Sir, we have noted that there seems to be a variation in the use of nomenclature when being applied to certain facets of restorative dentistry. One can usually communicate satisfactorily with professional colleagues when different terms are used for the same disease or treatment modality. Nevertheless, it is our opinion that we, as a profession, should be using the nationally-accepted nomenclature when describing certain aspects of restorative dentistry to facilitate communication. This is better achieved if one 'vocabulary' is used.

In particular, alternative terms are often used when describing forms of removable and fixed prosthodontic treatment modalities, such as types of crowns or dentures. There are, of course, accepted guidelines as to the nomenclature that is accepted in the United Kingdom for many of these terms — one good example is the Prosthetic Dentistry Glossary, produced by the British Society for the Study of Prosthetic Dentistry. Other instances of common misuse of nomenclature are the uses of the terms 'chronic adult periodontitis' (as opposed to 'chronic periodontitis') and 'early onset' periodontitis (as opposed to 'aggressive periodontitis'); this, despite the fact that the accepted nomenclature of periodontal diseases was established several years ago (International Workshop for a Classification of Periodontal Diseases and Conditions. Annals of Periodontology 1999; 4: 1–112).