Dental Terms

Your dentist may take an occlusal X-ray image to evaluate a child's front teeth for tooth decay, signs of infection, and the presence and relative position of permanent teeth before they emerge above the gumline.

Occlusal adjustments are procedures to remove selected portions of the surfaces of one or more teeth to better align upper and lower biting surfaces. This can improve chewing, jaw alignment and relieve jaw muscle stress. These procedures are often associated with orthodontic and tooth grinding or clenching (bruxism) issues, or jaw disorders (temporomandibular disorders). The overall process of achieving the equal distribution of bite forces is called occlusal equilibration.

An occlusal guard is a device that covers and protects the biting surfaces of the upper or lower teeth. It can be an effective method to prevent wear and damage to your teeth and dental work if you clench or grind your teeth. Occlusal guards distribute some of the bite stresses that cause tooth damage by redirecting them into a plastic shell.

As you move through your adult years, a lifetime of good oral hygiene and regular dental visits have put you in a position to keep your mouth healthy and maintain your teeth for years to come. However, like all phases of your life, your oral health comes with issues and challenges you need to be aware of and prepared to address.

Your dentist may not be able to repair a chip or decay with a filling or a crown. Fillings may be difficult to place in certain locations or for certain types of damage. When a filling is not a good option, and the damage is not extensive enough to require a crown, there are two additional options: onlays and inlays.

Onlays and inlays differ by the amount of the tooth they cover. An onlay covers more tooth structure than an inlay. As the names imply, an onlay is placedonto a tooth and held to the outer surfaces of the tooth, while an inlay can be thought of as being placedinto a tooth and held to the inner surfaces of the tooth. Sometimes the dentist will combine features of both onlays and inlays.

Onlays are similar to crowns in that they are usually made in a dental laboratory, although some dentists have the equipment in their office to make them. In addition, onlays require less tooth structure to be removed than crowns. This is important because preserving tooth structure can reduce the need for more extensive dental work in the future.

What to expect

• It traditionally takes two appointments to place an onlay.
• Your dentist will numb your tooth with a local anesthetic, remove any decay, and prepare your tooth for the onlay.
• They will then make a mold of your tooth and then send the mold to the lab. If your dentist has the right equipment, they will use digital scanners to record the shape of the prepared tooth and make the final inlay in their office.
• If your final onlay is made in a lab, your dentist will place a temporary onlay over your tooth until the permanent onlay is ready.
• Lab technicians make your permanent onlay from the mold or digital scan of your tooth. The onlay can be made from composite resin, gold and other metals, or with a variety of ceramic materials.
• At your second appointment, your dentist will glue the onlay onto the tooth. They will also give you any guidance for at-home care that may be needed.

Oral cancer is diagnosed in over 50,000 Americans a year, and the 5-year survival rate is only about 60%. It can appear in every part of your mouth and throat and metastasize into other parts of your body. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical.

Your oral health is more important than you may realize. Beyond the pain and expense of tooth decay and gum disease, their effects can increase your risk for a variety of medical conditions or decrease your ability to manage them.

The best way to treat oral disease is to prevent it from happening in the first place. This is achieved through a lifetime of good hygiene and regular dental visits. Take responsibility for your oral health, and teach your kids to do the same from the very start.

Good oral hygiene starts at infancy and continues for a lifetime, and it is more important than you may realize. It reduces your risk for oral conditions like tooth decay, gum disease, and oral cancer, which impact a surprisingly large number of Americans. In addition, the implications of poor oral hygiene extend far beyond your mouth, affecting your ability to eat, your appearance and self-esteem, and possibly increasing your risk for a variety of conditions like heart disease, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, and dementia.

Good oral hygiene involves both home care, regular visits to the dentist, and eliminating personal habits that increase your oral health risk. Take the time to learn more about how good oral hygiene can make a real difference in your life.

Basic oral hygiene instruction is a standard part of a routine oral exam. Your dentist or hygienist should take the time to help you understand your unique needs and how to care for them properly. Following their advice increases your chance of the best possible oral health and longer-lasting dental work. It can even help delay potentially expensive dental work in the future, or at least provide you with time to plan for the expense.

Many adults have unique conditions in their mouths that may require a slightly different approach to maintain ideal oral health. Challenging conditions include:

• Crowded, overlapped or rotated teeth.
• Fixed bridgework.
• Braces.
• Bonded retainers and other types of appliances.
• Teeth with receded gums.
• Teeth with active gum disease.
• Teeth with fillings that have overhangs and ledges where food accumulates.
• Narrow gaps between teeth.

Patients should be aware of specific areas in their mouths where it may be challenging to maintain oral health. Problems are often avoidable if you are aware of the risk, and know how to best maintain those areas.

The piercing and insertion of jewelry in various parts of the mouth. Piercing can be completely internal, or partially internal and partially external. All oral piercings come with oral health risks.

Sedation is the process of administering a drug to produce unconsciousness, or various states of calm, loss of sensation, awareness of the procedure, or loss of memory. Oral sedatives are medications you swallow, usually as a pill, but some are liquids. Oral sedatives are the most efficient means of providing minimal to moderate sedation and can be a good alternative when prescribed and taken responsibly. You continue to breathe on your own. You may or may not remember the procedure depending on the medication used.

An oral surgeon (also called an oral and maxillofacial surgeon) is a dental specialist who diagnoses and treats diseases, injuries, and deformities of the mouth and supporting structures.

Orthodontia is a dental specialty that focuses on the diagnosis, prevention, and correction of misaligned teeth, jaws, and bite patterns. Orthodontia involves placing gentle, controlled forces on the teeth over time to move them into proper alignment using braces and other appliances.

Osseointegration is a process where bone-forming cells build natural attachments to the surface of the implant. The result is a direct integration between the bone and the implant. Most dental implants are made of titanium. It is well-tolerated by the body, and an extremely strong metal that promotes optimal integration with bone.

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a serious condition that can progressively destroy the jaw bone. While rare, it most often occurs in patients taking medications to increase bone density or to suppress some types of cancer. These medications may reduce blood circulation to bones, and for some reason seem to particularly affect the bones in the head and neck. Reduced circulation reduces the ability for healing and immune cells to reach dental procedure sites such as extractions, bone grafts, or implants. This can result in poor wound healing and an increased chance of infection.

To reduce this risk, it is important to discuss your health history and current health status with your dentist. They may also recommend you complete any dental treatment prior to starting medical treatment, or delay dental treatment until the completion of your medical care.

Osteoporosis is a bone disease where the body loses bone or makes too little of it. This can result in decreased skeletal density and increasingly fragile bones. The main causes of osteoporosis are:

• Aging.
• Menopause.
• Abnormal function of the parathyroid.
• Impaired calcium metabolism.
• A lack of vitamin D and/or calcium.

Osteoporosis can have a major impact on the part of the jawbone that supports the teeth. Bone loss in this area may play a role in tooth loss or shifting, particularly if you have periodontal disease.

The medications used to treat osteoporosis can also impact your oral health. Medications called bisphosphonates, which are taken either orally or intravenously, can trigger a rare condition called medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ). This is a serious condition that can lead to pain, loss of bone function, and progressive jaw bone destruction.

It is important to discuss your health history and current health status with your dentist. They may consult with other doctors before performing any dental procedures related to your jaw. They may also recommend you complete any dental treatment prior to starting medical treatment, or delay dental treatment until the completion of your medical care.

Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) is bone death due to radiation, which is a common treatment for certain types of cancer. The bone dies because radiation can damage blood vessels and reduce circulation. ORN is a rare side effect that usually occurs some time after radiation therapy has ended. It usually occurs in the lower jaw which generally has greater bone density and fewer small blood vessels than the upper jaw.

To reduce this risk, it is important to discuss your health history and current health status with your dentist. They may consult with your oncologist or other doctors before performing any dental procedures related to your jaw. They may also recommend you complete any dental treatment prior to starting radiation therapy, or delay treatment until your course of radiation is complete.