Gossary of terms

Acrylic - The common name for the material from which most plastic dentures are constructed.

Bleaching (tooth whitening) - Process of brightening or whitening stained, discolored, or dull teeth with an in-office power bleaching method.

Bridge - A bridge is a custom device anchored to neighbouring teeth that replaces one or more missing teeth. When a lost tooth is replaced with bridgework, the teeth on either side of the missing one must be prepared as crowns which will serve as abutments to hold the replacement teeth in place.

Composite resin - Tooth-colored filling material made of resin reinforced with silica or porcelain particles.

Crown - A crown-sometimes called a cap-is a tooth like covering placed over a carefully prepared existing tooth. Most crowns are made of porcelain, a stain resistant material that closely replicates the appearance and function of your natural teeth. Used to strengthen, restore or improve the appearance of your natural tooth a crown is placed on an individual tooth much like a thimble over your finger. Crowns are also used to support teeth when there is no longer sufficient tooth structure left to place a filling.

Enamel - Hard, white outer layer of the tooth that covers and protects the dentin. It is the hardest natural substance in the animal kingdom and only diamond and tungsten-carbide can cut it effectiv

Inlay - Porcelain, resin, or gold filling (made to fit a prepared cavity) bonded in place to help restore a decayed or broken tooth.

Implant - A dental implant is quite simply a synthetic tooth root. This provides the support a crown needs to withstand the pressures of chewing. Implants help reverse the negative impact of missing teeth in a variety of ways, restores and maintains the natural bite, prevents unnatural stress on the other teeth, keeps opposing teeth in their proper place, prevents tilting and shifting of adjacent teeth and enhances your smile, speech and chewing function.

Laminates or veneers - Thin, custom-made moldings that cover the fronts of unattractive teeth. They are crafted from lifelike, high-tech materials to portray a bright, natural smile. If you are looking to improve your smile, custom-fitted veneers can provide the answer. 

Panoramic X-ray - The machine spins around your head to get the "big picture." Dentists use this radiograph for several things. They are excellent for taking teeth out and for preliminary diagnosis of many conditions. We can use them to get a good overview of the amount of bone support your teeth have. We can evaluate the sinuses and screen for a variety of pathological conditions that can occur in both the upper and lower jaws.

Partial denture - Removable dental appliance that replaces some of the natural teeth.

Porcelain - Ceramic, tooth-colored material that fuses at high temperatures to form a hard, enamel-like substance.

Root canal treatment (Endodontics) - Inside your tooth, running like a thread through the root, is the pulp. When the pulp is diseased or injured, the pulp tissue dies. If you do not remove it, your tooth gets infected and this causes intense pain and can lead to a dental abscess. After the dentist removes the pulp, the root canal is cleaned and sealed off to protect it. Then a crown is placed over your tooth to help make it stronger.

Veneers (porcelain or composite) - Are thin, custom-made moldings that cover the fronts of unattractive teeth. They are crafted from lifelike, high-tech materials to portray a bright, natural smile. If you are looking to improve your smile, custom-fitted veneers can provide the answer.

X-ray (Panoramic) - The machine spins around your head to get the "big picture." Dentists use this radiograph for several things. They are excellent for taking teeth out and for preliminary diagnosis of many conditions. We can use them to get a good overview of the amount of bone support your teeth have. We can evaluate the sinuses and screen for a variety of pathological conditions that can occur in both the upper and lower jaws.

X-ray (Periapical) This type of x-ray is the size of a postage stamp and is used for diagnosing specific conditions on or around a tooth such as cavities or bone loss caused by periodontal disease. With these we can often also see bone loss caused by a sickness within the tooth. Existing dental work can also be evaluated.

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