Dental jargon buster
Nobody should agree to treatment they do not understand. Here is what the terms on your estimate and in the surgery actually mean — and, more importantly, why each one matters to your decision.
27 terms
The small connector that screws into a dental implant and holds the crown on top.
Why it matters: It is the middle piece of an implant, so a quote that says 'implant, abutment and crown' is quoting the whole tooth, not just the screw.
Dental implantsAlso called: Invisalign attachment
A small tooth-coloured bump bonded to a tooth so a clear aligner can grip and move it.
Why it matters: They are why aligners can rotate or upright a tooth rather than just tip it. They are polished off at the end.
InvisalignAlso called: Composite bonding
Tooth-coloured resin sculpted onto your own tooth by hand and set with a light.
Why it matters: It is the least invasive way to fix chips, edges and small gaps, usually in one visit and usually with no drilling.
Composite bondingAlso called: Tooth grinding
Clenching or grinding your teeth, most often at night without knowing it.
Why it matters: It wears edges flat and shortens the life of veneers, bonding and crowns. If you grind, a night guard protects the work you have paid for.
Also called: Tartar
Plaque that has hardened onto the tooth and can no longer be brushed off.
Why it matters: Only a hygienist can remove it, and it is what keeps gum inflammation going between visits.
Hygiene & gum healthAlso called: Tooth decay, a cavity
Damage to the tooth surface caused by acid from bacteria feeding on sugars.
Why it matters: Caught early it may only need monitoring or a small filling. Left alone it reaches the nerve and becomes root canal territory.
The tooth-coloured filling material used for white fillings and bonding.
Why it matters: It is cheaper and kinder to the tooth than porcelain, but it stains and chips sooner, so it is a maintenance material.
Compare bonding and veneersAlso called: Cap
A custom-made cover that sits over the whole of a damaged tooth.
Why it matters: It is a rebuild, not a cosmetic facing. Teeth that have had root canals or large old fillings often need one to stop them splitting.
Crowns & bridgesA visible gap between two teeth, most commonly the front two.
Why it matters: It can be closed with bonding in a day, with veneers, or moved closed with aligners. The right answer depends on the size of the gap.
The hard outer shell of the tooth. It is the only part that never grows back.
Why it matters: Any treatment that removes enamel is permanent. It is the single most important question to ask before agreeing to veneers.
Porcelain veneersAlso called: Root canal treatment
Treating the infected nerve inside a tooth so the tooth itself can be kept.
Why it matters: It is done to save a tooth that would otherwise be taken out, and modern anaesthetic means it should feel like a long filling.
Root canal treatmentEarly gum inflammation — red, puffy gums that bleed when you brush.
Why it matters: It is reversible with cleaning and better technique. Ignored, it can progress to periodontitis, which is not reversible.
A titanium post placed into the jawbone to act as the root for a replacement tooth.
Why it matters: It is the only option that replaces the root as well as the tooth, which is why it keeps the bone and does not touch the neighbouring teeth.
Dental implantsA 3D record of your teeth — now usually taken with a small camera instead of putty.
Why it matters: It is how the laboratory makes anything custom, and how we show you a digital preview before you commit.
Also called: Interproximal reduction
Polishing a hair's width of enamel between teeth to make room for them to line up.
Why it matters: It lets crowded teeth straighten without taking a tooth out. The amounts are tiny and measured, but it is still enamel, so it should be explained to you first.
Also called: Your bite
How your upper and lower teeth meet when you close and chew.
Why it matters: Cosmetic work that ignores the bite breaks. Checking occlusion is why a smile makeover starts with an assessment rather than a shade guide.
The healing period where bone fuses to the surface of an implant.
Why it matters: It is why implants take months rather than weeks — usually three to six before the final crown goes on.
Also called: Gum disease
Inflammation that has spread below the gum and started to destroy the bone holding teeth in.
Why it matters: It is the leading cause of adult tooth loss and it is usually painless. It must be stabilised before any cosmetic work begins.
Hygiene & gum healthAlso called: Biofilm
The soft, sticky layer of bacteria that forms on teeth within hours of cleaning.
Why it matters: It is the cause of both decay and gum disease, and it is the only part of all this that is entirely in your hands.
The measurement in millimetres of the space between gum and tooth.
Why it matters: Those numbers the hygienist calls out are your gum health score. One to three is healthy; four and above needs treatment.
The false tooth suspended in the middle of a bridge.
Why it matters: It sits on the gum rather than in it, so a bridge replaces the tooth but not the root.
Crowns & bridgesReshaping a tooth so a veneer or crown can sit on it without looking bulky.
Why it matters: 'Minimal prep' and 'no prep' are not the same thing. Ask exactly how much enamel is coming off and whether it can ever be undone.
Compare treatmentsA fixed wire or clear night-time tray that keeps straightened teeth where they finished.
Why it matters: Teeth drift for life. Retainers are not optional extras — without them, orthodontic results relapse.
InvisalignShort, sharp discomfort from cold, sweet or air, usually from exposed dentine.
Why it matters: It is the most common short-term side effect of whitening, and in almost all cases it settles within a few days.
The colour of a tooth, matched against a standard guide such as B1 or A2.
Why it matters: Whitening is done before veneers or bonding, because the new material will not change colour afterwards.
Teeth whiteningA thin custom facing, usually porcelain, bonded to the front of a tooth.
Why it matters: It changes colour and shape in a way whitening cannot, but it usually involves permanent enamel removal — a decision for life, not for a season.
Porcelain veneersA model or on-screen preview of the proposed new smile before any work is done.
Why it matters: It is your chance to change your mind for free. Any serious cosmetic plan should include one.
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