Surface anatomy of
permanent anterior
teeth
Anterior teeth
They include:
Incisors
And
Canines
Incisors
There are four maxillary incisors
and four mandibular incisors.
* Two central incisors
contact with each other in the
midline (mesially) and with
the lateral incisors distally.
* Two lateral incisors contact
with the central incisors mesially
and with the canines distally.
Number of lobes:
All anterior teeth (incisors and canines) are
formed of four lobes, three labially and one
lingually.
4 4
1 2 3
1 2 3
Beginning Crown Eruption Root
of calc. completed completed
(months)
1 3-4 7
1 6
2 10-12 8
2 3-4 7
3 4-5
11
3 9
For proper tooth description
We have to speak about :
• The geometric outline of the crown.
• The outline form of the crown and root.
Straight Convex Concave
• The surface anatomy of the crown and root
(anatomical landmarks).
Permanent
maxillary
central incisor
1
Maxillary central incisor is the first tooth from the midline.
The maxillary central is the broadest and longest of all
incisors.
All teeth have 5 surfaces
1
Labial Lingual Mesial Distal
Incisal
Geometric outline of the crown
The labial and lingual surfaces
have trapezoidal outline.
The smallest uneven side cervically.
Significance of the trapezoidal outline in protecting
the periodontium.
1- Provides contact between the teeth.
This gives stabilization of the dental arch, protect the
inter-proximal soft tissue and prevent food accumulation.
2- Provides inter-proximal spaces which contain inter-
proximal gingival tissues.
3- Provides spacing between the roots of neighbouring
teeth to allow sufficient supporting alveolar bone.
4- Allow each tooth in one dental arch to occlude
with two opposing teeth except 1 & 8
•This arrangement distributes and reduces the
occlusal forces exerted on the teeth.
*This arrangement also prevents elongation of the
antagonists and helps to stabilize the remaining teeth
for a longer period than if the tooth has a single
antagonist.
Labial and lingual outlines of
the crown
Cervical outline (convex root
wise)
Mesial outline Distal outline
(convex) (more convex)
D
M
At the I 1\ 3.
In the I edge.
Rounded
Sharp mesioincisal distoincisal angle
Incisal (straight and may
angle
have mamelons) When?
Outlines of the root
• The mesial and distal outlines of the
root are tapered to a blunt apex
• Conical in shape.
• The apex is centralized on the long
axis of the tooth ,so, extraction should
be done by rotation movement
•The long axis of the tooth is
perpendicular to the incisal edge
Surface anatomy of the crown and root.
Labial surface:
Elevations:
• The crown surface is smooth and
convex with the maximum convexity
at the cervical third (cervical ridge)
Depressions:
•Shallow developmental grooves could
be seen separating 3 mamelons in
newly erupted central incisor .
•The root surface is smooth and convex
Lingual surface
The lingual surface of the crown and
root is narrower than that at the labial
surface with the same outlines (Lingual
Convergence).
Elevations: cingulum
•Marginal ridges (mesial and
distal)
•Cingulum at the cervical 1/3
•Incisal ridge
Depressions: Marginal
Incisal ridge
Lingual fossa ridges
Notice that in most of the teeth the lingual
surfaces are narrower than the labial or buccal
ones due to the lingual convergence.
This convergence of the
teeth is to accommodate
the larger arch size
facially than lingually
Geometric outline of the crown
Proximal (mesial and distal)
surfaces have triangular outline
Base cervically.
Apex incisally.
Significance of the triangular outline in protecting
the periodontium.
1-It increases the teeth strength against masticatory
forces.
2-It facilitates cutting through food materials.
3- This form allows the tooth to be self-cleansing.
Mesial and distal Outlines
It’s Triangular and formed of
•Labial outline: convex with the
maximum convixity at the cervical third
which represent …….
•Lingual outline:
convex incisally which represent…….
Concave at the middle which represent…
Convex cervically which represent………
•Cervical outline: Curves incisally.
Outlines of the root
• The labial and lingual
outlines are tapered from the
cervical line to a blunt
rounded apex.
• The incisal edge lies directly
over the long axis of the tooth.
M D
The crown has smooth
convex proximal surfaces.
Longer due to • Shorter due to rounded
sharp angle. angle.
Contact area: • More cervically at the
Near the MI angle. incisal 1\ 3.
Cervical line is Curved The curvature is
incisally. shallower than mesially.
Root
It has convex
smooth surface.
Incisal aspect
Outline and surface anatomy
• The outline is triangular in shape.
•The base is placed labially and the apex is
lingually.
•The mesiodistal dimension (width) is
greater than the labiolingual
The crown is tapered lingually.
Note:
•The elevations and depressions in the crown
appear in this aspect as the cervical ridge
(labially) and the mesial and distal marginal
ridges , incisal ridge and cingulum surrounding
the lingual fossa (lingually).The incisal ridge is
centralized labiolingually.
Maxillary lateral incisor
Lingual Mesial Distal
Labial
Incisal
Number of lobes:
All anterior teeth (incisors and canines)are
formed of four lobes, three labially and one
lingually.
1 2 3
Note: minimum number of lobes in normal teeth
is three, however peg-shaped 2 has two lobes.
The lateral incisor is smaller in all dimensions
than the central incisor.
1 2
1 2
Labial surface
D M D M
sharp M I angle. rounded M I angle.
rounded D I more rounded D I angle.
angle.
Incisal outline Straight Rounded
1 2
Newly erupted tooth has The mamelons are
mamelons. less pronounced.
Peg-shaped tooth is a
form of 2 could be exist
(two lobes, one labial and one
lingual).
1 2
Labial surface:
Convex or slightly flat. More convex.
Labial D G. Less prominent D G.
1 2
• The mesial and distal • The mesial and distal
outlines of the root taper outlines of the root taper
to a blunt apex (conical) to a pointed apex
• The apex is • The apical 1/3 is inclined
centralized on the long axis distally
Lingual surface
Elevations:
•Marginal ridges (mesial and
distal) Cingulum
Marginal
•Cingulum (cervically) ridges
•Incisal ridge
Depressions: Incisal ridge
Lingual fossa is more concave
and circumscribed than that in 1
Note:
•A lingual pit could be
found in the 2 close to the
cingulum. Notice that all
elevations are well
developed than those in 1
1 2
Mesial
surface
Lb Lg Lb Lg
The crown is long and thick The crown is shorter and
labiolingually. thinner labiolingually
The mesial surface is flat The surface is flatter.
Contact area at the Incisal At the incisal 1/3
edge
1 2
Distal
surface
C.A. at the incisal 1/3 At the junction between I &
M 1/3
N.B.:
Developmental depression The cervical line in both
may be present on the surfaces are more
distal root surface shallower than that of the
central incisor
Incisal aspect
1 2
Triangular in shape Oval in shape
Wide M D. Narrower in size.
Labial and lingual O.L. Labial and lingual O.L.
are flat and broad. are more rounded.
When palatal pit is present; it is located in the depth
of the lingual fossa close to the cingulum .
Pulp cavity.
The pulp cavity is formed of:
Pulp chamber that is present in the
crown. Its outline follows the outline
of the crown.
In young teeth, it has pulp horns
related to each mamelons
2 Showed similar but smaller pulp cavity.
MD LL
The pulp chamber in 2 has one rounded in peg shape.
OR two less sharp pulp horns (M & D) as in
Mandibular.
Root canal is present in the root and follows its
outline. The number of root canals in the incisors is
only one. The root canal ends in an apical foramen
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Mandibular incisors
*They are smaller than maxillary incisors.
* *
*1 is smaller than 2 which is the reverse
Of the situation in 1 & 2.
*The width is smaller than the thickness.
*The mamelons worn out soon after eruption.
*The incisal ridges are inclined lingually to the root axis.
Mandibular central incisor
Labial Lingual Mesial Distal
Incisal
2
Labial Lingual Mesial Distal
Incisal
Mandibular central incisor
Is the first mandibular tooth from the midline.
It is the smallest tooth in the permanent dentition.
It is the most symmetrical tooth in the permanent
dentition.
Mandibular lateral incisor
It’s very similar to lower central incisor, but
slightly larger.
Geometric outline of the crown
Labial and lingual surfaces have
trapezoid outline.
The smallest uneven
side cervically.
Labial and lingual outlines of the crown
1 2
D M D M
Mesial & distal outlines are straight
tapering evenly to the narrow cervix.
Incisal outline
is straight and perpendicular on the The incisal ridge is
tooth long axis. Mamelons are present
inclined distally
on newly erupted teeth.
Fan Shape tooth
1 2
D M Cervical outline is D M
convex root wise.
Mesio and disto Mesio incisal angle is sharp
incisal angles are while disto incisal angle is
rounded.
sharp.
Contact areas:
Mesially is at the incisal
Mesially and distally are
edge while distally is more
at the same level (Incisal
cervically (I 1/3).
edge).
Outlines of the root
• The mesial and distal outlines of the
root are tapered to a pointed apex
• The apex is inclined distally but sometimes
it’s straight.
Surface anatomy of the crown and root.
Labial surface of 1&2
Elevations:
• The crown surface is smooth and convex
with maximum convexity at the cervical
third (cervical ridge)
Depressions:
•Shallow developmental grooves could
be seen separating the mamelons in
newly erupted teeth.
•The root surface is smooth and convex
Lingual surface
Incisal ridge Marginal
Elevations: ridges
•Marginal ridges (mesial and
distal)
•Cingulum (cervically)
Cingulum
•Incisal ridge
Depressions:
Lingual fossa, shallow
Note:
•All elevations are more
developed in upper teeth
than in lower teeth.
•So the fossae appear
shallower in the lower teeth.
•In lower lateral the cingulum
is shifted distally.
Proximal (mesial &distal)
surfaces
The geometric outline is
triangular in shape
Apex incisally.
Base cervically.
The outline form of the proximal
surfaces
It is formed of :
•Labial outline: convex with maximum
convixity at the cervical third which
represent …….
•Lingual outline:
convex incisally which represent…….
Concave at the middle which represent…
Convex cervically which represent………
•Cervical outline: Curves incisally.
The incisal ridge is lingual to the root axis
This lingual inclination facilitates
proper occlusion and also provides
sufficient overlap and overjet to
prevent lip biting .
Outlines of the root
Upper incisors:
The outlines tapered from the
cervical line to a blunt apex
Lower incisors:
The outlines are nearly straight
& parallel from the cervical line
to the middle third then tapered
to a pointed apex
Surface anatomy of the crown and root.
The crowns have smooth convex proximal surfaces.
Note: the contact areas mesially and distally are
nearly at the same level but still the distal contact
area is present more cervically.
1
2
Mesial surface Distal surface
Contact area at the I edge Contact area is more
cervically to make contact
with the lower canine
Note: the distal surface is shorter than mesially due
to distal inclination of the incisal ridge
Roots
Root surface showed longitudinal developmental
depression which is deeper distally than mesially.
And deeper in lower lateral than lower central.
Incisal aspect
Outline and surface anatomy
The geometric outline is diamond in shape.
The labiolingual (thickness) is greater than the
mesiodistal dimension.
The incisal ridge in 1 is at right angle
to a line bisecting the crown
labiolingually. Notice the mesial &distal
marginal ridges,cingulum and the incisal
ridge surrounding the lingual fossa.
The crown converges lingually.
The crown appears twisted distally
(DistoLingual Twist)
*The incisal ridge of 2 is inclined
lingually at it’s distal end . This
allows the tooth to follow the
curvature of the dental arch .
Incisal Aspect of 2
• The incisal edge has
distolingual twist that is
the distal half of the
incisal edge is bent
lingually ,so that the M D
distoincisal angle is more
lingually in position than
the mesioincisal angle .
• The cingulum appears
displaced toward the
distal direction .
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