Damon Bracket
This is a self-ligating bracket made by Ormco. This company has launched this bracket onto the market supported by a previously unheard amount of advertising and numerous wonderful promises. In summary, with the Damon bracket it is no longer supposed to be necessary to sacrifice other teeth where there is severe crowding because this problem […]
Deckbiss
This is an obsolete term which is only used in Germany. It refers to the pronounced Angle-Class II/2. It is characterized by a retrusive occlusion in the lower jaw, a large upper jaw, upper front teeth that are leaning sharply inwards and a deep overbite in the front teeth.
Deep Bite
This term refers to a deep overbite in the front teeth that goes in a vertical direction. It causes the lower incisors to be mostly or completely covered by the upper incisors when the bite comes together. It often causes the lower incisors to dig into the palate and, in extreme cases the upper incisors […]
Dehiscence
Dehiscence is a local decline of the bone overlying the tooth roots, usually on the outside. The long-term consequences of dehiscence of the bone are a decrease in gum and an exposed tooth root. Dehiscence of the jawbone is one of the typical risks of orthodontic treatment.
Delaire Mask
This is an extra-oral appliance that was developed by J. Delaire and H. Petit in France and is used for the treatment of a protruded lower jaw (reverse lower-jaw overbite) in children and – to a limited extent – in adolescents. It consists of two pads – one on the chin and one on the […]
Demineralisation
Demineralisation describes the loss of mineral substance, in dentistry it’s the decalcification of the tooth enamel. This causes white or brown spots or even leads to caries. The English term for demineralisation is white-spot-lesion. Demineralisation can occur as a side-effect during the treatment with fixed appliances if oral hygiene isn’t sufficient. In contrast demineralisation doesn’t […]
Dental enamel
The almost exclusively anorganic-crystalline substance which covers the dental crowns. Dental enamel is the hardest substance in the human body.
Dental nerve
Colloquial term for the dental pulp
Dental plaque
See plaque
Dental pulp
In colloquial terms this fibrous structure in the middle of the tooth is called nerve. Blood vessels and nerve tracts run through the dental pulp.
Dentin
The dentin is the most important hard substance of the tooth, along with the enamel and root cementum.
Dentitio difficilis
A difficult tooth eruption with concomitant inflammation, swelling and pain
Diastema mediale
Tooth gap between the central incisors. A diastema means no health risk at all, but is seen as an aesthetic problem by some people.
Digital volume tomography (DVT)
The digital volume tomography is an X-ray computed tomography which allows three-dimensional imaging of the examined tissue. Due to the cone beam technique there’s less radiation exposure compared to the older computed tomography (CT). Nonetheless, a high-resolution DVT still has a multiple of the radiation exposure of conventional orthodontic X-rays like OPG or Ceph. In […]
Discus articularis
Discus articularis is the Latin term for the joint disc, e.g. of the temporomandibular joint.
Distal
Distal is a directional term for: in the direction of the end of the dental arch.
Distal occlusion
This refers to the backward position of the lower jaw or the lower row of teeth and is usually associated with an enlarged overbite of the incisors.
Distraction Osteogenesis
This refers to the gradual stretching of segments of bone that were previously divided by using so-called dental distractors, whereby the growth of new bone in the resulting gap can be quickly stimulated. Originally developed by Ilizarov in order to lengthen hollow bones in the extremities, Distraction Osteogenesis is now being used successfully in dento-facial […]
Dysfunction of the tongue
Tongue dysfunction is usually referred to as the flat tongue position and the insertion of the tongue between the teeth. Common side effects of tongue dysfunction are sigmatism (lisp) and an open bite.
Dysgnathia
Dysgnathia refers to an improper bite. In a broader sense it describes all kinds of tooth irregularities or disproportionate jaw relationships. Moreover, dysgnathia is a descriptive term which refers to anatomy but it has almost nothing to do with health or illness.
Dysgnathia Surgery
This term refers to a branch of dento-facial surgery that is concerned with the surgical lengthening of either a part of a jaw or of a whole jaw where there is a pronounced deviation in the position of the jaw itself. The most common intervention involves moving the position of the lower jaw forwards, backwards […]