Prosthodontics Glossary
30 terms total — 24 showing — Last updated 15 Sep 2026
Relining
The procedure of resurfacing the tissue-bearing side of a denture with new base material to improve its fit following alveolar resorption or soft-tissue changes.
Abutment
A natural tooth or implant fixture that serves as the structural support for a fixed or removable prosthesis.
All-on-4
A trademarked implant-prosthetic protocol in which a full-arch fixed prosthesis is supported by four implants, the two d...
CAD/CAM
Acronym for Computer-Aided Design / Computer-Aided Manufacturing; the digital workflow used to design and mill or 3D-pri...
Cantilever
A prosthetic component — most often a fixed partial denture retainer or implant-supported crown — that is supported at o...
Centric Occlusion
The occlusal relationship of the teeth when the mandible is in its maximum intercuspation position, regardless of condyl...
Centric Relation
The maxillomandibular relationship in which the condyles articulate in their most superior and anterior position within...
Denture Flange
The portion of a denture base that extends from the cervical ends of the teeth to the border of the denture, engaging th...
Emergence Profile
The contour of a restoration or implant crown as it transitions from the implant or tooth margin through the soft tissue...
Esthetic Zone
The region of the dentition visible during normal social interaction — typically the anterior teeth and surrounding soft...
Facebow
A caliper-like instrument used to record the spatial relationship of the maxillary arch to the temporomandibular joints...
FPD
Abbreviation for Fixed Partial Denture; a cemented or bonded dental prosthesis that replaces one or more missing teeth b...
Gingival Zenith
The most apical (lowest) point of the free gingival margin of a tooth, which determines the apparent length and symmetry...
Immediate Denture
A complete or partial denture fabricated and inserted immediately after the extraction of remaining natural teeth, befor...
Implant-Supported Prosthesis
A dental prosthesis whose support is derived entirely from osseointegrated implant fixtures, with no load transmitted to...
Interarch Distance
The vertical space between the occlusal or incisal surfaces of opposing arches, measured at a defined mandibular positio...
Interocclusal Record
A registration of the positional relationship of opposing teeth or dental arches made using a recording medium such as w...
ISQ
Implant Stability Quotient; a dimensionless scale from 1 to 100 used to quantify the primary or secondary stability of a...
Kennedy Classification
A system for categorising partially edentulous arches into four classes based on the location of edentulous spaces relat...
Maxillofacial Prosthetics
The branch of prosthodontics dealing with the rehabilitation of patients with acquired or congenital defects of the head...
Obturator
A prosthetic device used to close or occlude an opening in the palate resulting from surgery, trauma, or a congenital de...
Occlusal Vertical Dimension
The measured distance between two selected anatomical points when the teeth or occlusal rims are in contact.
Osseointegration
The direct structural and functional connection between living bone and the surface of a load-bearing implant without in...
Overdenture
A removable complete or partial denture that rests on and is supported by retained tooth roots or dental implants.
Peri-implantitis
An inflammatory condition affecting the soft and hard tissues surrounding a dental implant, resulting in progressive los...