Decoding Dental Terminology

Term

A
Alert

Definition

To being attention to a specific medical or

clinical condition.

ASPIRATE

To draw back or draw within

ANESTHETIC

Medication that produces temporary loss of

feeling or sensation.

Sentence

Every patient has any medical alerts

in the front cover of their patient
chart.
When suctioning you need to make
sure you get all the water and debris
so none of it is aspirated.
The most common used anesthetic is
local.

B
BLADE

Flat edge of instrument, sharp enough to cut.

All hand-cutting instruments have a

blade.

C
Condensation

Process by which liquid is removed from vapor.

Chronic

Persisting over a long time.

CONDENSATIO
N

Process by which liquid is removed from vapor.

CAVITY

Pitted area in tooth caused by decay.

CORONAL
POLISH

A technique used to remove plaque and stains

from the coronal surfaces of the teeth.

The car windows were cloudy with

condensation.
A common chronic disease in
children is dental caries.
When condensation is found in the
airlines it can produce moisture,
sediment, or algae and can be ejected
into a patients mouth.
If you have a cavity, you should get it
restored to prevent further decay.
Every time I go to the dentist I get a
coronal polish.

Decoding Dental Terminology

D
Diagnosis

DETECTION

DELEGATE

Identification or determination of the nature

and cause of a disease or injury through
evaluation of a patients history and
examination findings.
Act or process of discovering tooth
imperfections or decay.

DIASTEMA

To authorize or entrust another person to

perform a specific skill or procedure.
An electrical instrument used to hold rotary
instruments.
Time from induction to complete reversal of
anesthesia
A space between two teeth

DISCLOSING
AGENT

Coloring agent that makes plaque visible when

applied to teeth.

DENTAL
SEALANT
E
EXPOSED

Coating that covers the occlusal pits and

fissures of teeth.

EXTRINSIC
STAINS
F

Stains that occur on the external surfaces of

the teeth that may be removed by polishing.

Dental
Handpiece
DURATION

Pertaining to selected teeth visible through the

dam

In order to get an accurate diagnosis,

we need to take dental x-rays.

The detection of decay is very

important to determine the
procedures that need to be done.
The dentist will delegate many of his
duties to the dental assistant.
Dental handpieces are used
everyday in the dental office.
The duration of each anesthetic is
different.
It is not very uncommon to have a
diastema in the front of the maxillary
teeth.
When you place a disclosing agent
on your teeth it shows where you
need to spend more time brushing.
Dental sealants help prevent
cavities in pits and fissures.
When making a dental dam, the teeth
you are not working on should not be
exposed.
Drinking coffee can cause extrinsic
stains.

Decoding Dental Terminology

FURCATION

Area between two or more root branches.

FULCRUM

Finger rest used when one holds an instrument

or handpiece for a specified time.

FOUR-HANDED
DENTISTRY

Process by which the operator and the

assistant work together to perform clinical
procedures in an ergonomically structured
environment.

FLUORIDE
VARNISH
G
GRASP
H
HIPAA

HANDLE

I
INDIRECT
VISION
INVERT

Furcation can not be detected by xrays.

The dental assistant should use a
fulcrum to prevent injury to the
patient.
Four-handed dentistry is used on a
daily basis in the office between the
dental hygienist and dental assistant.
We will be learning to apply fluoride
varnish in class next Tuesday.

The correct way for an instrument or

handpiece to be held.

The dentist grasped the instrument

from the dental assistant.

The Health Insurance Portability and

Accountability Act of 1996 describes the
federal regulations that ensure privacy
regarding a patients healthcare information.
Part of a dental instrument that the operator
grasps.

All patients must be provided a

written copy of HIPAA and sign a copy
to acknowledge that they have
received it.
The operator needs to hold on tightly
to the handle of tools when working
with patients.

Viewing an object with the use of a mirror.

To view the occlusal area of tooth

number 2 you should use indirect
vision.
After placing the clamp and the frame
you need to invert the dam.

To reverse the position, order, or condition. To

turn inside out

Decoding Dental Terminology

ISOLATED

Pertaining to selected teeth visible through the

dam

When placing a dental dam the teeth

you are working on should be
completely isolated.

L
Laser

Fiber optic cable that produces a laser light.

LUMEN

The hollow center of the injection needle.

Some dental hand pieces have a

laser at the end of them.
Not all needles have the same sized
lumen.

M
MOBILITY

To have movement.

J
K

MYLAR

MATRIX

Brand name for clear plastic strip used to

provide a temporary wall for restoration of an
anterior tooth.
Foundation that binds or holds the dental
material and tooth together during the setting
process.

The tongue is a muscle in the mouth

that has a lot of mobility.
A restoration can be cured through a
mylar strip.
There are many types of matrix
systems to use while doing a cavity
restoration.

N
O
OXIMETRY
OVERHANG

Measurement of oxygen concentration in the

blood.
Excess restorative material that extends
beyond the cavity margin.

The oximetry is important when

using NO2.
Using a matrix system helps to
prevent overhang.

Decoding Dental Terminology

ORAL
PROPHYLAXIS
P
PROBING

The complete removal of calculus, debris,

stain, and plaque from the teeth.

I had an oral prophylaxis done at

my appointment last week.

Use of a slender, flexible instrument to explore

and measure the periodontal pocket.

PROPHY PASTE

Commercial premixed abrasive paste used for

polishing teeth and restorations
Sharp or tapered end

In almost every exam the dentist will

do periodontal probing to make sure
there isnt any supporting bone loss.
Prophy paste is used when doing a
coronal polish.
A periodontal probe has a point at the
end.

POINT

Decoding Dental Terminology

Q
R
Registration

Act of completing forms by providing personal

information.

RHEOSTAT

Foot-controlled device used to operate dental

handpieces.

Rotary

Part or device that rotates around an axis.

RESTORATIVE
DENTISTRY

Type of dentistry that restores teeth by

removing decay and restoring defects.

RENTENTION
PIN
S
SYMMETRIC

Basis of a stronger system used to retain and

support a tooth restoration.

SUPINE
POSITION
SUBSUPINE
POSITION

Lying-down positon in which the patients

head, chest, and knees are at the same level.
Lying-down position in which the patients
head is lower than the feet (below the heart);
used in emergency situations.
Part of an instrument in which the handle
attaches the working end.
Fluoride that is ingested and then circulated
through the blood.

Shank
SYSTEMIC
FLUORIDE

Balanced or even on both sides.

Before receiving any treatment each

patient must fill out a Patient
Registration form.
When cleaning up at the end of the
day the rheostat should be put up
under the patient chair so they can
clean the floors.
All rotary instruments work at
different speeds.
Restorative dentistry includes
dentures, bridges, implants, fillings,
and root canal therapy.
Depending on how much decay there
is a retention pin may be needed.
During examination both sides of the
face should be symmetric.
For most dental procedures, the
patient is in the supine position.
Patients should be in a subsupine
position when doing a procedure on
the maxillary teeth.
The three parts of a rotary instrument
are the shank, neck, and head.
Most cities have systemic fluoride in
the water.

Decoding Dental Terminology

T
TACTILE

Having a sense of touch or feel.

Torque

Twisting or turning force.

TOPICAL
FLUORIDE
U
UPRIGHT
POSITION

Fluoride that is applied directly to the teeth.

UNIVERSAL

UNIVERSAL
RETAINER
V
VASOCONSTRIC
TOR
VENEER

W
WORKING END

WEDGE

The operator must be tactile when

working with patients.
A high-speed handpiece has a higher
torque than a low-speed handpiece.
Topical fluoride is typically applied
in a dental office.

Vertical, seated position in which the back of

the dental chair is upright at a 90-degree
angle.
Pertaining to the same clamp that can be
placed on the same type of tooth in the
opposite quadrant.
Dental device used to hold a matrix band in
place during restoration of a class II cavity.

The patient chair should be in an

upright position when you bring a
patient in to be seated for an exam.
Dental clamps are universal.

Type of drug that constricts (narrows) blood

vessels; used to prolong anesthetic action.
Thin layer of composite resin or porcelain
bonded or cemented to a prepared facial
surface.

Lidocaine is a vasoconstrictor.

Part of a dental instrument that is used on the

tooth or when the dental materials are being
mixed.
Wooden or plastic triangular device placed in
the embrasure to provide the contour needed
when a class II lesion is restored.

The working end of most

instruments are sharp, so the operator
must be careful not to hurt a patient.
A wedge is used in a cavity
preparation to keep the matrix in
place.

A universal retainer can also be called

a Tofflemire.

Some people will get veneers on all

their teeth as a cosmetic procedure.

Decoding Dental Terminology

X
Y
Z