Dental Anatomy – Tooth Structure & Surface Terms (Vocabulary Flashcards)

Vocabulary flashcards covering tooth anatomy, surfaces, landmarks, and relationships mentioned in the lecture notes.

Midline (Midsagittal plane)

Imaginary vertical line that divides the dental arches into left and right halves.

Anterior teeth

Front teeth: canines and incisors.

Posterior teeth

Back teeth: premolars and molars.

Quadrants (UR, LR, UL, LL)

Division of the mouth into upper right, lower right, upper left, and lower left sections.

Mesial

Toward the midline of the face.

Distal

Away from the midline (toward the back of the mouth).

Lingual

Surface toward the tongue.

Buccal

Surface toward the cheek (posterior teeth).

Labial

Surface toward the lips (anterior teeth).

Facial

Surface toward the face; includes buccal (posterior) and labial (anterior).

Masticatory surface

Chewing surface; occlusal on posterior teeth and incisal on anterior teeth.

Occlusal

Chewing surface of posterior teeth.

Incisal

Edge of anterior teeth.

Anatomical Crown

Portion of the tooth crown covered with enamel.

Clinical Crown

Portion of the tooth exposed in the oral cavity, not covered by gingiva.

Enamel

Hardest tissue of the body; about 96–97% mineralized; covers the anatomical crown; thickest at the crown and cannot repair itself.

Dentin

Forms the bulk of the tooth; softer than enamel; about 70% mineralized; found in crown and root; can repair itself.

Cementum

Thin bone-like substance covering roots; 50–60% mineralized; soft tissue fibers insert here to connect to surrounding alveolar bone; can repair itself.

CEJ (Cemento-Enamel Junction)

Junction between enamel of the crown and cementum of the root; cervical line.

Pulp

Center of the tooth containing blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue; may have pulp horns, chamber, and canals.

Pulp horns

Tips of the pulp chamber found in crowns.

Pulp chamber

Large pulp area usually in the crown (may extend into the root).

Pulp canals

Pulp passages located within the roots.

Pulp cavity

All pulp tissue including horns, chamber, and canals.

Apical Foramen

Opening at or near the root apex where blood vessels and nerves enter the pulp.

Apical Foramina

Multiple openings at or near the root apex.

Alveolar process

Bone that surrounds and supports the teeth; contains the alveolus (tooth socket) and alveolar mucosa.

Alveolus (tooth socket)

Space in the bone that houses the tooth root.

Periodontal Ligament (PDL)

Fibrous connective tissue that attaches the tooth to the alveolar bone; j oins cementum to bone.

Tooth

Unit consisting of a crown and one or more roots.

Crown

Portion of the tooth above the CEJ, usually covered by enamel.

Root

Portion of the tooth below the CEJ, embedded in the alveolar bone.

Root trunk

Part of a multi-rooted tooth between the CEJ and the furcation.

Furcation

The area where a multi-rooted tooth divides into separate roots.

Apex of root

The tip/end of the root.

Developmental lobes

Primary growth centers that form the shape of a tooth.

Incisors

Anterior teeth specialized for cutting.

Canine

Anterior tooth specialized for puncturing, grasping, and tearing.

Premolars

Posterior teeth specialized for holding and crushing.

Molars

Posterior teeth specialized for grinding and chewing; help prepare for swallowing.

Mamelons

Rounded enamel cusps on the incisal edge of newly erupted incisors.

Cingulum

Bulge of enamel on the lingual surface of anterior teeth in the cervical region.

Incisal surface

The biting edge of anterior teeth.

Lingual groove

A groove on the lingual surface of a tooth.

Buccal groove

A groove on the buccal (facial) surface of a tooth.

Pit

A small pinpoint depression on the chewing surface, often at the end of a groove.

Marginal ridge

Rounded raised border on the mesial and distal edges of anterior teeth or on the occlusal table of posterior teeth.

Oblique ridge

Ridge that crosses the occlusal surface obliquely from the mesiolingual area to the distobuccal area (common on maxillary molars).

Transverse ridge

A ridge formed by the connection of two triangular ridges on the same side of a tooth.

Central pit

A pit located at the center of the occlusal surface of some molars.

Triangular ridge

Cusp ridge that descends from the cusp toward the center of the occlusal table.

Line angle

Junction of two crown surfaces; named by order: first the mesial or distal, then lingual/buccal, then occlusal/incisal.

Mesiolingual line angle

Line angle formed by the mesial and lingual surfaces.

Distolabial line angle

Line angle formed by the distal and labial surfaces.

Point angle

Junction of three surfaces; named by order: mesial/distal, then buccal/lingual, then occlusal/incisal.

Embrasure

D-shaped spillway spaces around the contact area that allow food to pass around teeth.

Gingival/Cervical embrasure

Embrasure toward the gingiva/cervical area, often affected by recession.

Interproximal spaces

D-shaped spaces between adjacent teeth; filled by interdental papilla and important for bone support.

Proximal contact areas

Points or zones where adjacent teeth touch; anterior contacts near incisal edge; posterior contacts in the middle third.

Contact point

The exact point where the maxillary and mandibular teeth touch at their contact areas.

Height of contour

The greatest bulge on a tooth surface that helps deflect food and protect the gingiva.

Crown height of contour

The greatest bulge (height) of the crown surface in a given view.

Long axis of tooth (Root Axis Line)

Imaginary vertical line down the long axis of the tooth.

Curvature of CEJ

CEJ curves toward the occlusal/incisal as it travels interproximally; curves more on anterior teeth and more on the mesial aspect.

Self-cleaning qualities of teeth

Smooth enamel, tooth shape, and cusp arrangement that aid cleaning and food clearance.

Open contacts

Contacts that do not touch; can lead to food impaction and spacing issues.