Physiologic Tooth Form

Question 1

What is the portion of the tooth covered by the enamel?

Answer 1

anatomic crown-all enamel covered; always the same.

Question 2

what is the portion of the tooth that is clinically visible

Answer 2

clinical crown-visible above the gum line; varies with age.

Question 3

what are the ridges that descend from the tips of the cusps of only posterior teeth and travel toward the central part of the occlusal surface?

Answer 3

triangular ridges-each posterior tooth cusp has only one triangular ridge. they are wider at the base than at the cusp tip.

Question 4

What are the “special kind” of transverse ridges in that there is a union of the triangular ridge of the distofacial cusp and the distal cusp ridge of the mesiolingual cusp across the facial-lingual perimeter of the occlusal surface?

Answer 4

oblique ridges-not pure transverse ridges because both ridges are not triangular ridges.

Question 5

rounded borders of the enamel that form the mesial and distal margins or borders of the lingual surface of anterior teeth

Answer 5

marginal ridges (distal or mesial)

Question 6

raised or convex contours on the lingual surfaces of posterior teeth, but not on the cervical part of the crown

Answer 6

lingual heights of contour

Question 7

pinpoint depression located at the junction or terminus of a developmental groove

Answer 7

developmental pits (mesiofacial, distofacial, mesial triangular, distal triangular, central, and lingual pits)

Question 8

an angle formed by the junction of any two fo the four surfaces of the anterior tooth

Answer 8

line angle on anterior teeth-incisal ridge is not considered a surface. name the proximal surface first, then the adjoining surface