There’s a lot of stuff you probably know about your smile. So much so that you might begin feeling quite good about your knowledge you’ve accumulate thus far. That is, until you’re around a dental team for just a matter of moments and you realize there are some clinical terms that you’ve never heard of before. Good news: You probably really do know a significant amount about your oral health! You just haven’t been introduced to some particular terminology yet (and we are happy to help).
What’s Gingival Tissue?
Rest easy. This sounds like something very advanced but it’s actually just another way of referring to your gums when discussing your oral health. An easy way to remember it? Gingivitis is the inflammation of your gum tissue. Gingiv (gums) + itis (inflammatory disease) = gingivitis. See? Simple.
What’s Periodontal Disease?
Now that we’re talking about your gum health, this is another one that can trip patients up a bit. When we talk about periodontal disease, it’s basically another way of saying “gum disease.” So, why not just call it by the simpler term? Well, this oral health problem is far reaching when it advances. It begins with your gums but it can eventually affect all of your smile’s periodontium (the supportive structures of your smile, which include gums, ligaments, bone).
What’s Osseointegration?
If you’ve never heard of osseointegration before, you might not know what to do with it. It refers to the joining of an implant post with your jawbone tissue, the process necessary for you to receive a dental implant and for it to turn into a successful treatment.
