file

file,

1 (in dentistry) a tool for scaling or removing plaque from the teeth.

2 a collection of related data or information, assembled for a specified purpose and stored as a unit.

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file,

n 1. a metal tool of varying size and form with numerous ridges or teeth on its cutting surfaces; may be push-cut or pull-cut; used for smoothing or dressing down metals and other substances.
2. a collection of records; an organized collection of information directed toward some purpose such as patient demographic data. The records in a file may or may not be sequenced according to a key contained in each record.
v 3. to reduce by means of a file.

file, gold,

n a file designed for removing surplus gold from gold restorations; may be pull-cut or push-cut.

file, Hirschfeld-Dunlop,

n.pr a periodontal file used with a pull stroke for the removal of calculus; available in various angulations for approach to different surfaces of teeth.

file, periodontal,

n an instrument with multiple, angled cutting edges used to roughen the surface of a smooth calculus deposit before removal with a curet.

file, root canal,

n a small metal hand instrument with tightly spiraled blades used to clean and shape the canal.

file, sharpening,

n a difficult honing procedure requiring special tools designed to address the file's numerous parallel ridges.

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file

Informatics noun A basic unit of storage on a computer; a collection of data that can be stored, accessed, and transferred as a single unit; a file may contain text, calculations, graphics, or software routines. See Client-user options file, Corrupted file, RSV file verb To store information.