3. Set traits
More bulging B & L cervical ridges
Constricted cervix
Buccal cervical ridges on deciduous
molars
Occlusal aspect: constricted occlusal table
4. Deciduous dentition
Set traits
Molar roots
• More slender & relatively longer
• More bowed & flared outward
• Shorter root trunk
Milk-white in color
Enamel is thinner & pulp chamber is large
Some class, arch & type traits in permanent
dentition are applied to deciduous dentition
Only new traits will be discussed
5. Deciduous incisors
Eruption
Mandibular before maxillary incisors
Central before lateral incisors
No mamelons, labial grooves or lobes
6. Maxillary Central incisor
The only incisor with MD breadth >
crown height
M & esp. D profiles overhang root
profiles
No labial grooves, depressions or
lobes
Cingulum
Bulging & more incisally located
May extend further toward the incisal
edge – lingual ridge
Unmarked by pits or grooves
MRs are clearly evident
7. Maxillary Central incisor
Constricted cervix from
all aspects
In proximal surfaces
CL is more convex
incisally
Conical root with
rounded apex
Diamond-shaped from
incisal aspect
8. Maxillary lateral incisor
Much smaller than central
M & D profiles are more in line
with root profiles
Distal incisal angle is more
rounded
Labial surface is more convex
MD
Lingual fossa is deeper
MRs more prominent
CL is similar to that of central
Rounded from incisal aspect
9. Mandibular central incisor
Bilaterally symmetrical
90 degree MI & DI angles
Incisal margin is horizontal
Prominent cingulum with lingual
margin extending incisally
MRs are less marked than those of
max. incisors
Lingual fossa is shallower
10. Mandibular central incisor
Labial surface is flat MD
CL is similar to that of Max. incisors
Root
3 times the height of the crown
Narrow & conical with pointed apex
11. Mandibular lateral incisor
Incisal edge slopes distally
DI angle is rounded
D profile is more rounded
Greater crown height/MD ratio than mand. central
LL diameter > MD
12. Mandibular lateral incisor
Cingulum, fossa & MRs
are similar to those of
mand. Central
Root
Narrow & conical
Apex has D inclination
D surface has narrow
vertical depression
13. Maxillary canine
MD width > crown height
Labial or lingual views: diamond in
shape
M & D profiles overhang root’s
HOCs are much near the cervix than in
permanent
Labial & lingual cervical 1/3s are
markedly convex
MR prominence is related to race
Minimal in Caucasians
Prominent in Mongoloid
No labial ridge or depressions
14. Mandibular canine
Crown height > MD width
Less cervically converging M & D
profiles
Labial or lingual aspects: arrow in
shape
No labial ridge or grooves
HOCs are much near the cervix than
in permanent
LL diameter < that of deciduous
max. canine
Less prominent cingulum or MRs &
shallower fossae than in deciduous
max. canine
15. Maxillary 1st molar
Most atypical of all primary or permanent molars
Intermediate between a premolar & a molar
Smallest molar in all but BL diameter
16. Cusps
Bicusped (only MB & ML cusp
are present)
A small DB cusp is frequently
present on the D cusp ridge of
the MB cusp
Parastyle on the M ridge of MB
cusp
DL cusp rarely occurs
In some cases, a nodular
tubercle on the L portion of the
D MR resembles a DL cusp
Maxillary 1st molar
17. Buccal aspect
MD diameter >> crown height
M part is higher OC than D
because it is more projected
cervically onto the root area
Marked cervical constriction
Root
• Very little root trunk
• 3 roots strongly divergent
• L root is midway between the 2 B
roots
Maxillary 1st molar
18. Mesial aspect
Mesial marginal groove
B HOC is more cervically
located than L
Buccal cervical ridge is more
prominent in 1st molars than
in 2nd
Roots
• B roots are straight & buccally
directed
• L root is banana shaped with
strong B curved apical 1/3
Maxillary 1st molar
19. Occlusal aspect
Trapezoidal
M & D profiles are straight & slightly L convergent
B cusp > L
B triangular ridge more prominent than L
B groove separates DB cusp from MB
Central pit
Central groove
Transverse ridge (oblique ridge?) between B groove & D MR
H-shaped pit/groove pattern
• Central groove
• Triangular supplemental grooves
M & D marginal grooves
Maxillary 1st molar
20. Morphologically considered
a model for the permanent
1st maxillary molar
Allows prediction of what
the 1st maxillary molar will
look like
This concordance is called
isomorphy
Set traits
Cervical constriction
Cervical 1/3 bulging
Little root trunk
Roots thinner & divergent
Maxillary 2nd molar
21. Molariform unlike max. 1st
4-cusped tooth
Buccal aspect
2 cusp: MB & DB
M half > D half
M half projects more occlusally &
occupies 2/3s of crown area
M profile is straight
D profile is curved and overhanging
CL inclines downward from D to M
Roots
• 2 divergent roots; M & D
• M is longer
Mandibular 1st molar
22. Lingual aspect
2 cusps: ML & DL
ML cusp is conical & larger
than DL
Outlines of B cusps are
visible
CL is more straight &
horizontal than that of the B
aspect
Mandibular 1st molar
23. Mesial aspect
Buccal cervical ridge (BCR)
From MB cusp tip a straight incline to
BCR
Transverse ridge connecting MB & ML
M MR is high & prominent
Mesial marginal groove separates M MR
from ML cusp ridge
CL is convex occlusally & lower on the
B end
Root
• Extremely broad BL (sometimes as
broad as the crown)
• Frequently bifid apex
Mandibular 1st molar
24. Distal aspect
All 4 cusps & M root profiles
are visible
B profile is less bulging than
from mesial aspect
D MR is lower and less
prominent than M MR
CL is more straight &
horizontal than that of M
aspect
Mandibular 1st molar
25. Occlusal aspect
Without the BCR, it is rectangular
BL width is grater from M than D
MB cusp is the largest, followed by
ML, DB & DL
M Transverse groove, interrupted by
Central groove; extends from M pit to
central pit
M pit
• 2 supplemental grooves; of which ML
crosses M MR
Central pit
B& L grooves
Often a D pit
Mandibular 1st molar
26. Morphologically considered
a model for the permanent
1st mandibular molar
Allows prediction of what
the 1st mandibular molar
will look like
This concordance is called
isomorphy
Set traits
Cervical constriction
Cervical 1/3 bulging
Little root trunk
Roots thinner & divergent
Maxillary 2nd molar
27. Deciduous teeth - size & eruption
Tooth
Crown
height
MD crown
diameter
BL crown
diameter
Tooth
length
Age at
eruption
51 or 61 6.0 mm 6.5 mm 5.0 mm 16.0 mm 7.5 mths
52 or 62 5.6 mm 5.1 mm 4.0 mm 15.8 mm 8 mths
81 or 71 5.0 mm 4.2 mm 4.0 mm 14.0 mm 6.5 mths
82 or 72 5.2 mm 4.1 mm 4.0 mm 15.0 mm 7 mths
53 or 63 6.5 mm 7.0 mm 7.0 mm 19.0 mm 16-20 mths
83 or 73 6.0 mm 5.0 mm 4.8 mm 17.0 mm 16-20 mths
54 or 64 5.1 mm 7.3 mm 8.5 mm 15.2 mm 12-16 mths
55 or 65 5.7 mm 8.2 mm 10.0 mm 17.5 mm 20-30 mm
84 or 74 6.0 mm 7.7 mm 7.0 mm 15.8 mm 12-16 mm
85 or 75 5.5 mm 9.9 mm 8.7 mm 18.8 mm 20-30 mm