I | Dental Dictionary

• imaging - includes, but is not limited to, X-rays, CAT scans, MRIs, photographs, and other visual diagnostic formats
• immediate denture - teeth replacement prosthetic designed to be placed as soon as teeth are removed, generally will be replaced with permanent denture once healing is complete
• immediate implant placement - dental implant placed during the same visit as the extraction of the tooth it replaces
• impacted tooth - a tooth that is partially or fully unable to erupt and remains embedded in soft tissue or wedged against bone or another tooth
• implant - to insert or graft material into tissue
• implant, dental - small metal cylinder, usually titanium, placed in or on jawbone, used in conjunction with dental prosthetic as a tooth replacement solution
• implant dentistry - field of study and practice involving the surgical placement and maintenance of dental implants and implant-anchored tooth replacement prosthetics
• impression - mold of teeth and gums, made by biting a soft material, used for diagnostic and treatment planning purposes
• incision and drainage - small surgical cut to drain pus from an abscess
• incisors - four front center upper and lower teeth
• infiltration - use of local anesthetic by placing under the gum tissue, effective in certain parts of the mouth only
• inlay - filling made outside the tooth, then cemented or bonded in place to restore lost structure
• interproximal - adjacent surfaces between teeth within the same arch
• interocclusal - between upper and lower teeth of the bite
• intracoronal - inside the tooth crown
• intraoral - inside the oral cavity
• intraoral camera - specially designed camera for use in photographing inside the mouth, used for diagnostic purposes