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alveolar
Referring to the bone to which a tooth is attached.
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alloy
Compound combining two or more elements with properties not existing in single constituent elements. They are sometimes used to refer to amalgam.
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alloplastic
Refers to synthetic material often used for tissue augmentation or replacement.
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allogenic
Belonging to the same species, but genetically different. See graft.
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adult dentition
See the definition of permanent dentition.
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adjunctive
A secondary treatment in addition to the primary therapy.
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adhesive
Any substance that joins or creates close adherence of two or more surfaces. Intermediate material that causes two materials to adhere to each other.
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adhesion
State in which two surfaces are held together by chemical or physical forces or both with or without the aid of an adhesive. Adhesion is one aspect of bonding.
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acid etching
Use of an acidic chemical substance to prepare the tooth enamel and or dentin surface to provide retention for bonding.
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accession
Addition of a test specimen, previously collected by a health care provider, to a laboratory specimen collection; recording of essential specimen identification data in a laboratory-maintained file in chronological order of laboratory specimen acquisition; assignment to the specimen of an identification code.