A

Abutment - Abutment- refers to a tooth that helps to support a fixed bridge, or that part of the implant that supports an implant prosthesis.

B

Bar-overdenture - a denture that is held in place with a special bar attached to teeth or implants. There are several different designs and attachments used for this type prosthesis.

Bone graft - either artificial (synthetic) bone, human bone from the same individual, or from a bone bank, used to increase bone height or width.

Bridge - when a tooth is lost it leaves a space. If the non-removable (fixed) prosthetic replacement is supported by crowns on either side of the space, it is called a bridge.

C

Clinical Crown - the portion of the natural tooth that extends above the bone and gum tissue and is visible in the mouth. (see natural tooth crown)  

D

Dental implant - an artificial replacement of various designs for natural teeth that are missing. An implant can be placed on top of the bone (subperiosteal), through the bone (transosteal), or within the bone (endosseous). Root form implants replace the root portion of a tooth.

Denture - an artificial replacement for missing teeth and adjacent tissues.

E

Endodontics - the specialty concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of infections that invade the nerve of the tooth.

Endodontist- a dentist who limits his/her practice to the specialty of endodontics.

F

Fixed-detachable prosthesis - detachable prosthesis- a prosthetic replacement for missing natural teeth that is non-removable for the patient, yet the dentist is still able to remove it when necessary. It is also referred to as a fixed-detachable denture.

Fixed prosthesis - the prosthetic replacement for missing natural teeth that is either cemented or screwed into a non-removable position in the mouth. This can be a single crown, splinted to adjacent teeth, or a bridge.

G

Gingival tissue- the pink tissue that surrounds the natural teeth. Also referred to as gum tissue.

H

Healing collar - after an implant is exposed, or uncovered, a healing collar is placed on top of the implant to allow for proper placement and healing of the gum tissue.

I

Implantology (oral) - the science and discipline of restoring missing teeth and oral structures to regain function, comfort, and esthetics through the use of dental implants. Also called dental implantology or oral implantology.

Implantologist - a dentist who has limited his/her practice to placing and restoring dental implants. An implantologist may use all the different varieties of dental implants available on the market.

M

Mandible- the lower jawbone.

Maryland bridge- a fixed-type prosthetic replacement for missing teeth held in place with special metal wings that are bonded or cemented to adjacent teeth.

Maxilla- the upper jawbone that also includes the bones of the eyes, the hard palate, and the nose

Maxillary sinus- the anatomical space located in the bone above the back teeth of the upper (maxillary) jaw.

Maxillofacial- pertaining to the region of the head that contains the facial bones, including the maxilla and the mandible. The term usually refers to specialized surgical or prosthetic reconstruction of this area of the face.

Mental foramin- the area where the mandibular nerve exists the bone in the anterior lower jaw.

N

Natural Tooth Crown_ (see clinical crown)

O

Oral surgeon- a specially trained dentist who has limited his/her practice to the specialty of oral surgery.

Oral Surgery- the specialty concerned with the diagnosis, reconstruction, correction, and management of normal and abnormal structures of the head, neck, and oral cavity.

Orthodontics- the specialty of dentistry concerned with the correction and maintenance of malaligned teeth and structures of the oral cavity.

Orthodontist- a specially trained dentist who has limited his/her practice to the specialty of orthodontics.

Osseointegration- a term that describes the amount of newly formed bone that surrounds and directly contacts a dental implant.

Overdenture- a denture that is placed over remaining tooth roots or implants.

P

Periodontics- the science and discipline concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and management of normal and abnormal conditions of gum and bone tissues surrounding teeth.

Periodontist- a specially trained dentist who has limited his/her practice to the specialty of periodontics.

Post- the prosthetic component that attaches directly to the implant that will support the final prosthesis. A post may also be used for a natural tooth that has undergone root canal therapy.

Prosthetics- the art and science of making and adjusting artificial replacement parts for the human body.

Prosthetic crown- an artificial replacement for the clinical crown. This can be tooth colored (porcelain) or metal (gold or silver)

Prosthodontics- the art and science of providing suitable substitutes for missing or damaged teeth in order that impaired function, appearance, comfort, and health of the patient may be restored.

Prosthodontist- a specially trained dentist who has limited his/her practice to the specialty of prosthodontics.

R

Removable partial denture- a prosthetic (artificial) replacement for missing teeth, bone, and gum tissue.

Residual ridge- after a tooth has been extracted, the remaining bone heals and is referred to as the residual ridge.

Root form implant- a dental implant that resembles the root portion of a tooth

S

Sinus elevation procedure- a procedure that involves placing a bone graft into the maxillary sinus to help gain additional support for placing implants and restoring the posterior upper arch of teeth.