Dental estimates and treatment plans are full of words nobody explains. This page defines them in plain language so you can read your own paperwork and ask better questions. Each entry links to the page that covers it in full.
A
- Abutment — The connector that joins a dental implant in the bone to the crown, bridge or denture above it. Frequently excluded from headline implant prices, so ask whether it is included. Read more
- Abscess — A pocket of infection at the root of a tooth or in the gum. Usually painful and needs treatment of the cause, not antibiotics alone. Read more
- All-on-4 — A specific protocol replacing a full arch on four implants, two of them angled. A description of one plan, not a quality grade. Read more
- Amalgam — The silver-coloured filling material used for decades. Durable, and replaced when it fails rather than because it is old. Read more
B
- Bitewing — An X-ray view showing the crowns of upper and lower back teeth together, used mainly to find decay between teeth. Read more
- Bonding — Tooth-coloured composite shaped directly onto a tooth in one visit, often with little or no enamel removal. Read more
- Bruxism — The clinical term for grinding or clenching teeth, usually during sleep. Often noticed first as worn or chipped teeth. Read more
C
- Calculus — Hardened plaque, also called tartar. It cannot be brushed off and is removed professionally. Read more
- Caries — The clinical term for tooth decay. Read more
- Composite — Tooth-coloured resin used for fillings and bonding. Matched to your tooth shade; it does not lighten with whitening. Read more
- Cone-beam CT — A 3D scan used mainly for implant and surgical planning, showing bone volume and the position of nerves and sinuses. Read more
- Crown — A custom cover fitted over a tooth too damaged for a filling. Read more
- Crown lengthening — A procedure exposing more of the tooth by reshaping gum and sometimes bone, either for appearance or to allow a restoration. Read more
D
- Deep cleaning — Scaling and root planing — treatment for diagnosed gum disease, cleaning below the gum line. Different from a routine cleaning. Read more
- Dentine — The layer beneath enamel. More sensitive than enamel and decays faster once exposed. Read more
- Dry socket — Loss of the blood clot from an extraction socket, exposing bone. Notably painful, uncommon, and treatable. Read more
E
- Enamel — The hard outer layer of a tooth. It does not grow back, which is why any treatment that removes it is irreversible. Read more
- Endodontics — The dental speciality dealing with the inside of the tooth — root-canal treatment. Read more
- Extraction — Removal of a tooth. Simple when the tooth is fully erupted; surgical when it must be sectioned or the gum lifted. Read more
F
G
I
- Immediate denture — A denture fitted at the same appointment teeth are removed, so you are never without teeth. Relines are expected as gums heal. Read more
- Impacted — A tooth that cannot fully erupt, commonly a wisdom tooth. Impaction alone is not automatically a reason for removal. Read more
- Implant — A fixture placed in the jawbone to replace the root of a missing tooth, which then carries a crown, bridge or denture. Read more
- Inlay — A custom restoration bonded into a prepared cavity, between a filling and a crown in scope. Read more
- Interdental brush — A small brush for cleaning between teeth and around implants and bridges, where floss may not reach. Read more
M
- Malocclusion — A bite where the teeth do not meet as intended. Read more
O
- Onlay — Like an inlay but also covering one or more cusps, preserving more tooth than a full crown. Read more
- Osseointegration — The process by which bone fuses to an implant. It is why implant treatment takes months rather than weeks. Read more
- Overdenture — A denture that sits over implants or retained roots, held far more firmly than a conventional denture. Read more
P
- Panoramic X-ray — A single image showing both jaws, used for an overview rather than for detail on individual teeth. Read more
- Peri-implantitis — Inflammation with bone loss around an implant. The leading cause of implant failure years after placement, and often painless. Read more
- Periodontitis — Gum disease that has progressed to affect the bone supporting the teeth. Progression can be stopped; lost bone does not return. Read more
- Plaque — The soft film of bacteria that forms constantly on teeth. Removed by brushing; hardens into calculus if left. Read more
- Pocket depth — The measurement around a tooth used to diagnose and monitor gum disease. Read more
- Pontic — The false tooth in a bridge, spanning the gap between the supporting teeth. Read more
- Prophylaxis — The clinical term for a routine professional cleaning. Read more
- Prosthodontics — The dental speciality concerned with replacing teeth — crowns, bridges, dentures and implant restorations. Read more
- Provisional — A temporary crown, bridge or denture worn while the final restoration is made. A stage worth asking about explicitly. Read more
- Pulp — The nerve and blood supply inside a tooth. When irreversibly inflamed or infected, root-canal treatment is the usual answer. Read more
R
- Recession — Gum receding to expose the root surface, which is softer than enamel and decays more readily. Read more
- Reline — Refitting the base of a denture to the current shape of the ridge. Expected maintenance rather than a fault. Read more
- Retainer — An appliance that holds teeth in their new positions after orthodontic treatment. Retention is long term. Read more
- Root planing — Smoothing the root surfaces below the gum as part of gum disease treatment. Read more
S
- Scaling — Removing plaque and calculus from tooth surfaces. Read more
- Sealant — A resin coating flowed into the grooves of back teeth to prevent decay where a brush cannot reach. Read more
- Sinus lift — A procedure adding bone height below the sinus so an upper back implant has enough to anchor into. Read more
- Socket preservation — Placing graft material into a socket at the time of extraction to limit bone loss, usually when an implant is planned. Read more
V
- Veneer — A thin custom facing bonded to the front of a tooth to change shape, color or alignment. Read more
W
- Whitening — Lightening natural tooth structure with peroxide-based gels. Restorations do not change color. Read more
Common questions
What people ask before scheduling
Why does my estimate use words I do not recognize?
Dental coding and clinical language were not written for patients. You are entitled to ask for any item on an estimate to be explained in plain terms before you agree to it.
What is the difference between a cleaning and a deep cleaning?
A routine cleaning is preventive maintenance above the gum line. A deep cleaning — scaling and root planing — is treatment for diagnosed gum disease, cleaning below the gum line. See what happens at a dental cleaning.
What is the difference between a crown and a cap?
They are the same thing. 'Cap' is the informal word for a crown.
Is a filling the same as a restoration?
A filling is one kind of restoration. Restoration is the umbrella term covering fillings, inlays, onlays, crowns and bridges.
What does an abutment do?
It connects an implant in the bone to the crown or bridge above it. It is frequently priced separately from the implant, so check whether your quote includes it.
Which terms should I ask about before signing anything?
Any item on the estimate you cannot define, plus what is excluded, how many visits are involved, and what happens to the price if the scope changes once treatment starts.