Dentists use a lot of special words and phrases to describe parts of the mouth, problems, and procedures. Your dentist can explain any term you don’t know, but in the meantime, here are some you can learn about:
- Abscess: Localized buildup of pus in an area of infection, usually around the tooth or in the gums that can ultimately destroy oral tissue.
- Abrasion: Tooth wear caused by forces other than chewing such as improper brushing or holding objects between the teeth.
- Bicuspid: A premolar tooth or a tooth with two cusps.
- Copayment: The member’s share of payment for a given service. The copayment is usually expressed as a percentage of a dentist’s contracted fee, but can be expressed as a member’s preset share of payment for a given service.
- Covered Service: A dental treatment for which payment is provided under the terms of a member’s dental plan.
- Crown: A cover that is put over a tooth to help restore the tooth’s normal shape, size, and function. These are typically applied when individuals have a cavity too large for filling, a cracked or weakened tooth, or want to conceal a discolored or poorly shaped tooth.
- Decay: The decomposition of the tooth structure.
- Deciduous Teeth: The first set of teeth a child gets, also known as primary teeth or baby teeth. There are 20 deciduous teeth, which are usually all in place around age 2.
- Deductible: A dollar amount that each member must pay toward covered services before Delta Dental’s benefits are paid. This is often referred to as the member’s out-of-pocket costs.
- Excision: The surgical removal of bone or tissue.
- Extraction: The act of removing a tooth or portions of a tooth.
- HIPAA: the “Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996,” a Federal law intended to improve access to health coverage, limit fraud and abuse, protect personal health information, and control administrative costs.
- Impacted Tooth: A partially erupted tooth positioned against another tooth, bone, or soft tissue, making complete eruption unlikely.
- Implant: A device placed within or on the bone of the jaw or skull to support a crown, bridge, denture, facial prosthesis, or to act as an orthodontic anchor.
- Molar: The teeth that are posterior to the premolars on either side of the jaw and have broad chewing surfaces.
- Periodontitis: The inflammation and loss of the connective tissue of the supporting structure of teeth.
- Root Canal: The chamber within the root of the tooth that contains pulp.
- Sealants: Plastic resin placed on the biting surfaces of molars in order to prevent bacteria from attacking the enamel.
- Veneer: Thin coverings placed over the front part of teeth made to look like natural teeth.
- Wisdom Teeth: The last teeth to come in during the mid to late teenage years. They are also called third molars.