ENDODONTIC TERMINOLOGY
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Participating provider: An endodontist who signs a contractual agreement with the dental insurance carrier to provide care to eligible members. (AAE)
Patient portion: The dollar amount that you will be responsible for paying if your insurance payment does not cover the entire fee. (AAE)
Plaque - Soft sticky substance composed of bacteria, which accumulates on teeth. (RCP)
Preauthorization: A statement from your insurance company indicating whether the required endodontic treatment will be covered under the terms of your plan. (AAE)
Predetermination: An administrative procedure that requires your endodontist to submit a treatment plan to your insurance carrier for approval before treatment begins. (AAE)
Previously Initiated Therapy – A clinical diagnostic category indicating that the tooth has been previously treated by partial endodontic therapy (e.g. pulpotomy, pulpectomy) (ABE)
Previously Treated – A clinical diagnostic category indicating that the tooth has been endodontically treated and the canals are obturated with various filling materials, other that intracanal medicaments (ABE)
Prophylaxis - Scaling and polishing procedure that removes coronal plaque, calculus and stains. (RCP)
Pulp - Connective tissue that contains blood vessels and nerve tissue that occupies the inner part of the tooth. (RCP). The highly vascular connective tissue contained within the pulp cavity of a tooth; made up of gelatinous ground substance, collagenous and argyrophilic fibers, cellular elements, terminal blood vessels and nerves (ADBQ)
- Dental pulp - A richly vascularized and innervated specialized connective tissue of ectomesenchymal origin; contained in the central space of a tooth, surrounded by the dentin, with inductive, formative, nutritive, sensory and protective functions. (AAE)
- Normal pulp – A clinical diagnostic category in which the pulp is symptom free and normally responsive to vitality testing (ABE)
- Pulp Canal - Portion of pulp in the root (RCP)
- Pulp Cavity - Space inside a tooth that contains the pulp. (RCP)
- Pulp Chamber – Part of the pulp in the tooth crown (RCP). The area within the natural crown of the tooth occupied by dental pulp (ADBQ)
- Pulp Horn – Part of the pulp chamber that extends towards the cusp (RCP)
- Pulp necrosis – A clinical diagnostic category indicating death of the dental pulp. The pulp is non-responsive to vitality testing (ABE)
- Pulp Tissue - Soft tissue in the pulp chamber composed of blood vessels and nerves (RCP)
Pulpectomy - Complete removal of pulp tissue from the root canal space.(RCP)
Pulpitis - Inflammation of the pulp of a tooth involving the blood vessels and nerves (ADBQ)
- Reversible pulpitis – A clinical diagnosis based upon subjective and objective findings indicating that the inflammation should resolve and the pulp return to normal (ABE)
- Irreversible pulpitis – A clinical diagnosis based on subjective and objective findings indicating that the vital inflamed pulp is incapable of healing (ABE)
- Additional descriptions:
Symptomatic – Lingering thermal pain, spontaneous pain, referred pain (ABE)
Asymptomatic – No clinical symptoms but inflammation produced by caries, caries excavation, trauma, etc. (ABE)
Pulpotomy - Surgical removal of a portion of the pulp intending to maintain the vitality of remaining pulp (RCP)
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