The Complete Glossary of Dental Terminologies

Dental professionals, assistants, dentists, technicians, hygienists, all rely on shared vocabulary to communicate cases clearly and prevent errors. We built this glossary so clients can recognize the language used daily inside our Tulsa lab. It’s a living document; if you find a term we should add, let us know.

A

Abutment
Either an implant or natural tooth that supports and stabilizes a prosthesis. Three sub-types: Abutment-Custom (a custom-made post used when prefabricated options aren’t suitable), Abutment-PreFab (a machine-manufactured post attached to the protruding part of a dental implant), Abutment-UCLA (a castable abutment component used to create customized abutments).
Articulator
A device that replicates movements of the temporomandibular joint and mandibles.

B

Blow Torch
A heated device using chemical fuels or compressed gas to melt various alloys for casting.
Burner
An external heating device (such as a Bunsen Burner) used to heat baseplate wax sheets or wax for carving.

C

Casting Machine
A centrifugal spin device that forces melted alloy into an investment ring.
Curing Unit
A device utilizing light-curing or pressurized heat to complete the polymerization process of acrylics.
Cement
Brittle, hard materials formed by mixing liquid and powder; can be acid-based or resin cements.

D

Dust Collector
A suction-powered unit that removes acrylic dust and gypsum from the laboratory.
Denture Base
The pink acrylic part of a denture that covers the alveolar ridge.
Denture Flange
An extension that covers posterior anatomy, providing support for cheeks and lips when underlying bone and gums have resorbed.
Dowel Pin
A tapered brass post placed in stone during pouring, serving as a die handle during carving and waxing.

E

Electroplating Unit
An electronic device that applies various alloy materials to specific surface objects.

F

Framework
The skeletal structure of a partial prosthesis to which artificial teeth and acrylic materials are applied.
Fixed Bridge
A prosthesis replacing one or more missing teeth, involving adjoining teeth; also called crown and bridge prosthesis.
Fixed Prosthesis
A dental prosthesis that is prepped and cemented onto or into teeth.
Flux
A protective agent used during heating to prevent alloy oxidation.

H

High Metal Alloys
Alloys composed of over 60% noble metal (palladium, gold, platinum) with more than 40% gold.
Hydrocolloid Conditioning Machine
A heating device using water to prepare reversible hydrocolloid materials for impressions, featuring three compartments with graduated heated water baths.

I

Inlay
A cast restoration positioned inside tooth cusps, designed to fit the occlusal surface section and proximal walls.
Investment
A mixture of silica, gypsum, and reducing-agent substance that maintains wax pattern shape during casting.

L

Lathe
An electrical motor connecting to dental appliances for smoothing, shaping, and sanding materials.
Lateral Excursion
The side-to-side sliding position of the mandible during occlusion.

M

Maryland Bridge
A resin-retained prosthesis (anterior or posterior) using a bonding process to hold adjacent teeth.
Model Trimmer
A grinding device that trims excess gypsum from diagnostic casts for articulator placement or treatment planning records.
Molding
Also called muscle trimming; the hand-shaping of impression substances over tray edges.

N

Noble Alloys
Alloys with a minimum noble metal content of 25%.
Non-Noble
Base metals with noble metal content under 25%, often containing cobalt, nickel, beryllium, or chromium.

O

Overdenture
An acrylic denture fitted to the gingiva and bony ridge, remaining attached to implants or remaining teeth.
Onlay
A cast restoration covering one or more tooth cusps, fitting some or all of the occlusal surface and proximal walls.
Occlusal Rims
Wax blocks positioned over the residual ridge on a baseplate, used during denture tooth placement on the articulator.

P

PFM
Acronym for porcelain fused to metal; a dental crown with a metal shell and porcelain veneer fused at high heat, combining strength with tooth-like appearance.
Porcelain Jacket Crown
Also known as PJC; a ceramic crown with thin metal veneer for anterior teeth.
Post and Cure
A dental restoration used when inadequate tooth structure remains to support traditional restoration.

R

Retrusion
The mandible’s position as far posterior while in occlusion.

S

Smile Line
The amount of denture tooth space visible when a patient smiles.
Soldering
The joining of metals through fusion of an intermediate alloy.
Saddle
A mesh extension of the resting framework sitting on the alveolar ridge, typically coated with pink acrylic to resemble oral tissues.

T

Three-Quarter Crown
A cast restoration applied to a tooth prepared on all surfaces except the facial surface.

V

Veneer
A fine, tooth-colored shell applied to the facial surface of teeth.
Vibrator
A small table-model appliance with a platform for holding newly mixed gypsum to vibrate air bubbles to the surface.

W

Wax Pattern
An exact wax replica of a prosthesis, prepared by melting and carving wax on a die, then encased in gypsum for casting.
Wax Elimination
The process of heating or burning out wax patterns from hardened investment materials in a laboratory furnace, leaving a void for alloy reproduction.
Working Days
The total time needed for a laboratory to complete a prescription.

Z

Zirconia
A white dental ceramic used in fabricating dental prosthetics like zirconia crowns.