This document provides an introduction to dental terminology and anatomy. It defines important terms like midline, quadrants, occlusion, dentition and classifications of teeth. Key anatomical structures of teeth are described such as the crown, root, enamel, dentin, cementum, pulp and surrounding structures. Common terminology for surfaces, angles, depressions and elevations of teeth are introduced. The dental formulae and eruption patterns of primary and permanent teeth are outlined. Different tooth numbering systems are also explained.

1. Introduction andnomenclature of dental anatomy
Dr.Madhusudhan reddy

2. objectives
• Introduction of dental terminology and its
application
• Understanding dental anatomy
• To study and facilitate communication about
various aspect of teeth

3. introduction
• Midline: imaginary vertical
line which divides each arch
as well as body into approx
equal halves
• Maxillary teeth: teeth
arranged in upper arch
• Manduibular teeth: teeth
arranged in lower arch

4. Mandibular denture
Maxillary teethMaxillary denture
Mandibular teeth

5. • Quadrants: two approximately equal portions of
each arch divided by midline
• Four in entire mouth and termed as
1. maxillary (upper) right
2. maxillary (upper) left
3. mandibular (lower) right
4. mandibular (lower) left

7. • Occlusion: manner in which mandibular teeth
contact maxillary teeth
• Mastication: term for process of biting or chewing
of food

8. Important terminologies
• Midline: 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

10. Dentition
• In human two dentitions are present:
– 1. Deciduous (Primary)
– 2. Permanent (Secondary)
(mixed or transition dentition)

11. Deciduous teeth
• So named because they are shed like the leaves of
tree in autumn
• 20 total deciduous teeth
• Erupts from 6 months to 2 years
• other non scientific names for deciduous teeth
include “milk” teeth, “baby” teeth and
“temporary” teeth

12. Permanent dentition
• Teeth of the second, or adult dentition
• There are 32 permanent teeth
• Erupt from 6-21 years of age

13. Classification of teeth (Primary)

14. Permanent teeth

15. Classification of teeth (permanent)

17. Succedaneous teeth
• Simply means “succeeding” deciduous teeth
• Twenty deciduous teeth to be replaced, there must
be twenty succedaneous teeth
• Incisors and canines – replace their deciduous
counterpart

18. • Premolars – which replaces deciduous molars
• Molars are not considered as succedaneous teeth

19. Dental formulae
Primary dentition
Permanent dentition

21. Eruption patterns
• deciduous dentition

22. Permanent dentition

23. Dentition period

24. Tooth numbering system
• Tooth numbering or “short hand” system of tooth
notation.
• Necessary in clinical practice for
– Recording data
– Communication

25. • The various tooth notation systems :
1. Zsigmondy palmer notation system
2. Universal notation system
3. FDI system

26. Zsigmondy palmer notation system
• 1861 – Adolph Zsigmondy
• Primary teeth-
• Permanent teeth-

28. FDI system(federation dentaire internationale)
• Two digit system
• First digit indicates the quadrant and second digit
indicates the tooth within the quadrant
• 1 to 4 and 5 to 8 as the first digit indicates
permanent and primary dentition respectively
• 1 to 8 and 1 to 5 as the second digit indicates
permanent teeth respectively.

30. General oral and dental anatomy
• Anatomical crown: portion of tooth which is
covered by enamel
• Clinical crown: portion of tooth which is visible in
mouth
• Clinical crown may, or may not correspond to
anatomical crown, depending on level of soft tissue
and may also include a portion of anatomical root.

31. • Anatomical root: portion of tooth which is covered
with cementum
• Clinical root: portion of tooth which is not visible
in mouth
• Clinical root is an ever changing entity and may,
or may not correspond to anatomical root

32. • Enamel: hard, mineralized tissue which covers
dentin of anatomical crown of a tooth and hardest
living body tissue
• Dentin: hard tissue which forms main body of
tooth and surrounds pulp cavity and is covered by
enamel in anatomical crown and by cementum in
anatomical root.

33. • Cementum: a layer of hard, bone like tissue which
covers dentin of anatomical root of tooth
• Cervical line: identifiable line around external
surface of a tooth where enamel and cementum
meet and also called cemento-enamel junction or
CEJ
• Cervical line separates anatomical crown and
anatomical root .

34. • Dentino-enamel junction or DEJ: internal line of
meeting of dentin and enamel in anatomical crown
of a tooth
• Pulp: living soft tissue which occupies pulp cavity
of a vital tooth and contains tooth’s blood vessels
and nerve supply.

35. • Pulp cavity: entire internal cavity of tooth which
contains the pulp and consists of the following entities
– Pulp canal: portion of pulp cavity which is located in
root of the tooth (also called as root canal)
– Pulp chamber: enlarged portion of pulp cavity which
is found mostly in anatomical crown
– Pulp horn: usually pointed incisal or occlusal
elongations of pulp chamber which often correspond
to cusps, or lobes of teeth.

36. • Alveolar process: entire bony entity which
surrounds and supports all teeth in each jaw
member
• Alveolus: bony socket, or portion of alveolar
process, into which an individual tooth is set

37. • Periodontal ligament: fibrous attachment of tooth
cementum to the alveolar bone
• Gingiva: “gum” or “gums”, or fibrous tissue
enclosed by mucous membrane that covers
alveolar process and surrounds neck of teeth

38. Surfaces of teeth
• Crowns of all teeth have 5 surfaces
– Facial surface: facial surface can be labial surface
or buccal surface
– Labial surface: the surface of incisors and canines
that are towards lip
– Buccal surface: the surfaces of premolars and
molars that face cheek

39. • Lingual surface (palatal surface)
– Surface facing towards tongue

40. • Proximal surfaces
– Mesial: surfaces towards midline
– Distal: surfaces away from midline.

41. • Incisal or occlusal surface:
– 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
– Occlusal surface: the surface of premolars and
molars that come in contact with those in
opposite jaws during act of closure are called
occlusal surfaces.

42. Line angles and point angles
• When two surfaces of a tooth meet, a line angle is
formed
• And when three surfaces meet a point angle is
formed

43. Line angles of anterior teeth
1. Mesio-labial
2. Disto-labial
3. Mesio-lingual
4. Disto-lingual
5. Labio-incisal
6. Linguo-incisal

44. Line angles of posterior teeth
– Mesio-buccal
– Disto-buccal
– Mesio-lingual
– Disto-lingual
– Mesio-occlusal
– Disto-occlusal
– Bucco-occlusal
– Linguo-occlusal

45. Point angles of anterior teeth
– Mesio-labio-incisal
– Disto-labio-incisal
– Mesio-linguo-incisal
– Disto-linguo-incisal

46. Point angles of posterior teeth
– Mesio-bucco-occlusal
– Disto-bucco-occlusal
– Mesio-linguo-occlusal
– Disto-linguo-occlusal

47. Depression on toothsurface
1. Pit: A small pinpoint depression on the surface of
enamel
2. Fossa: An irregular depression or concavity on
surface of tooth

48. • 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

49. Elevations on toothsurface
• 1: Cusp: an elevation or mound on the crown of a
tooth

50. • 2: Cingulum: is the lingual lobe of an anterior
tooth and makes up the bulk of the cervical third
of the lingual surfaces

51. • 3. Lobe: is one of the primary section of formation
in development of crown
• Cusps and mamelons are representative of lobes
• 4. Mamelons: are three rounded protuberances
found on incisal ridges of newly erupted incisor
teeth

52. • 5. Ridge: A linear elevation on the surface of a
tooth
– Marginal ridges: are rounded borders of
enamel that form mesial and distal margins of
occlusal surfaces of posterior teeth and mesial
and distal margin of lingual surface of anterior
teeth

53. – Triangular ridge: is a ridge that descends from
the tips of the cusps of molars and premolars
towards the center part of the occlusal surface
– Transverse ridge: is formed by the union of
buccal and lingual ridges

54. – Oblique ridge: is a ridge obliquely crossing the
occlusal surface of maxillary molars

55. – Cusp ridge:
• Each cusp has four cusp ridges extending in
different directions (mesial, distal, facial, lingual)
from its tip
• Normally the cusp ridge which extends towards
central portion of occlusal surface is also a
triangular ridge
• Named by the direction they extend from the
cusp tip

56. – Inclined planes:
• The sloping area found between two cusp
ridges
• Planes are named by combining names of
two cusp ridges between which they lie
• Each cusp exhibits four inclined planes

57. Thirds of tooth
• To make study and communication easier the crown
and root are divided into three halves
• Division in thirds occluso-gingivally (crown)
– Cervical third
– Middle third
– Incisal/occlusal third

58. Division in thirds mesio-distally
• Crown when viewed from front
– Mesial third
– Middle third
– Distal third

59. Division in thirds facio-lingually
• Crown when viewed from the side
– Facial third
– Middle third
– Lingual third

60. Thirds - root
• Cervical third
• Middle third
• Apical third