gingival Recession– Gum has shrunk or receded up to expose the tooth or root surface more

Buccal facet – A tooth wear usually from brushing too hard on the sides of the teeth (outer sides of the teeth closest to your cheek surface is called the buccal surface of the tooth)

Erosion– Loss of the hard tooth structure on the surface normally caused by acids such as certain acidic drinks or even acid reflux

TMJ (temporomandibular joint) – The jaw joint – Some people can suffer issues with their jaw joint relating to stress or other trigger points, causing them to clench or grind their teeth which can then result in TMJ disorder or simply put – an aching/ tender jaw

BPE (basic periodontal examination) – The checking of your gum health with a special “BLUNT” measuring probe carried out by a dentist, therapist or hygienist. (This is when they call out numbers like 0,1,2,3 … This is just the different depth numbers on the measuring probe)

PA x-ray – A periapical x-ray is an x-ray taken of a close up of a specific tooth to include the crown (top part of the tooth above gum level) and also the root(s) and apex

BW x-ray – A bitewing x-ray is taken to check more than one specific tooth. It checks the upper and lower crown areas on a specific side of the mouth

OPG– Is a type of x-ray that goes around your head to take a picture of the whole of your teeth / jaw area

CT scan – Is a scan of a specific part of the mouth. An example of when this would be taken is when checking there is enough bone for an implant placement.

Root canal – If you ever need a root canal for whatever reason, it’s just the removal of the nerves from the tooth canal(s) -then filling them up with a special material- Just think of it as an extended filling into the canals of the roots

Abscess– An infection

Mobility grading – If you have a loose tooth the dentist, therapist or hygienist looking after you will grade the tooth on how mobile it is – based on the grading of how loose a tooth is they will try tailored treatments plans such as deep cleaning to try get some attachment of the gum to the tooth and save it – if it’s too mobile to save the dentist will discuss what other options there is for you

Dry socket – A dry socket can occur after a difficult tooth extraction or if you smoke too soon after having a tooth removed. Basically, the socket needs a blood clot to form to then help it heal. If you smoke, you risk drying the socket up and leaving an area which bacteria love and will thrive. (hence the name dry socket) or if it’s been a prolonged difficult extraction it can happen too. There are other reasons why a dry socket may occur but to keep it simple the removal site is struggling to heal due to lack of or no blood clot formation

Soft tissue examination – When the dentist checks over your soft tissues like tongue and cheeks

NAD (no abnormal defects) – A dentist may sound out the letters to their nurse when you’re having a check- up “S T E…N A D” which Is just, soft tissue examination – no abnormal defects. Just means they haven’t picked up on anything abnormal and all looks fine in that specific area. The use of abbreviated words and letters helps the communication between the clinician and nurse be quicker and more effective when making clinical notes for your records

There are many more dental words and phrases we could simplify but the main ones we hope we have pretty much covered for you. Now let’s check out some key product ingredients translated into what they actually do so next time you’re looking for a toothpaste or mouthwash and wonder if what’s in it is right for you the following can hopefully be of help.

Toothpaste product ingredients simplified

Potassium nitrate – Provides short term relief from sensitivity

Calcium carbonate– A common toothpaste abrasive that helps remove plaque

Sodium fluoride– Helps strengthen teeth (anti decay)

Hydroxyapatite – Blocks exposed dental tubules in teeth to help with the relief of sensitivity long term

Sodium saccharin – Artificial sweetener

Stevia– Natural sweetener

Xylitol – Starves plaque producing bacteria and acts as a sweetener which doesn’t effect blood sugar

Glycerin– Has anti-microbial properties and keeps the toothpaste moist

Titanium dioxide– Gives toothpaste its bright white colour

SLS also known as Sodium laurel sulphate – Gives the toothpaste its foaming effect. A lot of toothpastes tend to not have this in due to its nature it can be irritating to some users such as causing mouth ulcers

Mouthwash Key Ingredients

PVP- Whitening agent that prevents stains from sticking to your teeth

Monosodium and Disodium phosphate – PH stabilisers

PEG40 and Polysorbate 20 – These are emulsifiers for flavour. Mouthwashes tend to use these as flavoured oils alone cant mix with water

Chlorhexidine – Helps with gum care

CPC (cetylpyridium chloride) – Preservative