Dental Hygiene Glossary

The CDT procedure code for periodontal maintenance, a recall appointment for patients who have completed active periodon...

The professional removal of microbial biofilm, calculus, and associated toxins from tooth and root surfaces using mechan...

A standardized diagrammatic record documenting the condition, treatment history, and clinical findings for each tooth an...

A developmental disturbance of tooth enamel caused by excessive ingestion of fluoride during the enamel-forming years, p...

A clinical judgment made by a dental hygienist identifying actual or potential oral health problems that the hygienist i...

A structured, six-step clinical and educational framework guiding dental hygiene practice from assessment through evalua...

A sharp, transient pain response originating from exposed dentinal tubules, triggered by thermal, tactile, osmotic, or c...

The process by which odontoblast cells produce dentin, the mineralised tissue forming the bulk of the tooth beneath the...

A topically applied substance used to reduce dentinal hypersensitivity by occluding dentinal tubules or blocking nerve t...

The V-shaped space between the proximal surfaces of adjacent teeth, above the contact area, categorised by shape and siz...

Discolouration of the tooth surface caused by external chromogenic agents—such as tea, coffee, tobacco, or chlorhexidine...

The two-digit tooth numbering system developed by the Fédération Dentaire Internationale, in which the first digit ident...

A concentrated topical fluoride preparation applied directly to tooth surfaces to prevent caries and reduce dentinal hyp...

A comprehensive set of intraoral radiographs—typically 14–21 periapical and 4 bitewing images—documenting all teeth and...

The anatomical area where the roots of a multi-rooted tooth diverge from the tooth trunk, and the clinical assessment of...

A grading system that classifies the extent of bone loss in the area where the roots of a multi-rooted tooth divide, use...

The extension of periodontal disease into the branching area between the roots of a multi-rooted tooth, classified by se...

A curved, blunt-ended instrument specifically designed to detect and classify the extent of bone loss within the furcati...

An abnormal overgrowth of gingival tissue, often drug-induced or associated with systemic conditions, resulting in enlar...

A clinical scoring system used to assess the severity and extent of gingival inflammation based on colour, contour, and...

The apical migration of the gingival margin away from the cementoenamel junction, resulting in exposure of the root surf...

The shallow, V-shaped space between the free gingival margin and the tooth surface in a clinically healthy mouth.

Reversible inflammation of the gingival tissues, characterised by redness, swelling, and bleeding on probing, without lo...

An area-specific hand instrument used in periodontal scaling and root planing, designed with a single cutting edge offse...