This document outlines dental anatomy terminology. It describes the primary and permanent teeth, including their typical numbers, development periods, and clinical designation. The crown and root are defined, along with their component structures like dentin, pulp chamber, and surfaces. Characteristics of different tooth types such as incisors, canines, premolars and molars are provided, including features like cusps, ridges, and fossae.

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Dental Anatomy

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Nomenclature
• Maxilla
• Mandible

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Deciduous Teeth
• Primary Teeth
• Post-natal development spans 2-1/2
years
• Usually 20 in number
– 4 incisors
– 2 canines
– 4 molars per arch

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Deciduous Teeth
• In clinical practice they are designated
by letters: A to T

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Permanent Teeth
• Development begins with the eruption
of the first molars and exfoliation of the
deciduous incisors
• Process requires 20 years to complete
• Usually 32 in number
• In clinical practice they are designated
by numbers: 1 to 32

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The Crown and Root
• Crown- portion above the
gingivae covered with
enamel
• Root- portion below
covered with cementum
• They are joined at the
cemento-enamel junction
(CEJ)

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Dentin
• Comprises the main bulk
of tooth structure
• Histologically analagous to
bone in composition

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Pulp Chamber and Canal
• Contain the pulpal
tissue
– Nervous, arteriolar
and venous tissue
– fibrous tissue

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The Crown
• Incisors have an incisal edge
• Canines have a single cusp
• Premolars and Molars have 2 or more
cusps
• These are the cutting surfaces of the
teeth

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Incisor

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Canine

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Premolar

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Molar

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The Root
• May be single or multiple
• Firmly positioned in the boney process
of the jaw called the alveolus
• The alveolus together with the teeth
forms the dental arch
• The cervical area of the teeth are
usually covered with a soft tissue, the
gingivae

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Surfaces and Ridges
• Incisors and Canines- four surfaces and
a ridge
• Molars and Premolars- five surfaces

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Surfaces- named according to
positions and uses
• Facial- toward the lips or cheeks
• Lingual- toward the tongue

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Surfaces
• Occlusal- come in contact with those of
the opposing jaw, molars and premolars
only
• Incisal- Those surfaces on the incisors
and canines coming into contact with
the opposing teeth

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Proximal Surfaces
• Surfaces coming into contact with the
adjacent teeth
• Mesial- toward the midline
• Distal- away from the midline
• Which teeth have the mesial surfaces
touching each other?

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Cusp
• an elevation or mound on the crown
portion of a tooth making up a divisional
part of the occlusal surface

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Tubercle
• A smaller elevation on the same
portion of the crown produced by an
extra formation of enamel. Deviation
from typical form.

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Cingulum
• The lingual lobe of an anterior tooth

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Ridge
• Any linear elevation on the surface of a
tooth and is named according to its
location

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Marginal Ridge
Those rounded borders of
enamel that form the mesial and
distal margins of the occlusal
surfaces of premolars or molars,
and the lingual surfaces of
anterior teeth

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Triangular Ridges
• descend from the cusp tips of molars
and premolars toward the central part of
the occlusal surface

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Oblique Ridge
• Crosses the occlusal surface of
maxillary molars in an oblique fashion

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Fossa
• An irregular depression or concavity

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Sulcus
• A long depression or valley in the
surface of a tooth between ridges and
cusps

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Developmental Groove
• A shallow groove or line between the
primary parts of the crown or root

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Pits
• Small pinpoint depressions located at
the junction of the developmental
grooves

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