We are committed to providing compassionate care and affordable yet exceptional dental treatment for you and your family.

Our focus is on getting you actively involved in selecting healthy choices and assist you in achieving that goal of a Brighter Healthy Smile. We believe that an educated patient makes the best patient and have provided a list of commonly used terms in Dentistry.

Some Common Dental Terms

Amalgam: A type of tooth filling made of silver and mercury.  The metallic mixture is initially soft so that it can be molded to fit the tooth and gradually hardens. See alternatives: Gold, composites and porcelain.

Bicuspids: The premolars

Bitewing X-rays: Screening x-rays used to detect tooth decay and to check crestal bone levels.

Braces: Bands, wires, ceramic or other appliances used to correct teeth alignment. 

Bridges: Dental work that involves supporting a replacement tooth between two healthy teeth.

Calculus: Same as tartar. Occurs when plaque is left on the teeth untreated. A hard substance that acts an irritant by wedging between the tooth and gum. Left untreated calculus can eventually lead to periodontal disease.

Canines: The teeth located just to the left and right of the lateral incisors, 4 in total. Also referred to as cuspids.

Canker Sore: An ulcer appearing inside the mouth or lips and can be quite painful.  Not to be confused with 'Cold Sore".

Central Incisors: The first four front teeth, two located on the top and two on the bottom of the mouth.

Composite Fillings: An alternative to silver fillings. They do not contain mercury ( that is present in silver fillings) and are a more esthetic option.

Crowns: A restoration that completely covers the tooth thereby protecting it from fracture. Can be made out of Porcelain, Gold and Porcelain fused to gold.

Digital X-Ray: A healthier choice to conventional film x-rays. It utilizes a digital sensor that requires considerably less radiation per exposure. It is also a 'greener' option since it eliminates the need for harmful processing chemicals or other wastes associated with traditional film x-rays.

Dentures: Partial or full dentures are a 'removable' option to replace teeth.

Endodontist: Board Certified Dentists who specialize on teeth and diseases of the tooth pulp

Endentulous: Without any teeth.

Fluoride: A chemical substance known to strengthen teeth enamel making teeth less susceptible to decay.  There are two ways fluoride makes its way to teeth: ingestion through food or water; and topical application made directly to the surface of the teeth by the dentist.

Gingivitis: Stage one of early periodontal disease characterized by inflammation, swollen, reddish gum tissue which may bleed easily when touched or brushed.   Untreated, gingivitis can lead to chronic periodontal disease and the stability of your teeth.

Gold Fillings: An alternative to Silver Amalgam fillings. Gold is longer lasting however they are generally much more complicated, expensive and require multiple visits. Gold is generally used as totally cast fillings which are cemented into the mouth.

Halitosis: The same as bad breath. Halitosis has several potential causes including dentures, tooth decay or periodontal disease.

Impacted Tooth: A tooth that is blocked by an adjacent tooth preventing it from erupting the surface of the gum. An impacted tooth may push other teeth together or damage the bony structures supporting the adjacent tooth. Often times, impacted teeth must be surgically removed.

Lateral Incisors: The teeth located just to the left and right of the central incisors, 4 in total

Local Anesthesia: A class of Anesthesia substance applied by injection directly to the gums or mouth tissue to provide pain relief to a local area of the mouth or gum. Lidocain and prilocaine, and mepivacain are the most widely used. Dentists often apply local anesthesia to reduce the pain associated with general dental procedures. The advantages are that the patient remains alert during the procedure without the pain.

Molars: The class of teeth found in the back of the mouth after the canines that are characterized as having multiple biting surfaces.

Occlusal X-rays: Larger X-rays taken to show the whole bite of the lower and upper jaw.

Onlay: A large filling when a substantial part of the tooth is replaced.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon: Board Certified Dentists who specialize on surgery of the teeth and bones of the jaw, jawbone or face.

Orthodontist: Board Certified Dentists who specialize on correcting abnormally aligned or positioned teeth. 

Panoramic X-rays: As the name suggests, a type of  X-ray where the X-ray machine makes a complete half circle from ear to ear to produce a complete two dimensional representation of all teeth.

Periapical X-rays: X-rays providing complete side views from the roots to the crowns of the teeth. Typically a complete set consists of 14-24 films with each tooth appearing in two different films from two different angles.

Pediatric Dentist: Board Certified Dentists who specialize on children's teeth.

Periodontist: Board Certified Dentists who specialize on gums, gum disease, tissues and structures supporting the teeth.

Perio Charting: A numeric assignment indicating the depth of a periodontal probe which is used to measure the depth between the teeth and the adjacent gums.  The larger the number, the larger the space and the more likely that periodontal disease can or has occurred.

Plaque: A sticky fairly transparent film that forms on the teeth or cracks of the teeth primarily composed of undigested food particles mixed with saliva and bacteria.   Plaque left alone eventually turns in to tartar or calculus.

Prosthodontist: Board Certified Dentists who specialize in the replacement of missing teeth by bridges and dentures. 

Root Planing: The procedure of scraping plaque off of teeth below the gum line or on the root of the tooth.

Sealants: A substance applied to the biting surface of teeth to protect the teeth from decay.

Splints: Used with an otherwise healthy tooth has become loose due to advanced periodontal disease. The loose tooth is wired to surrounding solid teeth and a composite is added on top to hold the wire in place.

TMJ/TMD: Temporalmandibular Joint (TMJ) /Temporomandibular disorder (TMD).   The temporalmandibular joint is a complicated joint formed where the lower jaw bone attaches to the head. TMD refers to general class of disorder affecting the bones and muscles of this region.  Symptoms range from tenderness and swelling to headaches and neck and back aches. Generally, a clicking or popping sound when the jaw is opened or closed is evidence or some form of one of the disorders.

Trench Mouth: Same as Vincent's Infection and Necrotizing Ulcerative Gingivitis (NUG). An acute and painful infection of the gums not contagious with a odor and painful bleeding of the mouth and gums.

Veneers: A process whereby porcelain facings are bonded over the teeth to create a more esthetic appearance.  May require some tooth reduction.

Vizilite Plus: An oral cancer screening procedure.

X-Rays: High frequency light (or radiation) which penetrate different substances with different rates and absorbtion. By using film on the opposite side of the substance, different level of exposure are recorded corresponding to each of the different substances to form a picture. In dentistry, there are typically 4 types of X-rays: Periapical, Bite-wing, Occlusal, Panoramic.

Educational Videos

Links

• American Dental Association (ADA)
• New Jersey Dental Association (NJDA)
• American Dental Hygienists' Association (NJDA)
• American Academy of Implant Dentistry

ViziLite® - Oral Cancer Screening

• As is the case with most cancers, age is the primary risk factor for oral cancer. Approximately 90% of oral cancer victims are age 40 and older, recent studies indicate that increasingly, patients younger than age 40 are being diagnosed with oral cancer.

• Though tobacco and alcohol use are the primary lifestyle risk factors that contribute to the development of oral cancer, approximately 25% of oral cancer victims do not use tobacco or alcohol, and have no lifestyle risk factors. Oral cancer affects men more than women; 2:1, but oral cancer in women is on the rise nationwide.

• Oral Cancer Foundation
• FDA Cancer Tools
• National Cancer Institute
• National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
• National Oral Health Information Clearing House
• National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship

Please note: All links to third party sites are for information only. Links are provided as a tool to help you in your research.

Are you at risk for gum disease? Click below to find out.

What is Gum Disease? Click below to educate yourself.