Types of Teeth & Tooth Structures

Question 1

List Functions of Teeth

Answer 1

-protecting the oral cavity
-aiding the digestive system by chewing food (comminution)
-functions in communication
-maintaining esthetics
-cutting, holding/grasping, and grinding food***

Question 2

Anterior Teeth

Answer 2

-incisor and canines
-have 4 surfaces and a ridge

Question 3

Posterior Teeth

Answer 3

-premolars and molars
-have 5 surfaces

Question 4

List Surfaces of Teeth

Answer 4

-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)

Question 5

Incisors

Answer 5

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)

Question 6

Canines

Answer 6

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)

Question 7

Premolars

Answer 7

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

Question 8

Molars

Answer 8

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

Question 9

List what the Periodontium includes

Answer 9

-gingiva
-cementum
-periodontal ligament
-alveolar bone

Question 10

List functions of the Periodontium

Answer 10

-supportive (for teeth and movement)
-nutritive (through blood vessel)
-formative (through cementoblasts, fibroblasts, osteoblasts)
-sensory (nerves indicate pressure or pain)

Question 11

Describe free gingiva

Answer 11

slightly keratinized, slightly mobile, smooth, light pink

Question 12

Describe attached gingiva

Answer 12

keratinized, tightly attached to the bone, stippled (orange peel texture), light red to dark pink

Question 13

Interdental papilla

Answer 13

the interdental spaces of free gingiva

Question 14

Gingival margin

Answer 14

most coronal point of the gingiva

Question 15

Describe alveolar mucosa

Answer 15

non keratinized, movable and elastic, smooth, pink to red in color, vascular

Question 16

Crown Vs Root

Answer 16

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

Question 17

Anatomical crown

Answer 17

the entire crown covered with enamel

Question 18

Anatomical root

Answer 18

entire root covered with cementum

Question 19

Clinical crown

Answer 19

portion of the crown that you can see above the gingiva

Question 20

Clinical root

Answer 20

portion of the tooth that is not visible

Question 21

Enamel

Answer 21

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

Question 22

Dentin

Answer 22

location: under enamel
color: yellow
hardness: softer than enamel, harder than cementum
composition: 70% inorganic 30% organic

Question 23

Types of dentin

Answer 23

-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)

Question 24

Cementum

Answer 24

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

Question 25

Cementoenamel Junction (CEJ)

Answer 25

aka cervical line; junction of cementum and enamel

Question 26

2 Types of Cementum

Answer 26

cellular- covers the apical 1/3rd, reproduces itself
acellular- covers the entire anatomical root

Question 27

Pulp (Location & Composition)

Answer 27

location: inner portion of tooth
composition: blood vessels (nutrients), lymph tissue (filters fluids), connective tissue, nerve tissue (sensory tissue), odontoblasts (forms secondary dentin)

Question 28

Function of the pulp

Answer 28

-blood supply (nourishment for formation of secondary dentin, white blood cells)
-nerve endings (respond to pain)
-odontoblasts (forms secondary dentin)

Question 29

Parts of the pulp

Answer 29

• pulp chamber (within coronal portion of tooth)
  -pulp horns (projections coming up under each cusp)
  -pulp canal (within the root of the tooth)

Question 30

Dentinoenamel junction (DEJ)

Answer 30

where dentin and enamel meet