Common Dental Terms and What They Mean
Composite
A tooth-colored dental filling material, usually resin based. Most commonly used material for dental fillings and the only material we use on front teeth.
Amalgam
A silver-colored dental filling material made of a mixture (or amalgamation) of several different metals. Not as commonly used, although still offered for back teeth where isolation is limited.
Prophy (or Prophylaxis cleaning)
The most common type of dental cleaning. Recommended at least once every 6 months and involves dental scaling, flossing, and polishing with special polishing paste.
Periodontal Maintenance
Crown
A more involved type of dental cleaning, usually following a localized deeper cleaning (also called scaling and root planing or SRP). Recommended once every 3 months unless otherwise advised.
Mesial/Distal/Facial/Buccal
Lingual/Occlusal/Incisal
Previously referred to as a cap, this restorative treatment covers the entirety of your tooth, usually recommended when a dental filling cannot be placed due to fracture lines, cavities, or lack of tooth structure.
Names for different surfaces of a tooth.
Mesial: Towards the Midline (front center of your mouth)
Distal: Away from the Midline
Facial/Buccal: Outward “front” side of tooth, facing your lips and cheek
Lingual: Tongue side
Occlusal: Biting surface of back teeth
Incisal: Biting surface/edge of front teeth
Plaque/Calculus
Plaque refers to the soft build up in our mouth that forms throughout the day. This can be easily brushed or polished away if cleaned frequently enough. Calculus is what forms when plaque is left for too long and hardens. Calculus must be scaled away by a dental hygienist, cannot be brushed off, and when left untreated, can lead to bone loss and gum disease.