Oral Health

noun a congenital split in the roof of the mouth that can extend into the nasal cavity

• A cleft palate is a congenital condition where the roof of the mouth has a split or opening.
• My cousin was born with a cleft palate, but he had surgery to correct it when he was a baby.
• Having a cleft palate can make it hard to eat or speak properly.
• The divide between the two groups was like a cleft palate, impossible to bridge.

noun a watery substance in the mouth that helps with the digestion of food

• The presence of excessive saliva in the mouth can indicate a medical condition.
• I always have to wipe away my dog's saliva after he drinks water.
• Ew, that movie was so boring it made me want to drool saliva.
• Her words were like acid, causing my saliva to dry up in fear.

noun a sweet crystalline substance obtained from various plants, especially sugar cane and sugar beet, consisting essentially of sucrose

• Excessive consumption of sugar can lead to various health issues such as diabetes and obesity.
• I prefer my coffee without sugar, thank you.
• I can't believe she's so sweet, she must be made of sugar!
• His words were coated in sugar, but his intentions were far from sweet.

noun a dentist who specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases affecting the gums and supporting structures of the teeth

• I have an appointment with the periodontist next week to discuss my gum health.
• I'm seeing the periodontist tomorrow for a check-up on my gums.
• I gotta go to the periodontist to get my gums checked out.
• The periodontist is like a dentist specialized in gum care.

noun the branch of dentistry that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders of the gums and other structures surrounding the teeth

• Periodontics is a branch of dentistry that focuses on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases affecting the gums and supporting structures of the teeth.
• My friend is studying periodontics in dental school and she really enjoys learning about gum health.
• I heard that getting regular cleanings can help prevent needing periodontics treatments down the road.
• In the field of dentistry, periodontics is like the foundation of a house - if it's not healthy, everything else can be affected.

noun a congenital anomaly in which the lingual frenulum is unusually short or tight, limiting the movement of the tongue

• The condition known as tongue tie, or ankyloglossia, can affect a person's ability to speak or eat properly.
• My baby cousin had a tongue tie that made it difficult for him to latch onto the bottle.
• I heard that getting your tongue tie clipped is a quick fix for speech problems.
• His fear of public speaking felt like a tongue tie, holding him back from expressing himself.