Dental Equipment & Technology Terms
Scanners, imaging systems, handpieces and chairside tools — the hardware vocabulary behind modern dentistry.
17 equipment & tech terms, A-Z
- Apex Locator — An apex locator is an electronic device used during root canal treatment to measure the length of the tooth's root canal and locate the apical foramen (the tip of the root) without relying solely on X-rays.
- Articulating Paper — Thin ink-coated paper used by dentists to mark high spots where teeth contact during biting.
- Articulator — An articulator is a mechanical device used to mount upper and lower dental casts so that the dentist or technician can simulate jaw movements when designing crowns, bridges, dentures, or full-mouth restorations.
- Autoclave — An autoclave is a pressurised steam steriliser used in dental practices to kill all microorganisms (including spores) on instruments, ensuring patient safety between uses.
- Bitewing X-Ray — A small intraoral X-ray that captures the crowns of upper and lower back teeth in one image.
- CAD/CAM Dentistry — Computer-aided design and manufacturing technology used to design and mill dental restorations in-office.
- CBCT — Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) is a 3D dental imaging technology that captures detailed views of teeth, jaws, sinuses, and nerves using a single rotation of a cone-shaped X-ray beam.
- Cephalometric X-Ray — A side-profile X-ray of the skull used in orthodontic and orthognathic treatment planning.
- Curing Light — A curing light is a handheld dental device that emits high-intensity blue light (around 450 nm) to harden (polymerise) light-cured composite resins, adhesives, and sealants in seconds.
- Dental Dam — A thin sheet of latex or silicone used to isolate one or more teeth during treatment.
- Digital Impression — A 3D scan of the teeth and gums captured with an intraoral scanner, replacing traditional putty impressions.
- Handpiece — A dental handpiece is the high-precision rotary instrument (drill) used to cut, polish, or finish tooth structure and restorative materials. It can be high-speed (air-driven) or low-speed (electric).
- Impression Tray — A U-shaped tray that holds impression material against the teeth to capture their shape.
- Intraoral Camera — A small wand-shaped camera used to capture close-up images and video of teeth and soft tissues.
- Intraoral Scanner — An intraoral scanner is a digital device that captures direct optical impressions of the teeth and gums, replacing traditional putty impressions for crowns, bridges, aligners, and implants.
- Loupes — Dental loupes are magnifying glasses worn by dentists and hygienists to enhance visualisation during clinical procedures, improving precision and reducing eye strain.
- Panoramic X-Ray — A single rotating X-ray that captures the entire upper and lower jaws in one image.
About equipment & tech terminology
Equipment terminology moves fastest of all dental vocabulary, because it tracks whatever the manufacturers shipped most recently.
These entries define the hardware and the digital workflow language around it.