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Glossary of Dental Terms

A handy reference

Common Dental Terms

We’ve put together this handy reference guide of terms you might hear when speaking with your dentist or support staff.

Please don’t hesitate to ask your dental care provider for clarification. We’re here to help make your experience as pleasant as possible!

Root Canal Therapy

The process of removing the pulp of a tooth and filling it with an inert material.

Root Resection

The removal of a portion of diseased root structure, but retaining the remaining natural tooth.

Rubber Dam

A soft latex sheet used to isolate one or more teeth from contamination by oral fluids and to keep materials from falling to the back of the throat.

Reimplantation

The insertion and temporary fixation of partially or completely avulsed teeth resulting from traumatic injury.

Reline

The acrylic restoration of a denture base to compensate for bone loss. Direct in conjunction with a dental laboratory.

Restoration

The replacement of a portion of a damaged tooth.

Retained Root

The partial root structure remaining in the jaw after extraction or fracture of a natural tooth.

Root

The tooth structure that connects the tooth to the jaw.

Root Canal

Unfortunately not all teeth are perfectly healthy. We can save a damaged tooth by performing a root canal – which removes decay on the interior space of the root. We will discuss this and other options with you before determining what works best for you.

Resources

Which Clear Aligners are Best?

A straight, healthy smile is more than just your best feature—it may also be your most important. Proper alignment, or occlusion, of your teeth and jaws is critical to the long-term functioning of your teeth, jaws, and mouth, as well as to your overall health. Misaligned teeth and jaws can lead to problems like uneven…

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Gum Disease Patients are Nine Times More Likely to Die of COVID-19

In a study published in the online Journal of Clinical Periodontology, researchers found that COVID patients with gum disease were more likely to suffer serious medical complications, including being: 3.5 times more likely to be admitted to intensive care 4.5 times more likely to need a ventilator Nearly nine times more likely to die compared…

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Marijuana Use and Oral Health Effects

Is smoking marijuana ruining your smile? Now that marijuana is legal in many states for recreational or medicinal purposes (or both) we will soon be able to conduct more comprehensive studies on the true oral health effects of cannabis use. What we understand so far about the oral health effects of smoking cannabis is based…

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