228 Where There Is No Dentist 2012
N
Nerves Thin threads or strings that run from
the brain to every part of the body and carry
messages for feeling, pain or movement.
There is a nerve, along with a blood vessel,
in every root of every tooth.
Numb Without feeling; anesthetized. When
teeth and the gums around them are numb,
they cannot feel pain.
Nutrition The mixture of foods the body
needs to grow, be healthy, and fight off
disease.
O
Occlusal The biting surface, or top, of the
tooth.
Oral Of the mouth. An oral medicine is one
taken by mouth.
Organisms Living things (animals or plants).
P
Palate The roof or top part of the mouth.
Permanent filling A filling using a special
metal or ceramic material which lasts for
years.
Permanent teeth The 32 adult teeth which
grow into the mouth to replace the baby
teeth.
Petroleum jelly (petrolatum, Vaseline) A
grease-like jelly used in preparing skin
ointments.
Plaque A film or coating of germs that can
form on the teeth, mix with food and make
acid. You cannot see plaque unless you
stain it.
Plate A set of false teeth.
Premolars The teeth between the molars and
the canine teeth; bicuspids.
Prenatal Before birth.
Prevention Action taken to stop sickness
before it starts.
Probe An instrument for examining teeth for
tartar or other problems.
Protective foods Foods that are rich in
vitamins and minerals. They help build
healthy bodies and make people more able
to resist or fight diseases. ln this book they
are called GLOW foods.
Proteins Body-building foods necessary for
proper growth and strength. In this book
they are called GROW foods.
Pus A yellow-white liquid found inside
infections.
R
Records, reports Written information about
sick persons and the treatment they receive.
Records are for the personal use of the
health worker, reports are written by one
health worker to another to describe an
illness and ask for further treatment.
Resistance The ability of something to defend
itself against something that would normally
harm or kill it. Many bacteria become
resistant to the effects of certain antibiotics.
Rinse To hold a liquid in the mouth, moving
around inside the mouth.
Risk The possibility of injury, loss, or harm.
Danger.
Root The lower part of the tooth, under the
gum, connected to the bone.
Root canal The hollow part of every root of a
tooth, which has a blood vessel and a nerve
inside.
Root canal treatment A special operation
on a dead tooth to remove material from
the root canal and replace it with filling
material.
Root fibers Tiny fibers which hold the root of
the tooth to the jaw bone.
S
Saliva Spit. Saliva helps us to swallow our
food.
Scab The crust of dry blood that forms over a
wound.
Scale To scrape the tartar off the teeth. A scaler
is an instrument for scaling.
Scientific method A way of learning
something. It begins with information, then
an idea, and then the idea is tested against
the information available.
Side effects Problems caused by using a
medicine.
Signs The things or conditions to look for
when you examine a sick person, to find out
what sickness the person has. In this book
the symptoms (the problems a person feels)
are included with signs.
Sinus A hollow place inside the bone.
Socket The wound left after you take out a
tooth.
Soft drinks Fizzy, carbonated drinks like
Coca-Cola.