DDS: Doctor of Dental Surgery — equivalent to DMD, Doctor of Dental Medicine.
decay: destruction of tooth structure caused by toxins produced by bacteria.
deciduous teeth: commonly called “baby teeth” or primary teeth; the first set of (usually) 20 teeth.
demineralization: loss of mineral from tooth enamel just below the surface in a carious lesion; usually appears as a white area on the tooth surface.
dentin: inner layer of tooth structure, immediately under the surface enamel.
denture: a removable replacement of artificial teeth for missing natural teeth and surrounding tissues. Two types of dentures are available — complete and partial. Complete dentures are used when all the teeth are missing, while partial dentures are used when some natural teeth remain.
DMD: Doctor of Medical Dentistry; equivalent to DDS, Doctor of Dental Surgery.
dry mouth: a condition in which the flow of saliva is reduced and there is not enough saliva to keep the mouth moist. Dry mouth can be the result of certain medications (such as antihistamines and decongestants), certain diseases (such as Sjögren’s syndrome, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes), certain medical treatments (such as head and neck radiation), as well as nerve damage, dehydration, tobacco use, and surgical removal of the salivary glands. Also called xerostomia.
dry socket: a common complication that occurs when either a blood clot has failed to form in an extracted tooth socket or else the blood clot that did form has been dislodged.
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