DENTAL ANATOMY & OCCLUSION © T-Terms A long depression or a V-shaped valley on the occlusal surface of a posterior tooth between ridges and cusps is referred to as a: + Fossa + Fissure + Pit + Sulcus Copyright ©2004 — DENTAL DECKS+ Sulcus The inclines of a sulcus meet in a developmental groove or extend outward to the cusp tips. A fossa is an irregular depression or concavity. Examples include: + Lingual fossae —» found on the lingual surface of incisors. + Central fossae —+ found on the occlusal surface of molars. They are formed by the converg- ing of ridges terminating at a central point in the bottom of the depression. «Triangular fossae —> found on molars and premolars on the occlusal surfaces slightly mesial or distal to marginal ridges. They are sometimes found on the lingual surfaces of maxillary incisors. Notes: 1. Pits are small pinpoint depressions located at the junction of developmental grooves or at terminals of those grooves. 2.A fissure is a narrow channel or crevice, sometimes deep, formed at the depth of a develop- mental groove. 3. Dental caries (decay) often begins in deep fissures or pits.DENTAL ANATOMY & OCCLUSION For every contact area there is (are) : * One embrasure * Two embrasures + Three embrasures + Four embrasures Copyright ©2004 — DENTAL DECKS 1c) T-Terms+ Four embrasures Embrasures are triangularly shaped spaces located between the proximal surfaces of adjacent teeth. They diverge buccally, cervically, lingually, and occlusally from the area of contact. There are four embrasures for every contact area: 1, Buccal 2. Lingual (are ordinarily larger than the buccal) 3. Occlusal (or incisal) 4. Cervical Three functions of embrasures: 1. Function as spillways to direct food away from the gingiva. 2. Make the teeth more self-cleansing. 3. Protect the gingival tissue from undue frictional trauma, but at the same time provide the proper degree of stimulation to the tissue.DENTAL ANATOMY & OCCLUSION T-Terms Which statement concerning proximal contact areas is true? + They support neighboring teeth, which thereby stabilizes the dental arches * They prevent food particles from entering the interproximal areas « They protect the interdental papillae of the gingiva by shunting food toward the buccal and lingual areas + They form embrasures * All of the above statements concerning proximal contact areas are true Copyright ©2004 — DENTAL DECKS+ All of the above statements concerning proximal contact areas are true Contact areas are areas in which the mesial and distal surfaces of adjacent teeth in the same arch make contact. Note: Four teeth have mesial surfaces that contact each other. They are the maxillary and mandibular central incisors. In all other instances, the mesial surface of one tooth contacts the distal surface of its neighbor, except the distal surfaces of permanent third molars and the distal surfaces of primary second molars. The loss of proximal contact may result in periodontal disease, malocclusion, food impaction, or drifting of teeth.DENTAL ANATOMY & OCCLUSION Mamelons are found on newly erupting: + Molars * Canines + Premolars * Incisors Copyright ©2004 — DENTAL DECKS T-Terms Gy+ Incisors Mamelons usually develop in groups of three. They resemble rounded protuberances and they are found on the incisal edges of newly erupted incisor teeth, both maxillary and mandibular. When each of the anterior teeth develop, they originate from four lobes. Each one of these lobes terminates it's formation incisally in these rounded eminences. They are usually the most profound right after eruption, but with time they usually wear down after the tooth comes into functional position. Note: The presence of mamelons in a teenager or adult is indicative of malocclusion. Most likely there is an anterior open bite relationship where the incisors do not touch. Part of the reason that the mamelons are so noticeable is because these extensions are made of pure enamel with no dentin layer undemeath. This and their thinness contributes to their translucent appearance as opposed to the rest of the clinical crown which is almost always more opaque than the mamelons. With this translucent quality, they often appear to be a different shade than the rest of the tooth and therefore are sometimes much more distinct. Remember: Maxillary and mandibular incisors characteristically have three mamelons which are centered beneath the three facial lobes.DENTAL ANATOMY & OCCLUSION T-Terms All of the following are true concerning developmental grooves, except: * They are broad, deep, linear depressions * They are formed during tooth development + They usually separate the primary parts of the crown or root + They are important escape ways for cusps during lateral and protrusive jaw motions and for food particles during mastication Copyright ©2004 — DENTAL DECKS+ They are broad, deep, linear depressions “This is false; developmental grooves are sharply defined, shallow, linear depressions. These grooves separate lobes or cusps of teeth and mark the boundaries between adja- cent cusps and other major divisional parts of a tooth (marginal ridges, etc.). Buccal and lingual grooves are developmental grooves found on the buccal and lingual surfaces of posterior teeth. Remember: Pits are located at the junction of developmental grooves or at terminals of these grooves. Supplemental grooves are small, less distinct, imegularly placed grooves. They are supplemental to developmental grooves and do not demarcate major divisional parts of a tooth.DENTAL ANATOMY & OCCLUSION The interdental space is the (that) : * Occlusal (incisal) border at which the gingiva meets the tooth * Portion of the gingiva that fills the interproximal space * Collar of tissue that is not attached to the tooth or alveolar bone * Band or zone of gray to light or coral pink keratinized masticatory mucosa that is firmly bound down to the undertying bone Copyright ©2004 — DENTAL DECKS* Portion of the gingiva that fills the interproximal space This interproximal space is triangular. The sides of the triangle are the proximal surfaces of the adjacent teeth, the apex of the triangle is the area of contact of the two teeth, and the base of the triangle is the alveolar bone. The interdental gingiva which occupies this space (papilla) between the facial and lingual papillae conforms to the shape of the contact area. Notes: 1. The gingival margin is the occlusal (incisal border) at which the gingiva meets the tooth 2. The free gingiva (marginal gingiva) is the collar of tissue that is not attached to the tooth or alveolar bone. It surrounds the root of each tooth from the gingival margin to form the collar of space or gingival crevice or sulcus (where dental floss can fit). 3. The attached gingiva is a band or zone of gray to light or coral pink keratinized mast- icatory mucosa that is firmly bound down to the underlying bone. It is present between the free gingiva and the more movable alveolar mucosa.DENTAL ANATOMY & OCCLUSION Which ridge is found only on maxillary molars? + A labial ridge + Amarginal ridge An oblique ridge * A transverse ridge Copyright ©2004 — DENTAL DECKS T-Terms~+ An oblique ridge ***It crosses the occlusal surface obliquely and is formed by the union of the distal cusp ridge of the mesiolingual cusp and the triangular ridge of the distobuccal cusp. * A labial ridge is a ridge running cervico-incisally in approximately the center of the labial surface of the canines. ‘+ A buccal (cusp) ridge is a ridge running cervico-occlusally in approximately the center of the buccal surface of premolars (more pronounced on the first premolars than second premolars). + A cervical ridge is a ridge running mesiodistally on the cervical third of the buccal surface of the crown. It is found on all primary teeth, but only on the permanent molars. + A marginal ridge — on incisor and canine teeth, it is located on the mesial and distal border of the lingual surface; — on posterior teeth, it is located on the mesial and distal border of the ‘occlusal surface. * A triangular ridge is a ridge that projects from the cusp tip to the central groove. It is found on posterior teeth. Note: The ML cusp on maxillary molars has two triangular ridges. * A transverse ridge is a ridge formed by the union of a lingual triangular ridge of a buccal cusp and a buccal triangular ridge of a lingual cusp. It runs from the buccal surface to the lingual surface across the occlusal surface of most posterior teeth.