A Simple Glossary
Dental terms
Dentistry has a language of its own. Here are plain-English explanations of the terms you may hear during your care.
- Abutment
- A small connector piece placed on top of a dental implant that supports and holds a crown, bridge, or denture.
- All-On-4®
- A treatment that uses four dental implants to permanently support a full arch of replacement teeth — often placed in a single day.
- Bone Graft
- A procedure that rebuilds or augments jawbone so there is enough healthy bone to securely anchor a dental implant.
- Bruxism
- The unconscious grinding or clenching of teeth, often during sleep, which a custom night guard can help protect against.
- CBCT (Cone Beam CT)
- A 3D imaging scan of the jaws used to plan precise, fully-guided dental implant placement.
- Crown
- A custom cap, usually porcelain, that covers a damaged or decayed tooth to restore its strength and appearance.
- Denture
- A removable replacement for missing teeth and surrounding tissue, available as full or partial.
- Immediate Denture
- A denture made before surgery and placed immediately after teeth are extracted, so you are never without teeth.
- Implant
- A titanium post surgically placed in the jaw to act as an artificial tooth root and support a replacement tooth.
- Osseointegration
- The natural process by which a dental implant fuses with the surrounding jawbone to form a stable foundation.
- Overdenture
- A denture that attaches to dental implants for a more secure and comfortable fit than a traditional denture.
- Partial Denture
- A removable appliance that replaces one or more missing teeth by clasping onto neighboring natural teeth.
- Prosthodontics
- The dental specialty focused on restoring and replacing teeth with crowns, bridges, dentures, and implants.
- Reline
- The refitting of a denture’s inner surface to improve comfort and fit as the gums heal or change over time.
- Sealant
- A thin protective coating applied to the grooves of back teeth to help prevent cavities.
- Snap-In Denture
- An implant-secured denture that snaps firmly onto implants for greater stability and chewing power, with no messy glue.
- Soft Liner
- A cushioned material placed inside an immediate denture during healing to improve comfort and fit.
- Veneer
- A thin porcelain shell bonded to the front of a tooth to improve its color, shape, or alignment.
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