Palate Refers to the roof of the mouth.

Partial Denture see dentures.

Periocoronitis An inflammation of the gum tissue around the crown of a tooth. (often a complication related to wisdom teeth.)

Periodontitis describes a group of painless gum diseases. It affects the structures which surround the teeth and hold them in place. Adult Periodontitis is caused by the build up of plaque and calculus around the gum margins. Everyone reacts differently to different quantities of plaque or calculus due to genetic variation. Smoking greatly contributes to periodontitis and will prevent or slow down any healing. In the early stages of the disease, pockets form as the gums separate from the teeth. The tissue that anchors the teeth to bone becomes inflamed and there is slight bone loss around the teeth. Moderate periodontitis follows as the pockets deepen. The gums may recede from the teeth giving the appearance of “getting long in the tooth.” There is moderate bone loss and the teeth may even begin to separate and loosen.Severe periodontitis follows as the pockets deepen severely. Pus may form in these pockets and there is drastic bone loss around the teeth. Some teeth may become very loose, and may fall out or require extraction. The severity of periodontitis is measured with a periodontal probe which allows the pocket depths to be recorded. X-rays can be very useful in assessing bone loss. The treatment of periodontitis is very much a joint effort between you - with determined improvements in brushing and flossing, and your dentist (or periodontist) and/or dental hygienist who will remove hard deposits of calculus from above and below the gumline. Very occasionally in severe cases minor surgery may be considered to aid healing. Successful treatment often requires more than one visit and your recall period will be individually assessed. Your gums will be monitored at your 6 monthly check ups. Unfortunately lost bone and tissues do not regenerate, however, with this joint treatment effort, periodontitis may be drastically slowed down or indeed halted, and you will feel the benefits of  having healthy teeth and gums.

Permanent Teeth The 32 adult teeth which replace the deciduous teeth. see also erupt.

Plaque is made up of a variety of bacteria responsible for causing decay, gingivitis and periodontitis. It is white or clear in colour and tends to build up in the deep pits on the biting surfaces of the back teeth and around the gum margins. Plaque can be adequately removed with good tooth brushing and flossing techniques.

Post A thin metal rod which may be made by a lab technician or inserted directly by the dentist. It fits in the root canal of a root treated tooth, and provides a foundation for a filling or lab made crown.

Premolars These teeth are located in pairs behind the canine teeth, but in front of the molars. Premolars (either the 1st or the 2nd) are often extracted to provide room in orthodontic cases with crowding.

Probe Dental instrument used by the dentist to feel for irregularities on the surfaces of the teeth which may suggest damage or caries. Periodontal probes check the depths of the pockets between the tooth and the gum identifying  periodontitis.

Pulp The soft tissue within the teeth containing nerve tissue and blood vessels.  

Pulpectomy The removal of all of the pulp tissue in preparation for root canal treatment.

Pulpitis If the pulp becomes infected by bacteria from caries or damaged it may inflame causing toothache.

Pulpotomy The removal of a portion of the pulp. More common in deciduous and developing permanent teeth or teeth which have been subject to trauma (injury).

Pyorrhoea see periodontitis