Glossary

Actually a functional analysis of the bite. Examination method used to diagnose diseased tissue changes and defects in the course of movements of the chewing system.

Silver-coloured filling material used in dental medicine as an alloy made of silver, tin and mercury. For cosmetic reasons (silvery colour), it is only used in the non-visible areas in the side teeth. Amalgam is highly controversial in the medical profession on account of its mercury content.

Alongside natural friction on the teeth, excessive abrasion can be caused by grinding or gnashing the teeth. This causes the bite to lower, which can lead to discomfort in the jaw joint.

As accurate an impression of the jaw or the teeth as possible. The mould is filled with special hard plaster for further handling. The impressions give the dental technician an accurate model and are processed in the dental lab.

The tooth is divided into the crown, the neck and the root. It consists of an extremely hard layer of enamel, the softer dentine (which is harder than bone) and the tooth cement in the root. The contains the pulp, a meshwork of nerves and blood vessels.

Sterile material must completely seal the canal down to the apex of the root.

Needle-shaped instruments are inserted down to the apex of the root to completely remove the pulp. The root canal is expanded and cleaned before being filled with sterile material. After this, the crown can be reconstructed again.

Veneers are used to cover over excessively large gaps between teeth or crooked teeth. It is also possible to lighten the colour of the teeth using a thin porcelain cover attached to the natural teeth; compared with a crown, only very little of the precious tooth is "sacrificed" to make space for a new, harmonious smile. Since this method is particularly popular among famous people, phrases like "Hollywood smile" are often heard in connection with veneers.

The cause of this sometimes extremely unpleasant sensations is receding gums, which exposes the root area. This is not covered by a layer of enamel, which means that the open dentine tubules convey chemical (e.g. sweetness) and thermal stimuli, like ice, directly to the nerve. Depending on the intensity and extent, relief can be provided with fluoride preparations, sealants or small fillings.

The microbes consist of just one cell. They can just as easily be healthy as unhealthy (pathogenic). Around 50 million different harmless bacteria are found in the oral cavity alone; ten million bacteria live in one millilitre of saliva.

Orthodontic treatments normally start when the patient is between 10 and 15 years of age, so long as the jaw is still in the growth phase.
It may possibly be necessary to treat complicated or congenital malformations much earlier in life.

A rotating instrument is used to remove hard tooth substance to prepare a cavity (gap prepared for a filling). Tungsten carbide or diamond instruments, which are cooled using a mixture of water and air during use, are employed as drills.

Not the same as fluoride, which protects teeth. Fluorine is an extremely poisonous gas, it belongs to the 'halogen' group of elements.

Measure to protect the parts of the tooth most prone to caries; these are thoroughly cleaned and filled and hardened (= sealed) with a chew-resistant material.

Caries frequently commences in the dental grooves of the molar surface, the fissures. In many cases, these are so narrow that they are hard or impossible to clean. Sealing provides effective protection from fissure caries in a healthy tooth.

Caries and parodontitis are the most frequent reason for a tooth extraction. Greater awareness of dental hygiene leads to falling extraction figures.

Dental speciality concerned with the treatment of dental pulp and the adjacent dentine. Also known as a root (canal) treatment.

Dental workshop where dentures are prepared or repaired by trained dental technicians. The work is always carried out in close collaboration with the dentist.

Dental assistant specially trained in tartar removal and prevention with the patient.

Fixed denture for missing teeth. The teeth adjacent to the gap are trimmed and prepared to act as pillars. The impression of this situation is used by the dental lab as a model for producing a bridge, which is then bonded in the mouth using cement.

Removable denture attached to the patient's own teeth (the "remaining teeth") with brackets, attachments, telescope crowns or other constructions and if possible supported.

Four incisors are located in the middle of each of the upper and lower jaw. Their function is to bite off food, hence their blade-like form; the two central incisors in the upper jaw are particularly broad. Incisors only have one root.

Study of ionised rays and their application. X-rays are only a type of ray, and part of this science deals with the diagnosis and therapy of diseases (roentgenology, radiotherapy and nuclear medicine).

Proper name for gums. The gingiva is part of the tissue surrounding the tooth (parodontium). It surrounds the visible tooth and protects the neck of the tooth against micro-organisms.

A filling replaces the tooth substance destroyed by caries. Preparing to place a filling involves completely removing the caries (by drilling), entering an underlining in the cavity (the "hole") and then the filling material is packed in. Composites are first choice for small to medium-sized cavities. Where the defects are fairly large to large, more stable gold or ceramic fillings (known as an inlay or onlay) or crowns should be used.

The incisors and canine teeth in the jaw; visible when someone is talking.

Counting from the dental midline, this is the third tooth along (distal). It forms the longest and most stable root, and generally remains in the jaw the longest. In terms of prosthodontics, it has a key strategic function as an anchor or pillar tooth.

The main, bone-like dental substance, found just under the very hard enamel in the crown. The dentine contains small tubules, which are connected to the tooth pulp ("nerve"). The closer a caries comes to the pulp, the more painful it is.

A tooth-coloured filling material made of a resin medium and fillers (porcelain, quartz). They are used in the front and side tooth area. Composites are considered a suitable alternative to amalgam, which has been discredited as a filling material. Composites can be applied soft to the tooth before hardening under blue light of a given wavelength. These days, their extreme hardness also guarantees the restoration of large substance defects in the tooth over many years. Thanks to the skilled layering of the composite in various shades, composite fillings are practically invisible, even for dentists.

Fixed orthodontic appliance used to correct the alignment of the teeth. Although its use is most common among young people, it is increasingly being used by adults as well. A special cement bonds the blocks with the surface of the teeth; these in turn are linked using a wire which is intended to bring the teeth into a correct position. What are known as lingual braces also exist, primarily to keep these braces as out of sight as possible in adults. This involves cementing the braces on the inner, tongue side of the tooth instead of the outer side.

Modern bleaches can be used to whiten natural teeth for a longer period of time. The bleaching process takes around five days and is applied at home using a tray. A visible effect can be achieved using power bleaching.

The replacement of missing teeth, involving inserting a pin in the jaw bone to which an artificial tooth can be attached.

The prevention of tooth disease among children and teenagers, teaching them to have good oral hygiene and tooth-friendly eating habits; the goal is for them to learn how to take care of their teeth.

According to the World Health Organisation, this is the most common disease of all. Caries is a consequence of eating habits, always starting with the demineralisation of the surface of a tooth. At greatest risk are fissures (grooves in the grinding surface of the molars) and places that are hard to reach with a toothbrush.

To allow the simple reconstruction of the bite, an impression is made to record the positional relationship of the teeth in the upper and lower jaw.

Plaque is a soft, whitish material containing protein and polysaccharides which can only be removed by correct cleaning of the teeth. Caries and tartar, which is extremely bad for the gums, can develop from plaque infected with these bacteria.

Disease involving receding and infected gums. If larger quantities of plaque are in constant contact with the gum located directly on the tooth over a long period of time, the infection migrates down where it attacks the bone and the peridontal membrane. -> Dental treatment is absolutely essential to prevent the infection from spreading along the roots in the direction of the root end. Otherwise, the affected tooth can become looser over time until it finally falls out. Regular cleaning of the teeth and the reachable root surfaces (above all below the gums) is the general therapeutic approach adopted by dentists and dental hygienists.

A moulded filling used to repair more seriously damaged teeth, serving to strengthen the weakened tooth cusps.

Some dental surgery has to be performed under a full anaesthetic. An anaesthetic is also appropriate for particularly pain-sensitive patients or children when they undergo smaller treatments.

The twelve molars (including the wisdom teeth) are located right at the back of the jaw and have the grinding function in the human set of teeth, which explains why they have the biggest grinding surface.

A local anaesthetic is used to eliminate pain in a specific area of the mouth. The drugs injected with a needle inhibit the conductivity of the nerve flows.

A temporary prosthesis is placed for broken or missing teeth until the definitive reconstruction can be implanted.

Cosmetic dentistry is constantly developing new measures to embellish the teeth, from whitening (bleaching) through to tooth form correction with the aid of veneers and orthodontic surgery.
Thanks to prompt treatment by orthodontists, regular check-ups by the dentist and constant preventive measures, ever fewer young patients are  suffering from malformed lips and teeth.

Radiographs are essential for examining gaps between teeth, roots and areas under fillings and crowns. The bitewing radiograph shows crowns and parts of the roots in both jaws on the same film, with little exposure to radiation.

A root apex resection (apicectomy) is a surgical procedure used to remove the root apex, the tissue modified by the infection and the bacteria-ridden tip of the root canal without extracting the tooth.

If infected pulp is not treated quickly, the infection looks for a channel and can migrate via the jaw bone into the soft tissue. A "gum boil" (abscess) swells up. In the worst case, the bacteria can penetrate from there into the bloodstream (bacterial spread) and cause more damage to the body (occasionally also to the heart). 

Porcelain-fused-to-metal
A metal crown/bridge whose visible parts are covered with tooth-coloured porcelain.

"Nerve" - supplies the tooth with minerals. Without this supply, the tooth becomes brittle and crumbly. Nevertheless, it may be necessary to treat or even remove the pulp if an infection occurs, often due to caries, or if this nerve has already died (it is "devital").

Tissue surrounding the tooth, consisting of the gum, the bony tooth socket surrounding the entire root and the peridontal membrane. This anchors the tooth in the jaw bone by means of numerous short sinews which extend from the bone into the root.

Proper name for inflation of the gum. This occurs when toxins from the bacteria penetrate the conjunctive tissue of the gum. Infections cause reddening, swelling and bleeding when cleaning the teeth. If the plaque is thoroughly removed once a day, the signs of infection should disappear again quickly.

Tartar is calcified plaque. The plaque mineralises faster particularly at the secretion points of the large saliva glands, meaning the lingual surfaces of the lower incisors and the outer surfaces of the first and second large molars (predilection sites).

The restoration of a closed series of teeth as close as possible to the natural set of teeth in terms of function and appearance. A distinction is made between fixed (crowns, bridges, implants) and removable dentures.

Effective means of oral hygiene. Assists in mechanical plaque removal and can also alleviate caries with additives and combat infections of the tooth bed.

Used on a daily basis to clean narrow gaps between teeth from which plaque cannot be removed with a toothbrush.

Toothpicks have a triangular shape and consist of soft wood. Used on a daily basis to clean narrow gaps between teeth from which plaque cannot be removed with a toothbrush.

Minor damage can be removed at an early stage remedied again by supplying minerals (fluorides). Saliva ensure the continual remineralisation of the tooth surface with its mineral content.

Fluorides are found in rocks, water, the air and in fauna and flora. Food does not contain enough fluoride to protect the teeth. This explains why it is important to use fluoridated table salt and toothpastes with fluoride.

This is a computer-assisted technology that enables inlays and crowns to be fitted in a single visit to the dentist. A software program transfers an accurate picture of the prepared tooth situation to a machine which shapes the missing part from a ceramic block. The dentist then cements this part into the teeth as part of a complex procedure.

Chewing stimulates the production of saliva. The flow of saliva dilutes the acids in the mouth; at the same time, minerals present in the saliva are transferred to the enamel. This "repairs" damage already caused by acidity.

These merely help to freshen the breath and have no therapeutic or preventive effect (added herbal essences can similarly have a certain positive effect on the gums).

These contain low concentrations of fluorides. These help to reduce caries by 30 - 50%. Daily use replaces the use of fluoride gels.

Used to clean large gaps between teeth on a daily basis.

Dental floss with alternating thin and thick places.

Impurities on the surface of the teeth and the edge of the gums.
Soft plaque consists to 80% of oral bacteria, out of which hard tartar can develop. These bacteria have a typical metabolism: they absorb sugar above all and secrete weak acids, which in turn attack the enamel (caries).

The last molar does not erupt until some time between the age of 17 and 24. Wisdom teeth are no longer required for chewing on account of our diminished jaw; sometimes they are not even there. Due to a lack of space, infections of the mucous membranes occur particularly frequently in the area of the wisdom teeth.

Removable denture for all teeth in the upper or lower jaw. Kept in place by suction and static forces - on the alveolar processes and the hard palate in the upper jaw, and only on the alveolar processes in the lower jaw. A well-fitting denture requires both the presence of adequate bone and the regular relining of the fitting surfaces on the constantly changing bone.

The upper part of the molar. It has fissures and cusps and grinds the food against the grinding surface of the tooth opposite during chewing (Mörser-Pistill principle).

Treatment of caries-related tooth decay. Caries is removed by drilling, preparing the cavity and placing filling material or (in the case of major decay) a crown. It is only possible to "heal" the damage by remineralising the enamel of the tooth during the early stages of decay.

It is possible to diagnose caries in the following ways:

- Using a dental mirror and tooth probe with strong illumination, or by illuminating the tooth with strong light sources.

- Radiographs are an essential way of correctly assessing the situation of both jaws for gaps between teeth, roots and teeth located under the gums (such as wisdom teeth).

Filling made of precious metal or porcelain, produced in a dental lab using a mould and put in place during a second visit to the dentist. Today, an inlay can be created in just a single visit with the aid of computer technology like CEREC.

The grinding surface of the molars have pits and cusps which engage with each other during mastication. This is how food is chewed.

Gold used to be employed in many different ways in dental medicine, primarily because it was extremely well tolerated by patients and easy to handle. Pure gold is far too soft as a restoration material, so it is alloyed with platinum, copper, silver and so on.

All teeth in the upper and lower jaw. There are 20 milk teeth and 32 permanent teeth. The 32 permanent teeth of an adult are divided into four incisors, two canines, four small premolars and six large molars in each jaw.

Congenital malformation occurring in around the 6th to 7th week of pregnancy. It can affect the soft palate alone or the healthy palate as well. Modern-day treatment with combined surgical and orthodontic procedures enjoy good success rates.

If a tooth is so badly damaged that a filling is no longer enough to successfully restore the tooth, a replacement crown is required. Depending on the make and material, a distinction is made between full-cast crowns, veneer crowns and porcelain crowns.

Young children start to get their first 20 teeth from around the sixth month.

Study of the parodontium, the tissue surrounding the tooth, its diseases and its treatment.

Layman's term for a tooth whose nerve, the pulp, is no longer 'alive', meaning it is devital.

The part of the tooth not visible externally is shaped in order to retain healthy tooth substance. The danger of secondary caries is far greater than with a full crown.

In order to keep badly decayed teeth, a metal or ceramic pin is set into the root. The crown can then be placed on this pin.

Examination of the saliva for caries-causing bacteria, acid content and quantity per unit of time. These values can indicate the risk of caries.

The secretion of the saliva glands, one of the most important natural protection systems in the human body. The lining of the mouth contains many small saliva glands spread around, but saliva is mostly produced by the  parotid gland (Latin: glandula parotis), the sublingual gland (Latin: glandula sublingualis) and the submandibular gland (Latin: glandula submandibularis).

Porcelain-like covering of the crown. Enamel is the hardest substance in the body. It consists of phosphoric acid calcium (hydroxylapatit) and inorganic components such as fluorine, potassium, natrium and magnesium. The dentist must use a drill attachment fitted with fine diamond chips for mechanical handling. It is already more vulnerable when attacked by weak acids as released by caries bacteria, for instance.

Way of reminding the patient that a check-up or examination is due again.

Fillings made of materials, which can still be shaped when placed in the cavity, where they are hardened. Examples include amalgam and composite.

The hard palate starts behind the upper incisors and continues into the soft palate behind the last molars. The soft palate ends with the uvula towards the throat.