Glossary

This glossary provides a list of the most commonly used terms in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Alveolar bone

The part of the jaw bone holding the teeth.

Anaesthesia

Anaesthesia refers to the practice of administering medications either by injection or by inhalation (breathing in) that blocks the feeling of pain and other sensations, or that produce a deep state of unconsciousness that eliminates all sensations, which allows medical and surgical procedures to be undertaken without causing undue distress or discomfort.

Anaesthesia of the skin

Numbness of the skin.

Anaesthetic

A drug or gas that is given to someone before a medical operation to stop them feeling pain. An anaesthetic that affects the whole of your body by making you unconscious is called a general anaesthetic and an anaesthetic that affects only a part of your body is called a regional or local anaesthetic.

Apex

The tip of the root of a tooth.

Attenuation

Narrowing of a nerve, usually after damage.

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Blepharoplasty

Surgery on an eyelid.

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Canthus

Where the upper and lower eyelids meet (inner and outer).

Cervical spine

Neck bone

Crepitus

Crackling feeling usually in a joint or between broken boen ends.

Crown

The bit of the tooth which shows in the mouth.

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Dysaesthesia

Abnormal sensation, often unpleasant.

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Enophthalmos

A sunken eye.

Epiphora

A watering eye.

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Facial nerve

The 7th cranial nerve moving the facial muscles.

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Gingiva

The gums

Globe

Eyeball

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Haematoma

Collection of blood under the skin - a bruise.

Herniation

Formation of a hernia (protrusion of a structure through the tissues normally containing it).

Hyperaesthesia

An unpleasant burning or scalding sensation of the skin.

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Impaction

When a tooth is stuck against another tooth, usually preventing full eruption.

Infra-orbital

Beneath the eye.

Interincisal opening

The distance in mm between the upper and lower front teeth with the mouth fully open.

Intermaxillary fixation

Wiring the teeh together usually after a jaw fracture.

Interproximal

Between adjoining surfaces.

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Labial

On the lip side of

Length of stay

The number of nights that a patient stays in hospital following a surgical or investigative procedure.

Lingual

On the tongue side of (usually referring to structures in the lower mouth)

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Malar

Cheekbone

Mandible

Lower jaw

Maxilla

Upper jaw

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Nasal septum

Midline strut of the nose.

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Occlusion

The way the teeth meet.

Orbit

Eye socket

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Paraesthesia

Partial numbness of the skin, a tingling or 'pins and needles' sensation.

Pericoronitis

A gum infection, usually around an impacted wisdom tooth.

Pinna

The external ear

Prognosis

The future outcome

Pulp

The inside of a tooth containing nerves and vessels.

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Reduction

E.g. of a fracture. Putting the bone ends back in the right place.

Retractor

An instrument which is used to reflect tissue to one side, often held by an assistant.

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Sublux

Incomplete dislocation.

Supra-orbital

Above the eye.

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Temporomandibular joint

Jaw joint

Traumatic anthropathy

Damage to a joint caused by a direct or indirect blow.

Trigeminal neuralgia

The 5th cranial nerve supplying feeling to the face.

Trismus

Muscle spasm preventing the jaw from opening fully.

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Wisdom Teeth (or third molars)

The wisdom teeth grow at the back of your gums and are the last teeth to come through. Most people have four wisdom teeth – one in each corner.

Wisdom teeth usually grow through the gums during the late teens or early twenties. By this time, the other 28 adult teeth are usually in place, so there isn't always enough room in the mouth for the wisdom teeth to grow properly.

Because of the lack of space, the wisdom teeth can sometimes emerge at an angle or get stuck and only partially emerge. Wisdom teeth that grow through like this are known as impacted.

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X-ray

A picture taken using non-visible wavelengths of radiation to produce images of parts of the body.

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Zygoma

Cheekbone

The staff of the BAOMS Offices are not medically trained and cannot give advice about medical conditions.
In addition, the information on this site should not be used for self-diagnosis but rather to inform you, as a patient/member of the public, of the surgical procedures/operations that oral and maxillofacial surgeons can perform. You should always contact your GP or Specialist Nurse for medical advice in the first instance for a possible consultant referral.

WHAT IS ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY

Oral & Maxillofacial (OMF) Surgeons specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting the mouth, jaws, face and neck. Find out more here.

WHAT IS ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY

THE PATIENT'S JOURNEY

The assessment and treatment of oral and maxillofacial conditions can be complex and, at times, confusing for patients. Find more information about your treatment here.