Lec 4 Dental Anatomy Dr.
Rawa Omar
Permanent mandibular incisors
General characteristics:
There are four mandibular incisors. Two centrals and two laterals occupying the central
space on either side of midline of the mandible.
The lower permanent incisors differs from the upper incisors in the following:
1. They are smaller and having smaller mesio-distal
dimensions than any other teeth.
2. The mandibular central incisor is some what smaller
than mandibular lateral incisor, unlike that of the
maxillary incisor teeth.
3. The crown is wider labio-lingually than mesio-distally.
4. The crown inclines more lingually than in the upper incisors and the
incisive edge can be seen to be on the lingual side of the central axis of the root.
5. The mesio-incisal and the disto-incisal angles are slightly
identical.
1
Permanent mandibular central incisors
Chronology:
Initial calcification 3-4 months after birth
Completion of crown 4-5 years
Eruption 6-7 years
Completion of root 9 years
Is the first mandibular tooth from the midline.
Is the smallest tooth in the permanent dentition.
Is the second permanent tooth to erupt, shortly
after the first permanent molar.
The crown and root are narrow mesiodistally but
are wide labiolingually.
2
Labial aspect of crown:
The crown is so symmetrical that itis difficult to tell lefts from rights unless in the mouth or
on casts.
There may be has two shallow developmental depressions
in the incisal third.
The mesial and distal outlines of the crown are fairly straight near the
almost flat incisal edge; then the crown tapers, becoming narrower from the
incisal toward the evenly convex cervical line.
The mesioincisal and the distoincisal angles are sharp. Sometime
distoincisal angle is slightly more rounded than the mesioincisal angle.
Contact points:
• Mesial: In the incisal third near the mesioincisal angle.
• Distal: About the same level as the mesial contact area.
Labial aspect of root
Single narrow root.
The apical third tends to curve slightly to the distal.
Its apical thirds ends in a small pointed apex.
It appears longer compared to the crown length.
3
Lingual aspect of crown
The crown is narrower on the lingual surface than on the labial surface.
Cingulum is small, convex and centered.
Lingual Fossa: The lingual surface is smooth and shallow,
just slightly concave in the middle and incisal third.
Marginal Ridges: The marginal ridges and the
lingual fossa usually are scarcely discernible.
Lingual aspect of root
It is slightly narrower on the lingual side than on the labial side.
Mesial aspect of crown
The geometric outline is triangular so the crown is a wedge shaped.
The labial outline: convex from the cervical line to the crest of
curvature in the cervical third and it is nearly straight from the crest
of curvature to the incisal edge.
The lingual outline: The lingual contour is convex over the cingulum,
concave in the middle third and straight in the incisal third.
The cervical line on the mesial has a deep curvature extending incisally.
The incisal edge is lingual to the mid-root axis.
4
Mesial aspect of root
The facial and the lingual sides of the root are nearly straight from the
cervical line to the middle third, then the root tapers with its apex on the
axis line.
Usually there is a broad and deep longitudinal depression for most of the root length.
Distal aspect of crown& root
The shape of the crown distally is similar to that mesially but:
The cervical line curve is less than on the mesial surface.
The developmental depression is more marked than the one on
the mesial surface.
Incisal aspect
The mesial half of the crown is almost identical to the distal half
The incisal edge is almost at right angles to a line bisecting the crown
labiolingually.
The labiolingual measurement of the crown is greater than the
mesiodistal.
5
Permanent mandibular lateral incisors
Chronology: Initial calcification 3-4 months after birth
Completion of crown 4-5 years
Eruption 7-8 years
Completion of root 10 years
It is the second tooth from the midline of the mandible.
It is a little longer in all dimensions than the mandibular
central in the same mouth.
Labial aspect of crown
The labial surface is similar to that of the mandibular central with little differences:
The crown is tilted distally on the root giving the impression that
the tooth has been bent at the cervix. This makes the distal outline of
the crown more shorted than the mesial.
The distoincisal angle is more rounded than the mesioincisal angle.
Contact area:
Mesial: In the incisal third near the mesioincisal angle.
Distal: In the incisal third, but cervical to the level of the
Mesial contact area.
6
Labial aspect of root
The root is similar to that of the central incisor but it is slightly
longer by 2 mm.
It tapers gradually from the cervical line towards the apex which may
curve slightly to the distal.
Lingual aspect of crown and root
A small smooth cingulum lies slightly distal to the axis line of the root.
Similar to that of the mandibular central:
The marginal ridges and the lingual fossa usually are not conspicuous.
The root is convex, smooth, and narrower than the labial side.
Proximal aspect of crown
No marked differences between mesial and distal surfaces of
lower central and lateral incisors.
The distal surface is shorter inciso-cervically.
The mesial cervical line has a deeper curvature than the distal cervical line
Both cervical lines are less than those of the central incisor.
7
Proximal aspect of root
The roots are similar to that of lower central incisors, including the developmental
depressions mesially and distally.
Incisal aspect of mandibular lateral incisors
The most important feature is the twisting of the crown distolingually slightly in order to
allow the incisive ridge to follow the curve of the dental arch.
The cingulum is deviated distally.
