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Dental Dictionary

Understand dental terms and concepts.

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Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge eating are serious but treatable mental and physical illnesses. They can be difficult to identify in their early stages since many behaviors are often done in secret. While people with eating disorders may appear healthy, they cannot hide the impact on their mouths. Oral symptoms of eating disorders are often evident in as few as six months. Routine dental visits are an effective way to identify these conditions at an early stage.

Enamel is the hard, calcified portion of the tooth that covers the outside of the tooth (crown) above the gumline. It is the hardest substance in the body.

Anything that creates an acidic environment in the mouth can lead to enamel erosion. This leads to an increased risk of tooth decay, tooth sensitivity, discoloration, chipped or fractured teeth, and tooth loss. Several disorders and medications cause nausea and vomiting which creates a highly acidic environment in the mouth because stomach acid repeatedly flows over the teeth. Gastrointestinal disorders like acid reflux and GERD, eating disorders, and certain types of cancer are known to cause nausea and vomiting, along with medications such as antivirals, antibiotics, asthma drugs, and cancer therapies. Acidic foods and beverages, including coffee, soda, and meats high in protein, can also increase your risk of enamel erosion, especially if you do not rinse your mouth after eating or drinking.

An endodontist is a dentist with advanced training in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases and injuries of the tooth pulp and tissues around the roots of the teeth. Typically the advanced training takes two to three years of full time study beyond the four year dental degree.

Enlarged gums, or gingival hyperplasia, is an overgrowth of gum tissue around teeth that can trap food and bacteria and lead to challenges with maintaining good oral hygiene. This condition can result in inflammation, bleeding, bad breath, and plaque buildup. It can be painful. Gingival overgrowth can be caused by poor oral health or conditions such as pregnancy, anemia, vitamin deficiencies, and certain types of cancer. Medications for epilepsy and seizures, cardiovascular disease, and cancer may also increase your risk for enlarged gums.

Dental terminology: Occlusal Equilibration

Equilibration is a treatment to adjust the way the upper and lower teeth bite together so that biting forces are more evenly distributed. This is often done to reduce strain on the jaw joint and supporting muscles, and to reduce stress on the teeth. The treatment may require a digital bite analysis or plaster casts of the teeth, and then a re-shaping of one, more, or sometimes all the teeth.

A tooth is considered to erupt when it breaks through the surface of the gums and can first be seen in the mouth.

Your dentist will harvest cells from superficial layers of skin or mucous membranes by lightly scraping the surface. Usually, this procedure is recommended in areas that appear visually abnormal to rule out malignancy and establish a definitive diagnosis. Your dentist will send the sample to a pathology lab for analysis and let you know the result. If cancer is diagnosed, your dentist and other professionals will work together to establish a treatment strategy.

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