Anesthesia - Two meanings: Procedure that uses drugs to relieve pain OR that one Russian chick who said she was a princes.

Abutment - The teeth on either side of a missing tooth.

Amalgam - Silver or gold filling. Amalgams are usually placed on the posterior teeth.

Arches - The upper and lower jaw.

Assignment of Benefits - A term in a dental policy that allows the insured person to direct the payment by the carrier to the dentist.

Basic Procedures - Composite fillings, Silver fillings, perio, and oral surgery are very often considered basic procedures under the terms of most dental plans.

Bicuspids - These are the back teeth that are used for chewing they only have two points each.

Bitewing - X-ray that shows both the upper and lower parts of a tooth's biting surface.

Bridge - A fixed dental prosthesis that replaces missing teeth.

Bruxism - Grinding of the teeth.

Birthday Rule (insurance) - When a kid is covered under both parent's dental plans, the dental plan of the parent who's birthday falls earlier in the year is billed first.

Calculus (tartar) - The sticky film of plaque on your teeth that has hardened.

Canal - The thin chamber inside the root of a tooth that contains the blood vessels and nerve.

Canines (cuspids) - The 3rd tooth from the center of the mouth to the back of the mouth. These are the teeth that are most pointy.

Caption Dental Plan - A plan where the dentist is under contract with the insurance plan administrator to provide dental services to people covered under the dental program in exchange for payment on a per-term basis.

C.O.B. Coordination of Benefits (also called "Carved Out Plan") - This term becomes active when the patient is covered by multiple plans. The first issue to consider is which carrier should be billed first. The second issue is how the second carrier will pay the claim, if at all.

Closed Panel - A plan where the covered dental patient only receives benefits if the services are provided by a dentist who is contracted with the administrator.

Caries - Technically the correct term for tooth decay is "Caries".

Composite Tooth Filling - Filling that is colored the same as the tooth. Insurance companies usually only allow them on the anterior teeth.

Curettage - Scraping of bacteria off the gums.

Cusps - The top points on the chewing surfaces of the posterior teeth.