MolarioDental lab glossary
Molario.io borrows its words from real dental laboratories. Here's what they mean outside the game.
- Dental laboratory
- A workshop where dental technicians make the crowns, bridges, dentures, implant parts and appliances that dentists fit in patients' mouths. Most work starts from an impression or an intraoral scan sent by the dentist.
- Molar
- The broad back teeth used for grinding food. Upper molars usually have three roots and lower molars two, which is why the Molar character waddles on two little "legs".
- Crown
- A cap that covers a damaged tooth completely, restoring its shape and strength. Crowns are made from ceramics such as zirconia, from metal, or from gold, the inspiration for the game's golden Crown.
- Margin line
- The edge where a prepared tooth meets the crown. Finding and following it precisely is one of the most important steps in designing a crown: if the margin isn't right, the crown won't seal. In the game, your margin line is the trail you must close to claim ground. (Game: your trail.)
- Preparation ("prep")
- A tooth that the dentist has shaped so a crown can fit over it.
- Die
- A model of a single prepared tooth, often removable from the full dental model so the technician can work on it from every side.
- Model
- A physical or digital replica of a patient's teeth, made from an impression or a scan. Labs increasingly 3D print models. (Game: your territory.)
- Build plate
- The flat platform in a 3D printer on which objects such as dental models, trays and splints are printed layer by layer. (Game: the playing field.)
- Intraoral scanner (IOS)
- A small handheld camera the dentist moves around the mouth to capture a 3D scan of the teeth, replacing messy impression material.
- STL file
- The standard 3D file format for dental scans and designs, sent between dentists, labs and printers.
- Implant
- A small titanium screw placed in the jawbone to replace a tooth root. A crown is then fixed on top. (Game: the Implant character drills forward.)
- Abutment
- The connector between an implant and the crown on top of it.
- Night guard
- A clear plastic splint worn at night to protect the teeth from grinding and clenching (bruxism). (Game: the chomping Night guard.)
- Custom tray
- An impression tray made to fit one specific patient, so the dentist can take a more accurate impression. (Game: the Custom tray character.)
- Occlusion
- How the upper and lower teeth come together when you bite. Crowns and splints must respect it.
- Turbine (high-speed handpiece)
- The dentist's fast drill, spinning at several hundred thousand revolutions per minute. (Game: the speed power-up.)
- Fluoride
- A mineral that strengthens tooth enamel and protects against decay. (Game: the shield power-up.)
- UV / light curing
- Hardening light-sensitive resin with a special lamp, used for fillings and for finishing 3D printed parts. (Game: the power-up that instantly claims ground.)
- Local anesthetic
- Medicine that numbs part of the mouth for treatment. (Game: the power-up that slows rivals down.)
- Dental technician
- The skilled professional who designs and makes dental restorations and appliances, by hand and with digital design software.