Abscess: Acute or chronic, localized inflammation, with a collection of pus, associated with tissue destruction and, frequently, swelling, usually secondary to infection.

Abutment: A tooth or implant used to support a prosthesis.

Acid Etching: Use of an acidic chemical substance to prepare the tooth enamel and or dentin surface to provide retention for bonding.

Alveolar: Referring to the bone to which a tooth is attached.

Amalgam: An alloy used in direct dental restorations.

Analgesia: Loss of pain sensations without loss of consciousness.

Anesthesia:

• General Anesthesia - A controlled state of unconsciousness, accompanied by a partial or complete loss of protective reflexes, including loss of ability to independently maintain airway and respond purposefully to physical stimulation or verbal command, produced by a pharmacologic or non-pharmacologic method or combination thereof;
• Intravenous Sedation Analgesia - A medically controlled state of depressed consciousness while maintaining the patient's airway, protective reflexes and the ability to respond to stimulation or verbal commands. It includes intravenous administration of sedative and/or analgesic agent(s) and appropriate monitoring
• Local Anesthesia - The loss of pain sensation over a specific area of the anatomy without loss of consciousness
• Non-intravenous Conscious Sedation - A medically controlled state of depressed consciousness while maintaining the patient's airway, protective reflexes and the ability to respond to stimulation or verbal commands. It includes administration of sedative and/or analgesic agent(s) by a route other than IV; (PO, PR, lntranasal, IM) and appropriate monitoring
• Regional Anesthesia - A term used for local anesthesia; See local anesthesia.

Anxiolysis: Reduction of anxiety utilizing a pharmacologic agent such as a Benzodiazopine or nitrous oxide.

Apex: The tip or end of the root end of the tooth.

Arch, Dental: The curved composite structure of the natural dentition and the residual ridge, or the remains thereof, after the loss of some or all of the natural teeth.

Avulsion: Separation of tooth from its socket due to trauma (evulsion).

Benign: The mild character of an illness or the non-malignant character of a neoplasm.

Bicuspid: A premolar tooth; a tooth with two cusps.

Bilateral: Occurring on, or pertaining to, both right and left sides.

Biopsy: Process of removing tissue for histologic evaluation.

Bonding: Process by which two or more components are made integral by mechanical and/or chemical adhesion at their interface.

Bridge: See fixed partial denture and/or removable partial denture.

Bruxism: The parafunctional grinding of the teeth.

Canal: A relatively narrow tubular passage or channel;

• Root Canal - Space inside the root portion of a tooth containing pulp tissue
• Mandibular Canal - The passage which transmits vessels and nerves through the jaw to branches that distributes them to the teeth.

Cantilever Extension: Part of a fixed prosthesis that is supported at only one end.

Caries: Commonly used term for tooth decay.

Cavity: Decay in tooth caused by caries; also referred to as carious lesion.

Cleft Palate: Congenital deformity resulting in lack of fusion of the soft and/or hard palate, either partial or complete.

Clenching: The clamping and pressing of the jaws and teeth together in centric occlusion, frequently associated with psychological stress or physical effort.

Closed Reduction: The re-approximation of segments of a fractured bone without open surgery.

Composite: A dental restorative material made up of disparate or separate parts (e.g., resin and quartz particles).

Coping: A thin covering of the coronal portion of the tooth usually without anatomic conformity. It can be used as a definitive restoration or as part of a transfer procedure.

Coronal: Refers to the clinical crown of a tooth.

Crown:

• Anatomical Crown - That portion of tooth normally covered by, and including, enamel
• Abutment Crown - Artificial crown serving for the retention or support of a dental prosthesis
• Artificial Crown - Restoration covering or replacing the major part, or the whole of the clinical crown of a tooth
• Clinical Crown - That portion of a tooth not covered by supporting tissues.