Types of Teeth & Tooth Structures Flashcards
List Functions of Teeth
-protecting the oral cavity
-aiding the digestive system by chewing food (comminution)
-functions in communication
-maintaining esthetics
-cutting, holding/grasping, and grinding food***
Anterior Teeth
-incisor and canines
-have 4 surfaces and a ridge
Posterior Teeth
-premolars and molars
-have 5 surfaces
List Surfaces of Teeth
-lingual (faces the tongue)
-facial (faces the lip or cheek/ labial and buccal)
-proximal (faces the neighboring tooth in same arch: mesial or distal)
-occlusal (biting or chewing surface)
Incisors
location: anterior teeth
number: 4 maxillary, 4 mandibular
types: central and lateral
function: designed to cut
characteristics: shaped like shovel (aid in guiding food into the mouth)
Canines
location: between lateral incisors and premolars, anterior teeth
number: 2 maxillary 2 mandibular
function: holding/grasping, protecting jaw in lateral movements
characteristics: longest tooth, best anchored, most stable (due to long roots)
Premolars
locations: between canines and molars, posterior teeth
number: 4 maxillary 4 mandibular
function: aid in holding food, grind food
characteristics: cross between canine and molars
Molars
location: behind premolars, posterior teeth
number: 6 maxillary 6 mandibular
function: chew or grind food
characteristics: large teeth with 4 or more cusps to help interlock the maxilla and mandible
List what the Periodontium includes
-gingiva
-cementum
-periodontal ligament
-alveolar bone
List functions of the Periodontium
-supportive (for teeth and movement)
-nutritive (through blood vessel)
-formative (through cementoblasts, fibroblasts, osteoblasts)
-sensory (nerves indicate pressure or pain)
Describe free gingiva
slightly keratinized, slightly mobile, smooth, light pink
Describe attached gingiva
keratinized, tightly attached to the bone, stippled (orange peel texture), light red to dark pink
Interdental papilla
the interdental spaces of free gingiva
Gingival margin
most coronal point of the gingiva
Describe alveolar mucosa
non keratinized, movable and elastic, smooth, pink to red in color, vascular
Crown Vs Root
Crown: top portion of the teeth, covered with enamel
Root: lower portion of the teeth, covered with cementum. can be single, bi, or multi rooted. terminal end of root is the apex
Anatomical crown
the entire crown covered with enamel
Anatomical root
entire root covered with cementum
Clinical crown
portion of the crown that you can see above the gingiva
Clinical root
portion of the tooth that is not visible
Enamel
location: outer surface of the tooth
color: white, yellow, grey or red tones
composition: 96% inorganic 4% organic
hardness: hardest tissue
function: protection & self cleaning
Dentin
location: under enamel
color: yellow
hardness: softer than enamel, harder than cementum
composition: 70% inorganic 30% organic
Types of dentin
-Primary (forms before eruption)
-Secondary (dentin is able to add to itself after tooth erupts)
-Tertiary (aka reparative: forms in response to trauma)
-Sclerotic (forms with slow growing root caries and under failing restorations)
Cementum
location: surrounds root of tooth, thickest at apex
color: yellow
hardness: same as bone
composition: 50% inorganic 50% organic
function: anchoring roots to alveolar bone
Cementoenamel Junction (CEJ)
aka cervical line; junction of cementum and enamel
2 Types of Cementum
cellular- covers the apical 1/3rd, reproduces itself
acellular- covers the entire anatomical root
Pulp (Location & Composition)
location: inner portion of tooth
composition: blood vessels (nutrients), lymph tissue (filters fluids), connective tissue, nerve tissue (sensory tissue), odontoblasts (forms secondary dentin)
Function of the pulp
-blood supply (nourishment for formation of secondary dentin, white blood cells)
-nerve endings (respond to pain)
-odontoblasts (forms secondary dentin)
Parts of the pulp
- pulp chamber (within coronal portion of tooth)
-pulp horns (projections coming up under each cusp)
-pulp canal (within the root of the tooth)
Dentinoenamel junction (DEJ)
where dentin and enamel meet
