Dental Insurance Glossary

Facial
The surface of a tooth directed toward the face (including the buccal and labial surfaces) and opposite the lingual surface. Facial surface equals buccal surface in the posterior or the labial in the anterior.
Facility
A place that provides health care services.
Filling
A lay term used for the restoring of lost tooth structure by using materials such as metal, alloy, plastic, or porcelain.
Fixed Partial Denture
A prosthetic replacement of one or more missing teeth cemented or attached to the abutment teeth or implant abutments adjacent to the space.
Fixed Prosthesis
Non-removable tooth or implant-borne dental prosthesis which is solidly attached to abutment teeth or roots or implants.
Foramen
Natural opening into or through bone.
Fracture
The breaking of a part, especially of a bony structure; breaking of a tooth.
Frenum
Muscle fibers covered by a mucous membrane that attaches the cheek, lips, and or tongue to associated dental mucosa.
Furcation
The anatomic area of a multirooted tooth where the roots diverge.