Dental fillings typically
used to restore tooth cavities
, but can be also used to repair broken, cracked or worn teeth.
What do dental terms mean?
Incisal – sharp edge of front tooth.
Mesial
– surface of tooth nearest the middle of your mouth. Distal – surface of tooth furthest from the middle of your mouth. Buccal – surface of tooth nearest your cheek or lips. Palatal – surface of tooth nearest your palate.
What does Mo mean in dental terms?
Tooth #3, the upper right first molar, has an MO
(mesial-occlusal)
gold inlay. This molar is both posterior, as well as distal, to the premolars in front of it.
What does 0 mean at the dentist?
0 means
the gums are perfect keep up the good work
! 1 means the gums bleed but no pockets, calculus or plaque retention factors are present and you only need to improve your removal of plaque in the areas your dentist shows you.
What do dentists say when checking teeth?
Why do dentists and assistants call out numbers to each other during oral exams? It’s a measurement for oral health! Numbers like 18 or 24 are tooth numbers.
Calling out 1, 2, or 3
is a measurement of the top of the gum to its attachment to the tooth.
What are the 5 tooth surfaces?
- Distal – The surface that is away from the midline of the face.
- Facial – The surface that faces the cheeks or lips. …
- Incisal – The biting edge of an anterior tooth.
- Lingual – The surface that faces the tongue.
- Mesial – The surface that is closest to the midline of the face.
What is used to fill holes in teeth?
Most dentists use
fillings made from composite resin
. Others use glass ionomer and silver amalgam fillings. The filling will replace the part of your tooth the decay destroyed. During the cavity filling process, your dentist will mold the filling to match the shape of your tooth.
What is a dental filling called?
Teeth can be filled with gold; porcelain;
silver amalgam
(which consists of mercury mixed with silver, tin, zinc, and copper); or tooth-colored, plastic, and materials called composite resin fillings. There is also a material that contains glass particles and is known as glass ionomer.
What does 3 mean at the dentist?
What Do The Numbers Mean? During the measuring process, you’ll hear us say numbers ranging from 1 to 7, and sometimes more. These numbers reflect how deep your gum pockets are in millimeters. Anything between 1 and 3
is a good indicator that your gums are healthy
.
What is the common terminology for dental cavities?
caries
: Commonly used term for tooth decay. carious lesion: A cavity caused by caries.
What does a 2 mean at the dentist?
2 means
there is some hardened dead plaque attached to your teeth
, which some gentle cleaning and a little oral health education can help with. Score 3. It’s the 3 scores that present the difficulty.
What does 4 mean at the dentist?
Higher numbers indicate that the tissue is inflamed and some dental treatment may be necessary.” Typically, 1 – 3 mm is healthy, 4
is a warning
and anything over 5 is a call to action to prevent disease.
Can you chew gum before going to the dentist?
Chew Gum: sometimes you can’t always brush your teeth between meals, but
keeping a pack of sugar-free gum on you can help keep cavities away
. Gum is helpful at removing food debris that cavity-causing bacteria thrives on.
Can dentist tell if you don’t brush your teeth?
Similarly to flossing,
your dental team
will also be able to tell if you don’t brush your teeth often enough or even if you brush too hard. Those who don’t brush the recommended two times a day will often have larger areas of tartar buildup and puffy, red gums.
What does start of cavity look like?
What Does a Cavity Look Like? While it is usually difficult to see a cavity in its beginning stages, some cavities start with
a whitish or chalky appearance on the enamel of your tooth
. More serious cases can have a discolored brown or black color. However, most often there are no distinguishable red alerts.
What does a gum score of 0 mean?
The numbers that you hear are the depths of the pockets around your teeth in millimeters. Smaller, tighter pockets usually mean healthier gums. 0-3mm
without bleeding means you are in great shape
. Be proud! 1-3mm with bleeding is an early sign of gingivitis.
