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Acidifying
Anything with a pH level lower than neutral, which should be ingested on a measured level when it comes to food.
Aesthetic Zone
The front part of the smile that's most visible, so aesthetics matter more (versus farthest back in the smile).
Alkalinizing
Something with a pH level higher than neutral, which is a positive thing when it comes to food.
Amalgam
The industry word for filling, meaning it's an amalgamation of different metals (tin, silver, copper).
Anaerobic Bacteria
Bacteria that live in areas without oxygen and thus promote bad breath.
ARC Lamp
The high-intensity lamp that activates hydrogen peroxide during an in-office whitening procedure.
Autoclave
Heat sterilizer in the dentist's office.
Barrier Control
The plastic wrapping over all dental supplies to keep them protected before use.
Bonding
A type of restorative dentistry where fronts and edges of teeth can be whitened, elongated and widened, all to a certain extent.
Bridge
A splinted unit that replaces a tooth and is supported by a natural tooth (abutment) on either side.
Cariogenic
Something that promotes cavities.
Contact Area
The area where teeth that are next to each other meet.
Crown
A full-coverage restoration that supports the tooth 360 degrees. It can be made from either ceramic, metal or a combination of both.
Dentin
Beneath the enamel, where a tooth's color and opacity comes from.
Enamel
Tooth's rock-hard, clear protecting surface.
Endodontic Lesion
When an inelastic bone causes biting to be painful.
Endodontist
A root canal specialist.
Flap Surgery
The surgical procedure that's performed when scaling and root planing aren't enough.
Gingival Symmetry
An even gum line.
Gingivitis
A milder form of periodontal disease. Also called gum disease.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is what's used in all tooth whitening, and it's stabilized either by a carrier, like carbamide peroxide or a delivery system, such as the one in smile ampoules.
Implant
A type of restorative dentistry that involves replacing a missing tooth (or teeth) that gets anchored in below the gum line through the jaw.
Inlays and Onlays
Indirect restoratives that are used when decay in a tooth requires more than a filling or amalgam but not enough to require a crown.
Irreversible Pulpitis
An inflamed nerve that's past the point of rescue and heading down the road to root canal city.
Malocclusion
An uneven bite.
Mandible
The lower jawline of teeth.
Maxilla
The upper jawline of teeth.
MPD
Myofacial Pain Disorder, which is muscle soreness due to a bite problem.
Orthodontics
Tooth movement through applied force that either tips or bodily moves a tooth in the desired direction.
Osteoclastic Activity
The loss of bone.
Over-Saturation
When a whitening product's active ingredient penetrates a tooth's enamel for an over-extended period of time, resulting in de-mineralizing a tooth's enamel and erasing its dentin's pigment.
Oxidizing
Hindering something through the power of oxygen.
Oxygenating
The action of bringing oxygen into an area, such as the mouth.
Periodontitis
A more serious level of periodontal disease.
Plaque-Bacteria
Formed from food (especially sugars and carbohydrates) left on unbrushed and unflossed teeth that turns sticky and hardens, forming a sticky film of bacteria.
Pocket
What the small crevices can grow into when they become enlarged to a measurement more than 5 mm deep.
Porcelain Veneers
A thin laminate or layer of porcelain bonded onto the natural tooth surface to change tooth position and whiten, elongate and widen.
Pulp
Provides nutrients and blood to the tooth, and is attached to the root and bone.
Reversible Pulpitis
An inflamed nerve that can be rescued.
Root Planing
Removing plaque from beneath the gumline.
Scaling
Removing tartar (hardened plaque) from above the gumline.
Smileceuticals
A proprietary blend of good-for-you antioxidants and vitamins.
Sulcus
The small crevices between teeth that go up into the gum.
Tartar
Hardened plaque.
Tray-and-Gel Whitening System
The first type of whitening system that could be used at home.
TMJ
Tempero Mandibular Joint, which is when there's an internal problem in the joint in addition to muscle.
Volatile Sulfur Compounds
VSCs are the compounds in your mouth that cause bad breath.
Whitening Ampoule
An at-home or on-the-go whitening system in which hydrogen peroxide stays inertly potent until activated at time of use.
Whitening Strip
An at-home whitening system where the active ingredient is delivered in a gel-like form via a tape-like strip.
