Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 11, 2025
Accuracy in Dental Medicine, A New Way to Measure Trueness and Precision
Published on: April 29, 2014
Medicine and dentistry: Understanding the language of dentistry
Jackie Stuart1, Tarun Sen Gupta2
1BDSc, PhD, Adjunct lecturer, College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Qld.
Background:
Dental problems are common in general practice and are responsible for many avoidable hospitalisations. Medicine and dentistry are often practised in isolation, with little shared language or understanding.
Objective:
The aim of this article is to help general practitioners (GPs) maximise effective dental referral strategies by briefly outlining basic dental nomenclature and describing the roles of different types of oral healthcare providers.
Discussion:
The oral cavity contains hard and soft tissues that are all prone to oral disease, which can lead to systemic disease. It is important for GPs to have some basic familiarity with dental nomenclature, anatomy and tooth eruption times. In Australia, there are seven different oral healthcare providers and 13 dental specialities. This article will summarise their distinct roles and explain some common dental procedures used to definitively treat oral health problems. This knowledge should encourage more efficient interprofessional communication and enable general practitioners to optimise referral pathways for patients with oral health problems.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Teeth
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin...
01:21Tooth Anatomy
The Crown, Neck, and Root
The visible part of the tooth is referred to as the crown. It's covered by enamel, the hardest substance in the human body. The crown is uniquely shaped for each type of tooth, allowing for different functions such as cutting, tearing, or...
01:20Introduction to Documentation and Reporting
Nursing documentation records essential information and details regarding a patient's care and treatment in written or electronic form. It is a critical aspect of nursing practice that involves documenting assessments, interventions, outcomes, and other relevant details about a patient's health status.
Documentation maps the patient's health journey by creating a comprehensive...
01:21Barriers to Effective Communication II
Cultural barriers:
Differences in values, beliefs, religion, knowledge, and tradition can significantly impact communication. Awareness of nonverbal cues is critical, especially when conversing with a patient from a different culture. What appears appropriate in one culture may be inappropriate in another.
Semantic barriers:
As a result of their tendency to use...
01:30Guidelines for Nursing Documentation I
Factual:
The following points emphasize the significance of upholding accurate and unbiased documentation in healthcare.
01:11Oral Cavity
Teeth: The teeth are the hardest structures in our bodies. Humans have two sets of teeth throughout their lifetime: deciduous (baby) teeth and permanent teeth. Each tooth consists of several parts: the crown (visible part), the root (embedded in the jaw), enamel (hard outer...