Glossary
Dental Assistant Terms & Vocabulary
15 essential dental assistant terms with plain-English definitions: the vocabulary you’ll hear in training and on day one.
Key dental assistant vocabulary
These 15 terms come up constantly in dental assistant training, on the job and in interviews. Knowing them helps you follow instructions, document accurately and sound prepared.
- Alginate
- An impression material used for study models and mouthguards.
- Autoclave
- A steam sterilizer used to kill microorganisms on instruments.
- Bitewing radiograph
- An X-ray showing upper and lower back teeth together, used to detect decay between teeth.
- Composite
- A tooth-colored filling material cured with a special light.
- Dental dam
- A thin sheet that isolates teeth during procedures to keep them dry.
- Distal
- The tooth surface farthest from the midline.
- Four-handed dentistry
- A technique where the dentist and assistant work together efficiently, passing instruments in a coordinated way.
- High-volume evacuator (HVE)
- A large suction tip used to remove fluids and debris during procedures.
- Mesial
- The tooth surface closest to the midline of the dental arch.
- Occlusal
- The chewing surface of back teeth.
- Periodontal charting
- Recording gum pocket depths and other measures of gum health.
- Prophylaxis
- Professional cleaning to remove plaque and calculus.
- Sealant
- A protective coating placed on chewing surfaces to prevent decay.
- Spore test
- A biological indicator test that confirms the sterilizer is working.
- Universal Numbering System
- The U.S. system numbering adult teeth 1–32, starting with the upper right third molar.
Practice these terms
Test yourself with the free Dental Assistant practice test: it includes vocabulary questions built from this list. For a complete course, see Dental Assistant training.
Browse terms from every career in our career glossary.