Unbiased oral health information

Diagnoses

Learn about the most common causes of dental problems.
Learn about the diagnosis, treatment options, and diagnoses that may be related. Only a dentist can evaluate your signs and symptoms to establish a diagnosis.

Abfractions and abrasions
Dental diagnosis image: Abfractions and abrasions
An abfraction is an angular notch at the gumline caused by bending forces applied to the tooth. An abrasion is a rounded notch at the gumline that may be visibly indestinguishable from an abfraction...
Acute apical abscess
Dental diagnosis image: Acute apical abscess
Acute apical abscess is a painful condition in which the apex of a tooth's root becomes inflamed, which may result in swelling and fever...
Acute apical periodontitis
Dental diagnosis image: Acute apical periodontitis
Acute apical periodontitis is a condition in which the apical portion of a tooth's root becomes inflamed, secondary to trauma or infection...
Acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis
Dental diagnosis image: Acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis
ANUG is a severe (yet reversible) inflammation of the gingiva ("gums"), believed to be caused by an overabundance of normal bacteria coupled with poor hygiene...
Aguesia / hypoguesia
Dental diagnosis image: Aguesia hypoguesia
Taste issues range from reduced taste sensation (hypoguesia) to lack of ability to taste anything (aguesia), and can affect a person's quality of life...
Alcoholism
Dental diagnosis image: Alcoholism
Alcoholism is significant in dentistry because it may be accompanied by general self-neglect...
Aphthous ulcers
Dental diagnosis image: Canker sore, apthous ulcer, mouth lesion
An aphthous ulcer is a type of mouth sore (commonly referred to as a canker sore), which commonly arises on the unattached mucous membranes inside the lips and cheeks...
Attrition
Dental diagnosis image: Dental attrition, tooth wear, bruxism
Attrition is the term used to describe wear of the biting surfaces of teeth and dental restorations...
Blood dyscrasias
Dental diagnosis image: Blood dyscrasias
The term dyscrasia means "bad mixture" in Greek. In reference to the blood, it refers to the fact that the various cell types...
Bruxism
Dental diagnosis image: Attrition, bruxism
Bruxism is a chronic habit of clenching or grinding the teeth. Its significance lies in the potential damage the habit can cause to all three elements of the body's...
Caries
Dental diagnosis image: Dental caries, tooth decay, cavities, pit fissure lesion
Dental caries is a bacterial illness believed to be caused by a single strain of bacteria known as Streptococcus mutans...
Chemical erosion
Dental diagnosis image: Dental erosion, chemical acid, enamel dissolution
Tooth enamel is over 90% mineral, which dissolves in acid. Any acid can dissolve tooth enamel, including those found in food and drink...
Chipped teeth
Dental diagnosis image: Chipped tooth
Chips in teeth vary in severity, depending on their cause. In children, front teeth are prone to chips, because they frequently project forward...
Chronic apical periodontitis
Dental diagnosis image: Chronic apical periodontitis
Chronic apical periodontitis is generally a non-painful condition in which the apical portion of a tooth's root is chronically inflamed. There may be drainage...
Concussion injuries
Dental diagnosis image: Dental concussion injury, bruised periodontal ligament
A concussion injury is an injury to the periodontal ligament, or to the nerve and blood vessel tissue at the tip of a tooth's root, sustained by a forceful impact to the tooth...
Cracked teeth
Dental diagnosis image: Cracked tooth
Cracks in teeth range from the obvious, visible fractures to less obvious (frequently invisible) microscopic fractures. Cracks can occur in the crown of the tooth...
Cysts and tumors of the jaws
Dental diagnosis image: Cysts, tumors, jaw ameloblastoma, odontogenic keratocyst
Jaw tumors and cysts may appear as swelling in the jaws, which may be asymptomatic. If present, they may enlarge and can produce an aching...
Deep pits / fissures in teeth
Dental diagnosis image: Deep pits and fissures, molar, cavities
Deep pits and fissures in teeth are of concern because food, bacterial plaque, and acids get into them, but toothbrush bristles may not. This frequently results in tooth decay...
Dentin hypersensitivity
Dental diagnosis image: Gingival recession
Teeth that are generally very sensitive to extremes of temperature (especially cold), sweets, and touch (e.g. with a fingernail) may be diagnosed with dentin hypersensitivity...
Diabetes
Dental diagnosis image: Diabetes insulin, glucose molecule dental treatment, periodontitis
Diabetes is a disorder in which insulin (a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels) is either not produced (Type I Diabetes), or the tissues of the body become resistant to it (Type II Diabetes)...
Edentulism
Dental diagnosis image: Edentulism, missing teeth
Edentulism refers to permanent teeth which are lost from a place that once had them. An edentulous site is a position in the mouth previously occupied by a tooth. An edentulous area...
Enamel demineralization
Dental diagnosis image: Enamel demineralization, white spot lesions, meth mouth
Enamel demineralization represents a dissolution of the surface enamel—the glassy outer shell of the tooth. It is the earliest form of tooth decay...
Enamel hypoplasia
Dental diagnosis image: Enamel hypoplasia, pitted teeth
Tooth enamel is over 90% mineral, which dissolves in an acidic environment, such as that found at the root tip of an inflamed or infected primary (baby) tooth. This situation may occur as a result of...
Extrinsic stains
Dental diagnosis image: Extrinsic stain, dark teeth
Stains on teeth are generally of two varieties, "extrinsic" and "intrinsic". They are generally considered to be of cosmetic significance only; however...
Factitious habits
Dental diagnosis image: Dental damage, chipped teeth, biting fingernails, factitious habits
Habitual use of the teeth for purposes other than chewing food is known as a "factitious habit" (or a "parafunction habit"). Examples include...
Failing endodontic treatment
Dental diagnosis image: Root canal, endodontic treatment
Sometimes teeth which have been endodontically treated (i.e. have had root canal therapy) become re-infected, and require retreatment. The most common causes...
Failing restorations
Dental diagnosis image: Failing dental restoration, cracked filling
Fillings, crowns, and other types of dental restorations which are nearing the end of their service life are collectively referred to as "failing restorations." Restorations can fail in many ways...
Fluorosis
Dental diagnosis image: Fluorosis
Fluoride is a naturally occuring element, and in some locations is found at unusually high concentrations in the water. People who live in those locations may ingest inappropriately large doses...
Food compaction injuries
Dental diagnosis image: Food compaction injury
Injuries to the gingiva (gums) and underlying bone may occur from chronic food compaction between two teeth...
Foreign bodies in tissue
Dental diagnosis image: Foreign body in tissue
... Another fairly common occurrence is trauma to the face, which may result in sand, gravel, tooth fragments, or other foreign debris becoming embedded in the lips or other soft tissue...
Gingival recession
Dental diagnosis image: Gingival recession, exposed tooth roots
Gingival recession, more commonly called "receding gums" is a condition in which the attachment fibers holding the gingiva ("gums") to the tooth and bone detach or are otherwise compromised, and the tooth root is exposed...
Gingivitis
Dental diagnosis image: Gingivitis, early gum disease
Gingivitis is a reversible inflammation of the gingiva (commonly called "gums"), with no breakdown of the attachment fibers connecting them to the teeth and underlying bone...
Herpetic lesions
Dental diagnosis image: Herpes labialis, cold sores, fever blisters
Herpetic lesions (including "cold sores" or "fever blisters", and herpetic mouth ulcers) are caused by the virus Herpes Simplex. There are two variants...
Intrinsic stains
Dental diagnosis image: Intrinsic stains, gray teeth
Intrinsic stains occur much deeper in the tooth than extrinsic stains. Sometimes they occur when the tooth is forming, by incorporating...
Irreversible pulpitis
Dental diagnosis image: Irreversible pulpitis
Pulpitis is a general term for inflammation of the tooth "pulp", which consists of the blood vessels, nerve tissue, and living cells that occupy the hollow interior of teeth...
Lateral periodontal abscess
Dental diagnosis image: Lateral periodontal abscess
A lateral periodontal abscess is a painful condition in which the soft tissue around a tooth root becomes inflamed and swollen, when a deep periodontal pocket becomes sealed off at the gumline...
Loss of vertical dimension of occlusion
Dental diagnosis image: Bite collapse, Loss of vertical dimension of occlusion
Loss of vertical dimension of occlusion ("bite collapse") occurs in one of two situations. In the first, the patient grinds ("bruxes") their teeth so aggressively, and reduces the biting surfaces so extensively...
Lymphoma
Dental diagnosis image: Lymphoma
Dental infections can cause lymph node enlargement and tenderness, fever, and lack of energy. Since these are also symptoms of lymphoma...
Malocclusion
Dental diagnosis image: Malocclusion
Malocclusion is the dental term for an improper bite relationship between the upper and lower teeth. In some cases, the misalignment is due to...
Metal allergies
Dental diagnosis image: Base metal allergy
Metal allergies are relatively common in dentistry, most often experienced by women who wear removable partial dentures that have reinforcing frameworks made of metals contained in costume jewelry. The most common...
Mouth breathing
Dental diagnosis image: Mouth breathing
People who have difficulty breathing through their nose may develop a low-grade, chronic gingivitis on the facial side of the upper front teeth...
Myalgia
Dental diagnosis image: Myalgia
Myalgia is generally easy to diagnose by pressing lightly on the temple areas, the cheek bones, and the large closing muscles ("masseter muscle") at the angle of the mandible. However...
Necrotic teeth
Dental diagnosis image: Necrotic tooth
A necrotic tooth is also called a dead, or non-vital tooth. This means that the tooth pulp no longer has living tissue and...
Neuralgia
Dental diagnosis image: Neuralgia
Neuralgia is a condition of intense pain, burning, or numbness along a nerve pathway. A condition called "Trigeminal Neuralgia" can produce debilitating pain in...
Oral candidiasis
Dental diagnosis image: Candida, thrush
Oral candidiasis (also called "thrush") is a common fungal infection, most often found in patients who are edentulous. These include...
Oral habits of children
Dental diagnosis image: Oral habits of children
Many children place fingers, thumbs, pacifiers or blankets in their mouths to provide them with a sense of emotional comfort and security. These habits can result in...
Oral squamous cell carcinoma
Dental diagnosis: Oral squamous cell carcinoma
More than 500,000 patients receive the diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the head and neck worldwide each year. Squamous carcinoma develops in the outer layers of the skin. Due to the various oral sites at which it may develop, the symptoms can include...
Osteitis
Dental diagnosis image: Osteitis, dry socket
Osteitis ("dry socket") is inflammation of a tooth socket following extraction (removal) of the tooth. There are many...
Pericoronitis
Dental diagnosis image: Periocornitis
Pericoronitis is an inflammation of the soft tissues surrounding the crown of an incompletely erupted tooth, characterized by pain and swelling. Generally the inflammation is caused by...
Periodontitis
Dental diagnosis image: Periodontal disease, systemic health
Untreated gingivitis can progress to the point where the gingival attachment fibers to tooth and bone are lost; and beyond that to the point where bone destruction results. This bacterial illness is called periodontal disease, and is the number one cause of tooth loss in adults...
Phoenix abscess
Dental diagnosis image: Phoenix abscess
Phoenix abscess is a painful condition in which the apical portion of a tooth's root becomes inflamed, which may result in swelling and fever. Almost always...
Poor oral hygiene
Dental diagnosis image: Poor oral hygiene
Failure to remove food debris and bacterial plaque from the teeth and other oral structures leads to gingivitis, tooth decay, and eventually periodontal disease and tooth loss...
Poorly contoured dental restorations
Dental diagnosis image: Periodontal
Dental restorations (fillings, inlays, crowns, etc.) should be made to blend smoothly with the contours of the tooth being restored. Ideally...
Post-operative hyperocclusion
Dental diagnosis image: Post operative hyperocclusion
Teeth which have recently undergone restorative dental procedures (crown, filling, etc.) may develop bite sensitivity afterwards. If the restoration was made...
Post-operative sensitivity
Dental diagnosis image: Post operative sensitivity
Teeth which have recently undergone restorative dental procedures (crown, filling, etc.) may develop sensitivity to temperature changes and chewing afterwards...
Primary occlusal trauma
Dental diagnosis image: Primary occlusal trauma
Tooth enamel is extremely durable, and is normally thick enough to withstand a lifetime of chewing forces. If the dentist notices abnormal wear...
Recurrent caries
Dental diagnosis image: Recurrent caries
Recurrent caries is tooth decay that occurs under an existing filling or other dental restoration. It may be caused by...
Reversible pulpitis
Dental diagnosis image: Reversible pulpitis, sore tooth
Pulpitis is a general term for inflammation of the tooth "pulp", which consists of the blood vessels, nerve tissue, and living cells that occupy the hollow interior of teeth. It is characterized by...
Secondary occlusal trauma
Dental diagnosis image: Secondary occlusal trauma
Secondary occlusal trauma occurs when there has been some degree of periodontal attachment loss; and normal biting forces which were once tolerated by the gums, periodontal ligaments and bone are now...
Sinus infections
Dental diagnosis image: Maxillary sinus infection
The maxillary sinus is a hollow space under the cheek bones, which serves to lighten the skull, while providing a bony framework for attachment of the facial soft tissues. Often...
Temporomandibular joint dysfunction
Dental diagnosis image: TMJ, TMD, temporomandibular joint dysfunction
Dysfunction in the joints (TMD) includes clicking, popping, locking and grating. Each of these represents a different step along a continuous pathway of successively more-serious problems...
Xerostomia
Dental diagnosis image: Xerostomia, dry mouth
Xerostomia (dry mouth) is a condition caused by decreased salivary flow. It is characterized by...

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