Glossary of Dental Terms
A handy reference
Common Dental Terms
We’ve put together this handy reference guide of terms you might hear when speaking with your dentist or support staff.
Please don’t hesitate to ask your dental care provider for clarification. We’re here to help make your experience as pleasant as possible!
Root Canal Therapy
The process of removing the pulp of a tooth and filling it with an inert material.
Root Resection
The removal of a portion of diseased root structure, but retaining the remaining natural tooth.
Rubber Dam
A soft latex sheet used to isolate one or more teeth from contamination by oral fluids and to keep materials from falling to the back of the throat.
Reimplantation
The insertion and temporary fixation of partially or completely avulsed teeth resulting from traumatic injury.
Reline
The acrylic restoration of a denture base to compensate for bone loss. Direct in conjunction with a dental laboratory.
Restoration
The replacement of a portion of a damaged tooth.
Retained Root
The partial root structure remaining in the jaw after extraction or fracture of a natural tooth.
Root
The tooth structure that connects the tooth to the jaw.
Root Canal
Unfortunately not all teeth are perfectly healthy. We can save a damaged tooth by performing a root canal – which removes decay on the interior space of the root. We will discuss this and other options with you before determining what works best for you.
Resources
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