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PPT #1: DENTAL TERMINOLOGIES

ABUTMENT (For a bridge)


-An abutment for a bridge uses two or more teeth to fill the toothless space.
An abutment is a prepared tooth.

ACRYLIC
­ This is a plastic widely used in dentistry for various purposes.
­ 1. Acrylic resin is used in making impression trays.
­ 2. Acrylic veneer is a tooth-colored layer of plastic placed over the surface
of a crown or tooth.
­ 3. Acrylic temporary
­ Once a tooth is prepared for a crown, a temporary crown is placed in the
mouth. This is fabricated through a direct technique performed by your
dentist. The acrylic temporary will provide similar function while your
permanent tooth is being made.

ALLOY, DENTAL or METAL


- There are numerous alloys used in the making of dental restorations.
1. High noble alloys have a noble metal content of 60% or greater. At least 40%
must be gold.
2. Noble alloys have a noble metal content of at least 25%.
3. Predominantly base alloys are less than 25% noble metal.
NOTE: Noble metals include gold, platinum and palladium.

ARTICULATOR
A metal or plastic device designed with a hinge to reproduce the open, close and
side-to-side movement of the lower jaw.

BRIDGE
- A bridge is a dental restoration that spans an area that has no teeth, and is
connected to natural teeth at each end.
COMPOSITE
- A composite is a tooth-colored material often used in place of amalgam.
CROWN
- A crown reproduces all of the same aspects of a natural tooth.
- When the appearance of the crown is crucial, a metal-free crown may be
prescribed. This allows for a more natural look.
- Within recent years the all-ceramic crown (otherwise known as porcelain) has
evolved
- There are various materials that can be used in making a metal-free crown:
 Acrylic
 Composite
 Porcelain / Ceramic
 Reinforced Porcelain
 Lucite Porcelain

DENTAL LABORATORY
- is an important part of dental services.
- This specialty deals with the design, fabrication and repair of dental appliances
(crowns, complete dentures, removable partial dentures, crown and
bridge) under the direction and supervision of the dentist.

EDENTULOUS (Fully and Partially)


- fully edentulous refers to an individual that has no teeth at all in either the
upper or lower jaw. Partially edentulous refers to missing one or more teeth.

OCCLUSION
- A term that refers to the process that takes place when your teeth come
together and touch.
- The occlusal surface is the biting area.
- Occlusal force means the amount of pressure applied during clenching,
chewing or side-to-side movement.
- Occlusal design is the process of making the teeth to meet the patients
functional requirements.

DENTAL PROSTHESIS OR PROSTHETICS


- Prosthesis is a general term that applies to any artificial replacement for a
missing part of the body.
- Prosthetic Dentistry (Prosthodontics) is the art and science of fabricating
artificial replacements for missing or damaged teeth.

VENEER
- In dentistry, a veneer refers to a thin covering of porcelain or composite over
the enamel of a tooth.
Recommendations for veneer treatment are as follows:
o Cracked or chipped teeth
o Discolored teeth
o Some malpositioned teeth
o Correction of deformities
o Cosmetic improvements (i.e.: shade, shape, lip support, cheek support,
etc.)
Common Dental Terms

Deciduous teeth - also known as "baby" or primary teeth


Dental arch - the horseshoe-shaped sections of the jaws that contain the teeth.
Dental amalgams - also known as silver fillings, dental amalgams are comprised
of a mixture of mercury (45 to 50 percent) and an alloy of silver, tin, and copper
(50 to 55 percent).
Dental implants - small dental appliances that are inserted into the upper and
lower jaws to help rebuild a mouth that has few or no restorable teeth.
Eruption - when a tooth emerges from the gums
Malocclusion - an orthodontic or orthographic problem that means "bad bite,"
including crowded, missing, or crooked teeth, extra teeth, or a misaligned jaw.
Mandible - the lower jaw.
Maxilla - the upper jaw.
Occlusion - any contact between the biting and chewing surfaces of the upper
and lower teeth.
Oral cavity - relating to the mouth cavity.
Overbite - the up and down (vertical) overlapping of the lower teeth by the upper
teeth.
Plaque - a thin, sticky film of bacteria.
Temporomandibular joints (TMJ) - the two complex joints that connect the jaw
(mandible) to the skull (temporal bone).
­ The temporomandibular joints connect your upper and lower jaws,
allowing you to move your jaws up and down, side to side and forward and
back. The term TMJ also refers to TMJ disorder, which can cause pain,
headaches, toothaches, earaches and more.
Wisdom Teeth - These are the third set of molars and the final four teeth to
make their appearance, usually some time between the ages of 17 and 25.
Wisdom teeth can cause problems if there is not enough room for them to align
themselves properly. Impacted wisdom teeth can be extremely painful and are
usually removed.
Dentist – Technician
Relationship

Dentists and technicians: Dependent partners


Objective: To continually improve professional services:
Dental clinicians should understand laboratory restrictions
Dental technicians should appreciate clinical restrictions

Instruments of Communication/Means how dentists communicate with Dental


Technician
1. Stone Models –the only 3D tool of communication
2. Impressions – a bridge between oral cavities to laboratory
- Linking dentist, patient and technician
3. Shade Guides – providing a vehicle for communication of a color reference
point between the clinician and the technician
4. Chromatic/Shade Mapping Diagrams
5. Photographs – they are virtual instruments, living in digital era
6. Inter occlusal Records – one of the most vital factors in determining the
treatment’s success
- correct translation of the 2 planes of occlusion

1. STONE MODEL
­ Teeth are 3-dimensional
­ It is difficult to elucidate the desired contours for the technician
­ Diagnostic wax-up models can be utilized for:
­ Fabrication of provisional prostheses
­ Fabrication of definitive prostheses
­ Provisional prostheses as a guide for definitive prostheses

2) IMPRESSIONS
General Rule of Thumb
If the lab wishes a new impression or re-prep due to discrepancies, and the
dentist refuses: remakes are the dentists’ responsibility

If the lab accepts an impression of the prepared teeth as it is: any remake
will be the lab’s financial responsibility

3) SHADE GUIDES
­ Providing a vehicle for communication of a color reference point
­ between the clinician and the technician/ceramist
­ Shade selection: Subjective, difficult to achieve consistency
­ Variations even exist within the same individual teeth
­ To achieve the conformity between the clinic and the lab, it is required that
the clinician and the technician use the same shading systems.

Popular Shade Guides:


1. Vitapan Classical (Lumin Vacuum) - 50 years; Most frequently used and
universally used shade guide
2. Vitapan 3D-Master - Introduced more recently; Representing vital tooth
shades more accurately Incorporating cervical and incisal shades (more
realistic)
Shade categories à (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Categories based on value
(same brightness)
Chroma increases from top to bottom
Hues: (1, 2, 3, 4)
L (Light): For a yellow hue
M (Medium): For a yellow/red hue
R (Red): For a red hue

5) PHOTOGRAPHS
­ Living in digital era, virtual instruments
­ Empowering dentists and lab technicians visually
­ Relationship of provisional /set-up to the lip contour
Shade matching:
- Visualizing the surface texture and lustre
- Analyzing shades for chromatic mapping
- Relative shade analysis with the shade tabs
- Characterisations: cracks, stains, mamelons

6) INTEROCCLUSAL RECORDS
­ Last but not least
­ One of the most vital factors determining the treatment’s success
­ Correct translation of the two plane of occlusion is fundamental to
achievement of an optimal functional and esthetic result.

Five criteria for accuracy of an interocclusal bite record:


1. Bite record must not cause any movement of teeth/soft tissue.
2. Accuracy of the record should be verifiable in the mouth.
3. Accuracy of the record should be verifiable in the dental cast.
4. The record must fit dental casts as accurately as it fits the mouth.
5. No distortion should happen before being transferred to the lab.

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