Dental Anatomy and

Morphology



Revision Lecture

Contents
1. Surfaces of teeth
2. Line angles and point angles
3. Depressions and Elevations on teeth
4. Division in thirds
Objectives
The prime objective of this lecture is to revise the dental
terminology .


Learning nomenclature is the first and very important
step in understanding dental anatomy.


To study and facilitate communication various surfaces
of teeth are recognized and given names.
Surfaces of teeth
Crowns of all teeth have five surfaces.

1. Facial Surface
Facial surface can be labial surface or buccal surface.

a. Labial surface. The surfaces of incisors and canines that
are towards the lip.

b. Buccal surface. The surfaces of premolars and molars
that face the cheek.

2. Lingual Surface (Palatal surface)
All surfaces facing towards the tongue.



palatal
3. Proximal Surfaces

a. Mesial Surface
All surfaces towards the midline.

b. Distal Surface
All surfaces away from the midline. Mesial surface and
Distal surface are collectively called proximal surface.


Proximal surfaces
4. Incisal or Occlusal surface

a. Incisal surface. The surface of incisors and canines that
come in contact with those in the opposite jaws during
the act of closure are called incisal surfaces

b. Occlusal surface. The surface of premolars and molars
that come in contact with those in the opposite jaws
during the act of closure are called occlusal surfaces.



Maxillary Arch
Mandibular Arch
4 3
2
1. Labial surface
2. Mesial surface
3. Distal surface
4. Incisal surface
3
2
1
1. Buccal surface
2. Lingual surface
3. Occlusal surface
Line and Point angles
When two of these surfaces meet, a line
angle is formed and when three surfaces
meet a point angle is formed


Line angle
Point angle

Line angles of anterior teeth
1. Mesiolabial
2. Disto labial
3. Mesiolingual
4. Distolingual
5. Labioincisal
6. Linguoincisal
Labioincisal
Linguo
Incisal
Mesio labial
Disto labial
Mesio lingual
Disto
lingual
Line angles of Anterior teeth



Line angles of posterior teeth
1. Mesiobuccal
2. Distobuccal
3. Mesiolingual
4. Distolingual
5. Mesio-occlusal
6. Disto-occlusal
7. Bucco-occlusal
8. Linguo-occlusal

Line angles of Posterior teeth
Point angles of anterior teeth
1. Mesiolabioincisal
2. Distolabioincisal
3. Mesiolinguoincisal
4. Distolinguoincisal


Point angles of Anterior teeth
M
La
L
D
Point angles of posterior teeth
1. Mesiobucco-occlusal
2. Distobucco-occlusal
3. Mesiolinguo-occlusal
4. Distolinguo-occlusal

Point angles of Posterior teeth


Depressions on tooth surface

1. Pit. A sharp pinpoint depression on the surface of the
enamel

2. Fossa. An irregular depression or concavity on the
surface of a tooth.


2
1
1. Pit
2. Fossa
3. Sulcus.
A long depression on the surface of a tooth.

4. Groove
is a shallow linear depression on the surface of a tooth.

A developmental groove
is a shallow groove or line between the primary parts of
the crown or root.

A supplemental groove
is less distinct and does not mark the junction of
primary parts.

1
1. Developmental grooves
Elevations on tooth surface

1. Cusp. An elevation or mound on the crown of a tooth.





C
C
C
C
C
C
Cusps
2. Cingulum is the lingual lobe of an anterior tooth and
makes up the bulk of the cervical third of the lingual
surface.





C
Cingulum
3. Lobe is one of the primary sections of formation in the
development of the crown. Cusps and mamelons are
representative of lobes.

4. Mamelons are three rounded protuberances found on the
incisal ridges of newly erupted incisor teeth.




Ridge. A linear elevation on the surface of a tooth

Marginal ridges are rounded borders of enamel that form
the mesial and distal margins of the occlusal surfaces of
posterior teeth and the mesial and distal margins of the
lingual surfaces of anterior teeth.

Triangular ridge is a ridge that descends from the tips of the
cusps of molars and premolars towards the centre part of
the occlusal surface.

Transverse ridge is formed by the union of buccal and
lingual triangular ridges.

Oblique ridge is a ridge obliquely crossing the occlusal
surfaces of maxillary molars.

1
1
2
2
3
1
1
1. Marginal ridge
2. Triangular ridge
3. Oblique ridge
Occlusal aspect of Maxillary Molar
Occlusal aspect of Mandibular Molar
Other important terms
Mid line. An imaginary line dividing the upper and lower
arches into two equal halves.

Anterior. Pertaining to or towards the front plane of the
body.

Posterior. Pertaining to or towards the back plane of the
body.

Superior. Situated above another or towards the head.

Inferior. Situated beneath another or towards the feet.


Anterior Teeth
Posterior Teeth
Division in thirds
To make study and communication easier the crown and
root are divided into three halves.

Division in thirds occluso-gingivally (Crown)
1. Cervical third
2. Middle third
3. Incisal/Occlusal third


incisal
Middle
cervical
cervical
Occlusal
Middle
Division in thirds facio-lingually (Crown)
Crown when viewed from front
1. Mesial third
2. Middle third
3. Distal third

Distal
Middle
Mesial
M
e
s
i
a
l

D
i
s
t
a
l

M D
M
e
s
i
a
l

M
i
d
d
l
e

D
i
s
t
a
l

M D
Division in thirds facio-lingually (Crown)
Crown when viewed from the side
1. Facial third
2. Middle third
3. Lingual third

L
i
n
g
u
a
l

M
i
d
d
l
e

F
a
c
i
a
l

Division in thirds-root
1. Cervical third
2. Middle third
3. Apical third
A
M
C
A A
M M
C
C Cervical
M Middle
A Apical
THANK YOU