Introduction to Teeth morphology

Question 1

What 5 things must be considered when identifying teeth?

Answer 1

Is it deciduous or permanent?

Is it an incisor, canine, pre-molar, or molar?

Is it maxillary or mandibular?

If it is an incisor is it a central or lateral incisor? If it’s a pre-molar is it the first or the second? If it’s a molar is it the first, second, or third?

Does it come from the right or left hand side of the jaw?

Question 2

When do the first permanent teeth begin to emerge?

Answer 2

At around 3 years of age. This is when the mixed dentition period arises.

Question 3

When is the transition period between primary teeth and permanent teeth?

Answer 3

It lasts from 6 to 12 years of age and ends when all the deciduous teeth have been shed.

Question 4

What is the clinical significance of the mixed dentition period?

Answer 4

It is often a difficult time for the young child because of habits, missing teeth, teeth of different colours and hues, crowding of teeth, and malposed / misaligned teeth.

Question 5

What kind of pattern do permanent teeth erupt in?

Answer 5

Permanent or succedaneous teeth replace the exfoliated deciduous teeth in a sequence of eruption that exhibits variance between individuals.

Question 6

When is the permanent dentition completed?

Answer 6

After shedding of the deciduous canines and molars and emergence of the permanent canines, premolars, and second permanent molars is completed.

This takes place at 14 / 15 years of age with the exception of third molars which are completed at 18 to 25 years of age.

Question 7

What are the 3 main parts of the human tooth?

Answer 7

Crown

Neck

Root/s

Question 8

What is the difference between the anatomical and clinical crowns?

Answer 8

Anatomical crown is the part of the tooth that has an enamel surface and is situated above the neck of the tooth

Clinical crown is the part of the tooth visible in the oral cavity. and is situated above the gingival margin.

Question 9

What is the line between the anatomical crown and anatomical root called?

Answer 9

The cemento-enamel junction. (The cervical line)

Question 10

What is the difference between the anatomical and clinical root?

Answer 10

Anatomical root is the part of the tooth below the cervical line and has a cementum surface.

Clinical root is the part of the tooth under the gingiva that is not exposed to the oral cavity.

Question 11

How do the root of the teeth vary?

Answer 11

In number, size, and location

Question 12

How many roots do the maxillary first premolars have?

Answer 12

2 roots

Question 13

How many roots do the mandibular molars have?

Answer 13

2 roots

Question 14

How many roots do the maxillary molars have?

Answer 14

3 roots

Question 15

What are the physical properties of enamel?

Answer 15

Hardest tissue in the human body but also very brittle, mostly inorganic calcified tissue so requires the dentin layer.

Question 16

What is the pulp called in different parts of the tooth?

Answer 16

Within the center of the crown and root it is known as the pulp chamber.

Within the radicular portion (the root) it is called a root canal.

Question 17

What are pulp horns?

Answer 17

They are represented as elongations of the pulp chamber which corresponds to the cusps or lobes.

Question 18

How far do root canals extend within the tooth?

Answer 18

Root canals are extended to the apices of the roots through the apical foramen or foraminae.

Question 19

What is the dental pulp composed of?

Answer 19

Soft non-calcified tissue and is developed from the dental papilla

Question 20

How many teeth does the primary dentition have?

Answer 20

10 teeth within each arch. 4 incisors, 2 canines, and 4 molars

Question 21

How many teeth deos the permanent dentition have?

Answer 21

4 incisors

2 canines

4 pre-molars

6 molars