Dental Anatomy: Premolars, Molars, and Primary Dentition

Vocabulary flashcards covering permanent maxillary and mandibular premolars, permanent maxillary and mandibular molars, primary dentition features, and clinical considerations based on lecture materials.

Bicuspid

An older term for a premolar, named for the usual presence of two cusps on the occlusal surface (one more cusp than in canines).

Permanent Maxillary First Premolar

A succedaneous posterior tooth (#5 and #12) that erupts between 10 and 11 years of age, featuring two sharply defined cusps, two roots (bifurcated) making up half the root length, two pulp canals, and two furcations located 7 mm from the CEJ.

Mesial Root Concavity

A deep linear developmental depression on the root trunk of a maxillary first premolar extending from the contact area to the bifurcation, which increases attachment area but also increases risk for periodontal disease.

Permanent Maxillary Second Premolar

A succedaneous tooth (#4 and #13) erupting between 10 and 12 years of age that usually features a single root, two pulp horns, one pulp canal, cusps of nearly equal height, and a shorter central groove than the first premolar.

Permanent Mandibular First Premolar

A single-rooted tooth (#21 and #28) erupting between 10 and 12 years of age that resembles a mandibular canine, possessing a long, sharp buccal cusp as its only functional cusp and a small nonfunctioning lingual cusp.

Snake Eyes Restorations

A clinical nickname given to Class I metallic (amalgam or gold) restorations placed in the round mesial and distal fossae of mandibular first premolars.

Permanent Mandibular Second Premolar

A succedaneous tooth (#20 and #29) erupting between 11 and 12 years of age that occurs in a 3-cusp tricuspidate form (with a Y-shaped groove pattern) or a 2-cusp bicuspidate form (with an H- or U-shaped groove pattern).

Primate Spaces

Interproximal spaces in the primary dentition mainly located between the primary maxillary lateral incisor and canine, and between the primary mandibular canine and first molar, necessary for proper alignment of permanent teeth.

Early Childhood Caries (ECC)

Extensive acute caries of primary teeth, also known as baby bottle tooth decay, caused by prolonged nighttime use of a baby bottle with cavity-causing beverages or sugar on a pacifier.

Nasmyth Membrane

A tissue membrane covering newly erupted primary teeth that can be an etiologic factor for extensive extrinsic staining.

Oblique Ridge

A unique linear elevation on the occlusal table of most maxillary molars extending between the mesiolingual cusp and distobuccal cusp, which is never present on mandibular molars.

Cusp of Carabelli

An accessory fifth nonfunctioning minor cusp located on the lingual surface of the mesiolingual cusp of permanent maxillary first molars and primary maxillary second molars.

Concrescence

The developmental union of the root structure of two or more teeth through cementum only, occurring most commonly in maxillary molars.

Peg Molar

A smaller maxillary third molar crown with a single cusp caused by partial microdontia due to failure in the proliferation process during tooth development.

Permanent Mandibular Molars

Bifurcated multirooted posterior teeth with crowns wider mesiodistally than buccolingually and exhibiting a strong lingual inclination when viewed from the proximal aspect.

Permanent Mandibular First Molar

A nonsuccedaneous tooth (#19 and #30) erupting between 6 and 7 years of age, possessing five functional cusps (MB, DB, distal, ML, DL) and a Y-shaped occlusal groove pattern formed by the MB, DB, and lingual grooves.

Permanent Mandibular Second Molar

A four-cusped nonsuccedaneous tooth (#18 and #31) erupting between 11 and 13 years of age featuring two transverse ridges and a cross-shaped (+) groove pattern that divides the occlusal table into four nearly equal parts.

Pericoronitis

A periodontal infection around a partially erupted mandibular third molar caused by poor homecare under the operculum (gingival tissue covering part of the occlusal surface).

Nabors Probe

A specialized periodontal instrument used to measure and classify the horizontal component of a furcation invasion within a periodontal pocket.

Fluting

An elongated developmental depression present on the root branch surfaces of multirooted teeth, especially noted on the mesial surface of the mesial root of mandibular first molars.

Mulberry Molars

A developmental disturbance resulting in localized enamel hypoplasia with accessory cusps on permanent molars, caused by congenital syphilis.

Enamel Pearl

A deposit of enamel found mainly on the buccal surfaces of second molars apical to the CEJ level, having a tapered form extending into root furcation areas.