Anatomy - Obj. 1.6 to 1.8 (week 2 pp) Flashcards
How many surfaces on each tooth
Each tooth has five
surfaces: facial, lingual,
masticatory, mesial,
and distal surfaces.
Facial Surface
The tooth surface
closest to the surface of
the face is termed
facial
Labial Surface
The tooth surface
closest to the surface of
the face is termed
facial
Buccal surface
The facial surface
closest to the inner
cheek is termed buccal.
lingual surface
The surface closest to
the tongue is termed
lingual.
palatal surface
The lingual surfaces
closest to the palate on
the maxillary arch is
sometimes also termed
palatal.
one rooted teeth
incisors, cuspids/canines, premolars/bicuspids
two rooted teeth
mandibular molars
1st maxi premolar can be bifurcated
three rooted teeth
maxillary molars
proximal surfaces
surfaces next to each other when teeth are adjacent in in the arch (both mesial and distal)
interproximal surfaces
area between two adjacent teeth
anatomic features of the teeth help…
Anatomic features of the teeth help maintain their positions in the arch and protect the tissues
during mastication (chewing)
Three anatomic features of the teeth
◦ Contours
◦ Contacts
◦ Embrasures
Contours of teeth
All teeth have a curved surface except when the
tooth is fractured or worn
◦ Some surfaces are convex; others are concave
◦ General principle that the crown of the tooth narrows
toward the cervical line is true for all types of teeth
- Facial and lingual contours
◦ The normal contour of a tooth provides the gingiva with adequate stimulation for health, while protecting it from damage that may be caused by food
- Mesial and distal contours
These contours provide normal contact and embrasure form
height of contours
The “bulge,” or widest point, on a specific surface of the crown
* Contact areas on the mesial and distal surfaces are usually considered the height of contour on the proximal surfaces
* Facial and lingual surfaces also have a height of contour
Contact area
The area where the
crowns of adjacent
teeth in the same arch
physically touch on
each proximal surface is
the contact area, or, as
referred to by clinicians,
the contact
A proper contact serves the following purposes:
◦ Prevents food from being trapped between the teeth
◦ Stabilizes the dental arches by holding the teeth in either arch in positive contact with each other
◦ Protects the interproximal gingival tissue from trauma during mastication (chewing)
Embrasures
- When two teeth in the same arch touch, their curvatures next to the contact areas form spaces called embrasures
- An embrasure is a triangular space in a gingival direction between the proximal surfaces of two adjoining teeth in contact * Embrasures are continuous with the interproximal
spaces between the teeth - All tooth contours, including contact areas and embrasures, are important in the function and health of the oral tissues
apical embrasure
embrasure on anterior teeth near gingiva (gums)
incisor embrasure
embrasure at incisal edge
lingual embrasures
embrasure on the lingual surface of all teeth
facial embrasures
embrasure on buccal and labial surface of teeth