a medical professional who diagnoses and treats problems affecting the teeth, gums, and mouth
noun
Examples:
• I have an appointment with the dentist to get my teeth cleaned.
• The dentist recommended that she have her wisdom teeth removed.
pain in or around a tooth, often caused by decay, infection, or injury
noun
Examples:
• He could barely sleep because of the toothache that had been bothering him all day.
• A toothache is often a sign that you need to visit a dentist as soon as possible.
a hole or hollow space in a tooth caused by decay
noun
Examples:
• The dentist found a cavity in one of her molars during the checkup.
• Brushing your teeth twice a day helps prevent cavities from forming.
a material used by a dentist to fill a cavity in a tooth after removing decayed tissue
noun
Examples:
• She had a gold filling placed in her back molar to restore the decayed tooth.
• The dentist said the old filling had cracked and would need to be replaced.
a mixture of food used as the inside layer of a pie, sandwich, cake, or pastry
noun
Examples:
• The pie had a rich apple and cinnamon filling inside a buttery crust.
• She spread a thick cream cheese filling between the two layers of the cake.
a circular ornamental headdress worn by a monarch as a symbol of authority
noun
Examples:
• The queen wore a golden crown.
• He was next in line for the crown.
a cap-shaped dental restoration placed over a damaged tooth
noun
Examples:
• The dentist recommended a porcelain crown to protect the cracked tooth.
• Getting a crown usually requires two visits to the dental office.
orthodontic devices made of brackets and wires attached to teeth to gradually correct their alignment
noun
Examples:
• She got braces at age twelve and wore them for two years.
• His braces finally came off last month, and his smile looks great.
a thin thread used to clean between the teeth by scraping plaque and food debris from the gaps
noun
Examples:
• The dentist reminded her to use floss at least once a day.
• He keeps a roll of floss in his travel bag alongside his toothbrush.
to clean between the teeth using dental floss
verb
Examples:
• She flosses every night before going to bed.
• The hygienist asked whether he flosses regularly or only before dental appointments.
a liquid antiseptic solution used to rinse the mouth in order to freshen breath and reduce bacteria
noun
Examples:
• She gargled with mouthwash after brushing her teeth each morning.
• The dentist recommended an antibacterial mouthwash to help with his gum inflammation.
the firm, pink tissue that surrounds the base of the teeth and covers the jaw bones inside the mouth
noun
Examples:
• Her gums were bleeding slightly when she brushed too hard.
• Healthy gums are firm and pale pink, not swollen or red.
one of the four large molars at the very back of the mouth, typically emerging in early adulthood and often removed if they cause crowding or pain
noun
Examples:
• Her wisdom tooth came in crooked and had to be extracted by an oral surgeon.
• He was in pain all week because his wisdom tooth was impacted.
a dental procedure in which infected or damaged pulp is removed from the interior of a tooth and the space is cleaned and sealed
noun
Examples:
• The dentist told her she would need a root canal to save the badly decayed molar.
• After the root canal, the tooth was fitted with a crown to protect it.
a sticky film of bacteria that forms on the surface of teeth and can cause cavities and gum disease if not removed
noun
Examples:
• Brushing twice a day helps remove plaque before it hardens into tartar.
• The hygienist warned him that plaque buildup near the gumline was causing early signs of gingivitis.
a licensed oral health professional who cleans teeth, examines patients for signs of disease, and provides preventive dental care
noun
Examples:
• The dental hygienist spent twenty minutes scaling and polishing her teeth before the dentist came in.
• His dental hygienist showed him the correct flossing technique to reduce gum inflammation.
a cosmetic dental treatment that uses bleaching agents to lighten the color of teeth
noun
Examples:
• She booked a professional whitening session at the dental clinic ahead of her wedding.
• Over-the-counter whitening strips are less effective than the treatment offered by a dentist.
the removal of a tooth from its socket in the jawbone, performed when the tooth is too damaged or decayed to be saved
noun
Examples:
• The dentist recommended an extraction after the cracked tooth proved impossible to repair.
• Wisdom tooth extractions are often performed under local anesthesia as an outpatient procedure.
a removable orthodontic device worn after braces to keep teeth in their corrected position
noun
Examples:
• The orthodontist told her to wear her retainer every night to prevent her teeth from shifting.
• He forgot his retainer at home and could feel his teeth starting to move.
the hard, white outer layer covering the crown of a tooth, the hardest substance in the human body
noun
Examples:
• Drinking too much soda can erode the enamel on your teeth over time.
• The dentist warned that the patient's enamel was thinning due to acid reflux.
a routine examination by a doctor or dentist to assess a person's general health or condition
noun
Examples:
• She scheduled a dental checkup to make sure she had no cavities.
• The doctor recommended an annual checkup to monitor his blood pressure.
a tool with a rotating tip used to make holes in hard materials
noun
Examples:
• He used a drill to make holes in the wall for the shelves.
• The dentist's drill made a high-pitched whining sound.
a repetitive exercise or training activity to practice a skill
noun
Examples:
• The soldiers performed their morning drills in the courtyard.
• The teacher ran vocabulary drills to help students memorize new words.
to make a hole in something using a drill; to train someone through repetition
verb
Examples:
• They drilled through the rock to lay the pipeline.
• The coach drilled the team on their defensive plays every afternoon.
a medically induced loss of sensation or consciousness used to prevent pain during surgery or other medical procedures
noun
Examples:
• The surgeon explained the risks of general anesthesia before the operation.
• She was still groggy for several hours after the anesthesia wore off.