• adult teeth
  • child teeth

Word Meaning
Bad Bite or Malocclusion The abnormal or irregular alignment of teeth and/or jaws. 
Baby Teeth First teeth, milk teeth or deciduous teeth. 
Bacterial Infection A disease caused by bacteria. 
Bad Breath Halitosis.
An unpleasant smelling breath. 
Band (Orthodontic) A thin metal ring that serves to secure orthodontic attachments to a tooth. The band, with orthodontic attachments welded or soldered to it, is closely adapted to fit the contours of the tooth and then cemented into place. Aesthetic tooth coloured bands are available. 
Benign Non cancerous. 
Bicuspids Premolar teeth, between the canines and molars. 
Bite or The bite The position of the upper and lower teeth and jaws when they meet.
The way upper and lower teeth meet. 
Bite Plate A plastic appliance that is worn at night over the upper teeth to prevent tooth grinding while asleep. Similar in function to a nightguard. 
Bite Wing X-Ray An intra-oral x-ray of a few upper and lower teeth on the same film. Used to detect decay in teeth. 
Bleaching The whitening or lightening of the colour of teeth by using a chemical bleaching agent. 
Bonding A tooth-coloured filling.
The process of fusing a filling material to a tooth.
The fusing or combining of any two materials. 
Bone loss The resorption (reduction) of bone supporting the teeth. 
Braces An orthodontic method to straighten teeth, using wires, brackets, bands and other attachments. 
Bracket An orthodontic attachment that is secured to a tooth (either by bonding or banding) for fixing an arch wire to. Brackets can be made of metal, ceramic or plastic and are available in tooth-shade or clear. 
Bridge A bridge is a fixed replacement of missing teeth. It is held in place by the supporting teeth on either side of the gap between the teeth. Also called a fixed bridge. 
Bruxism The involuntary grinding and clenching of teeth. 
Buccal The tooth surface facing the cheek. 
Burning Mouth Syndrome A burning sensation in the mouth. The cause is usually unknown.
It can be a symptom of an oral or medical condition.