Tooth Anatomy
This hard, shiny outer layer covers the crown of a tooth and is the hardest substance in the human body.
What is enamel?
The common name for dental caries, small holes caused by tooth decay.
What are cavities?
This mineral is added to many toothpastes and some public water systems to help prevent decay.
What is fluoride?
Dentists use these images to see between teeth and below the gums.
What are X-rays, or dental radiographs?
This dental specialist straightens teeth and corrects bite problems, often with braces or aligners.
What is an orthodontist?
These are the visible parts of teeth above the gumline.
What are crowns?
After you eat sugary foods, plaque bacteria produce this substance, which can slowly dissolve enamel.
What is acid?
These protective coatings are often placed on back teeth to block bacteria from deep grooves.
What are dental sealants?
Dentists use this small tool to reflect light and view the backs of teeth.
What is a dental mirror?
This specialist treats diseases of the gums and supporting structures around teeth.
What is a periodontist?
This living tissue inside the tooth contains nerves and blood vessels.
What is pulp?
This sticky biofilm on teeth contains bacteria that contribute to decay and gum disease.
What is plaque?
This natural defense helps prevent cavities by buffering acids, washing away food, and carrying minerals back to enamel.
What is saliva?
This instrument is used to measure the depth of gum pockets around teeth.
What is a periodontal probe?
This procedure treats infected or inflamed tissue inside a tooth.
What is a root canal, or endodontic treatment?
These are the parts of teeth below the gumline that help hold teeth in the jaw.
What are roots?
This process happens when minerals are lost from tooth enamel during early decay.
What is demineralization?
This sugar substitute may reduce cavity risk because cavity-causing bacteria cannot use it the same way they use regular sugar.
What is xylitol?
Bleeding gums during brushing or probing are often a sign of this.
What is inflammation, gingivitis, or gum disease?
This dental specialist focuses on replacing missing teeth with crowns, bridges, dentures, or implants.
What is a prosthodontist?
This junction marks the boundary where enamel of the crown meets cementum of the root.
What is the cementoenamel junction, or CEJ?
Below about this pH, enamel starts to lose minerals in the classic “critical pH” model.
What is approximately 5.5?
This public health practice adjusts fluoride levels in drinking water to help prevent tooth decay across a community.
What is community water fluoridation?
A dark area near the tip of a tooth root on an X-ray may suggest infection or inflammation in this area.
What is the area around the root tip, or periapical area?
This dental specialist diagnoses diseases of the mouth, jaw, and related tissues, sometimes by examining tissue samples under a microscope.
Who is an oral and maxillofacial pathologist?