Dental Research Glossary
105 terms total — 9 showing — Last updated 15 Sep 2026
Crossover Study Design
A clinical trial design in which each participant receives two or more treatments in sequence, serving as their own control, commonly used in dental intervention studies to reduce inter-subject variability.
Subgingival Debridement
The mechanical removal of plaque, calculus, and diseased cementum from tooth root surfaces located below the gingival ma...
Sulcus Bleeding Index
A clinical index (SBI) used in dental research to quantify gingival inflammation by recording the presence or absence of...
Supragingival Calculus
Mineralised dental plaque deposited on tooth surfaces coronal to (above) the gingival margin, visible on clinical examin...
Systematic Review Protocol
A pre-registered document outlining the rationale, objectives, eligibility criteria, search strategy, and planned analys...
Tooth Mobility
The degree of horizontal or vertical displacement of a tooth in its socket when a standardised force is applied, used as...
Tooth Surface Index of Fluorosis
A scoring system used to quantify the prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis by recording the proportion of each to...
TWES
Abbreviation for Tooth Wear Evaluation System, a comprehensive scoring system used to classify and stage tooth wear comb...
Washout Period
A defined interval in a crossover or sequential clinical trial during which the effects of a prior treatment are allowed...
Xerostomia
The subjective sensation of oral dryness, which may or may not be accompanied by objectively reduced salivary flow.