INTRODUCTION
Four in number
Central incisors are centered in the mandible
The lateral incisors are distal to central incisors
They are in contact with the central incisors
mesially & with canines distally
Smaller mesio distal dimensions
C.I smaller than L.I – reverse in the maxilla
Teeth are similar in form & have smooth surfaces that
show few developmental lines
Mamelons on the incisal ridges are worn off soon
after the eruption, if occlusion is normal, leaving the
incisal ridges smooth & straight
Contact areas are near the incisal ridges mesially &
distally
Lines drawn through the contact areas are near the
same level on both central and lateral incisors – unlike
in maxillary incisors
They show uniform development with few instances of
malformation or anomalies
Anatomic form of these teeth differs entirely from that
of the maxillary incisors
Inclination of the crowns differs from mesial & distal
aspects
The labial faces show lingual inclination, so that the
incisal ridges are lingual to a line bisecting the root.
After the normal wear, as the mamelons are obliterated,
they show the labial inclination when the occlusion has
been normal.
Incisal surface of the maxillary incisors have lingual
inclination
Thus, the incisal planes of maxillary & mandibular
incisors are parallel with each other, fitting together
during incising action
INTRODUCTION
Smallest tooth in the dental arches
Mesio-distal diameter – more than half the MD
diameter of the maxillary centrals
Labio-lingual diameter is 1mm less
Lines of greatest masticatory stress are
brought to bear on the mand incisors in a labio-
lingual direction which makes this reinforcement
necessary.
Single root – narrow mesiodistally
Root and crown – Wide labiolingually
24(L), 25
1,1
31,41
First evidence of calcification:3-4mnths
Enamel completed:4-5yr
Eruption:6-7yr
Root completed:9yr
Dimensions: 9.5, 12.5,5,3.5,6,5,3,3,2
LABIAL ASPECT
CROWN
Regular
Tapers evenly from relatively sharp
mesial &distal incisal angles to the root
apex
INCISAL RIDGE- Straight
Right angles to long
axis of tooth
MESIAL AND DISTAL OUTLINES-
Make a Straight drop downward from
incisal angles to contact areas (incisal to
junction of incisal and middle thirds).
Themesial and distal sides taper evenly
from contact areas to narrow cervix
LABIAL SURFACE
- Smooth
- Regular and convex
- Flattened surface at incisal third
- Middle third is more convex
- Narrows down to the convexity of
the root at the cervical portion
ROOT
MESIAL AND DISTAL ROOT OUTLINES
Straight, down to the apical portion
Apical third of the root terminates in a
small pointed taper, Most often curves
distally.
some times the roots may be straight
The labial surface of the root is regular &
convex
Except in newly erupted teeth, central
incisors show few traces of developmental
lines.
LINGUAL ASPECT
CROWN
SURFACE – Smooth
Slight concavity at incisal third
between the inconspicuous
marginal ridges
Marginal ridges are more prominent
near the incisal edges with distinct
concavity between them
lingual surface becomes Flat and then
convex from incisal third to cervical
third
No developmental lines mark the cingulum
development at the cervical third
ROOT
Outlines and surfaces are regular &
symmetrical
MESIAL ASPECT
CROWN
Curvature above the cervical line is
less both labially and lingually
compared tp max incisors.
LABIAL OUTLINE
Straight above the cervical curvature
Slopes from crest of curvature to
incisal ridge
LINGUAL OUTLINE
Straight line inclined labially for a short
distance above the smooth convexity
of cingulum.
This straight outline joins the concave
line at middle third of crownand extends
upward to join rounded outline of narrow
Incisal ridge.
The incisal ridge is rounded or worn flat
and its center is usually lingual to center of
root
Cervical line – marked, Curves incisally,
one third the length of the crown
Mesial surface – convex & smooth at the
incisal third, broader & flatter at the
middle third – cervical to the contact
area – then becomes flat with a tendency
towards the concavity below the middle
third of the crown & above the cervical
line
ROOT OUTLINES
Straight with the crown outline from the
cervical line
Outline tapers in the middle third area
to a bluntly rounded root apex or
pointed root end.
Mesial surface is flat, just below the
cervical line
Most of the roots have broad
developmental depression for most of
the root length
The depressions usually are deeper at
the junction of middle & apical thirds
DISTAL ASPECT
Cervical line curves incisally about 1mm
less than on the mesial
Distal surface of crown & root is similar to
that of the mesial surface
Developmental depression on the distal
surface of root may be more marked
with a deeper & well defined
developmental groove at the centre
INCISAL ASPECT
The incisal aspect illustrates the
Bilaterally symmetry of Mand CI.
Mesial half of the crown is identical
with the distal half
Characteristic feature which
differentiates this tooth from the
lateral is – incisal edge is at right
angles to the line bisecting the crown
labio-lingually
Labio-lingual diameter is always
greater
Labial surface of the crown is wider
mesio-distally than lingual surface
The crown is wider labially than
lingually at the cervical third –
represented by a smooth cingulum
Labial surface at the incisal third is
broad & flat in comparison with the
cervical third and has a tendency
towards convexity
Lingual surface of the crown at the
incisal third has an inclination
toward concavity
From this aspect – more of the labial
surface can be seen than the lingual
surface
MANDIBULAR LATERAL INCISOR
Resembles the mandibular CI very closely.
The two mandibular incisors operate in the dental arch as
a team, thus, their functional form is related.
It is slightly larger than the mandibular central incisor.
It has uniform shape
Rarely: labial and lingual root division in the cervical third.
Two root canals in the single root.
TOOTH NUMBERING SYSTEMS
ADA / Universal system - 23L , 26
FDI system - 32 , 42
ZSIGMONDY PALMER system - 2 2
CHRONOLOGY:
First evidence of calcification 3 to 4 mo
Enamel completed 4 to 5 yr
Eruption 7 to 8 yr
Root completed 10 yr
DIMENSIONS:
Cervico-incisal length of crown 9.5 mm
Length of Root 14. 0 mm
M – d dm of crown 5.5 mm
M – d dm of crown at cervix 4.0 mm
L - l dm of crown 6.5 mm
L - l dm of crown at cervix 5.8 mm
Mesial Curvature of cervical line 3.0 mm
Distal Curvature of cervical line 2.0 mm
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LABIAL & LINGUAL ASPECTS
It is similar to central incisor in all respects
except, its diameter mesiodistally is more by
added fraction of 1mm. NOT ALWAYS TRUE
Mongoloid groups: lingual aspect is marked by a
deep but short cervicoincisal groove, which is
vulnerable to dental caries.
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MESIAL & DISTAL ASPECTS
The mesial side of the crown is often longer than the distal
side, this causes the the incisal edge which is straight,to
slope downward in a distal direction.
The DCA is placed more cervically than the MCA, to
contact properly the MCA of the mandibular canine.
The curvatures of the cervical line mesially & distally are
also similar to that of the C-I.
LABIO-LINGUAL WIDTH MORE THAN CI
There may be a deeper concavity immediately above the
cervical line on the distal surface of mandibular L-I.
Crown of lateral incisor is only a fraction of a mm
longer than that of central incisor, but the root may
be considerably longer.
The tooth is a little larger in dimensions than CI.
Root form is similar to that of central incisor, with
developmental depressions mesially & distally.
INCISAL ASPECT
INCISAL ASPECT
Incisal edge is not at right angles to a line bisecting the
root & crown labiolingually.
The incisal edge follows the curvature of mandibular dental
arch, giving the crown of mandibular lateral incisor the
appearance of being slightly twisted on its root base.
The labiolingual root axes of Mandibular central & lateral
incisors remain parallel in the alveolar process, even
though the incisal ridges are not directly in line.
ANOMALIES:
Variations of mandibular lateral incisor include the
bifurcation of root apex, deep proximal grooves.
Differences between Mandibular CI
& LI
CI LI
More symmetrical Less symmetrical
Smaller & shorter root Crown larger & Longer
root
Labial & Lingual view
Same level contacts Lower distal contact
Crown not bent distally Crown tipped distally
on root on root
No distal side bulge on Distal side bulge on
crown crown
Incisal & Lingual views
Cingulum centered Cingulum distal to
Same length marginal center
ridges Longer mesial marginal
No distolingual twist of ridge
incisal edge Distolingual twist of
incisal edge
DIFFERENTIATING FEATURES BETWEEN
MAXILLARY & MANDIBULAR INCISORS
LABIAL VIEW
MAXILLARY MANDIBULAR
CROWN – wider mesio- CROWN – long, narrow &
distally & less symmetrical more symmetrical
CONTACT AREAS – CONTACT AREAS –
Mesial contact areas are mesial & distal contact
located more incisally than areas are located incisally
distal contact areas & at about the same level
INCISAL ANGLES – INCISAL ANGLES –
Disto-incisal angles are Mesial and distal incisal
more rounded angles are sharp
Labial surface is smooth &
Labial depressions uniform
commonly seen
DIFFERENTIATING FEATURES BETWEEN
MAXILLARY & MANDIBULAR INCISORS
LINGUAL VIEW
MAXILLARY MANDIBULAR
Large cingulum Smaller cingulum
Deep lingual fossa Shallow lingual fossa
Lingual pits sometimes Lingual pits – absent
present
Marginal ridges –
No marginal ridges
prominent
In the CI the cingulum is CI – perfectly symmetrical
present slightly distal to – LI – cingulum is distal to
the midline the midline
DIFFERENTIATING FEATURES BETWEEN
MAXILLARY & MANDIBULAR INCISORS
PROXIMAL VIEW
MAXILLARY MANDIBULAR
CROWN – Cingulum is CROWN – Very small
prominent cingulum
Incisal edge – labial to root Incisal edge – lingual to root
axis axis
Wear facets on lingual slopes Wear facets labially on incisal
of incisal edge and in lingual edge
fossa
ROOT – Wider facio-
ROOT – tapers sharply in the lingually
apical third
Shallow longitudinal
Mesial root surfaces are depressions on both proximal
slightly convex sides of the root
DIFFERENTIATING FEATURES BETWEEN
MAXILLARY & MANDIBULAR INCISORS
MAXILLARY INCISAL VIEW MANDIBULAR
CROWNS – Wider mesio- CROWNS – wider facio-
distally than facio-lingually lingually than mesiodistally
Incisal edges – labial to root Incisal edges – lingual to root
axis axis
Cingulum of CI – slightly Cingulum of CI – in the center
distal to mid line Cingulum of LI – slightly
Cingulum of LI – in the distal to midline
center Crown of CI – elongated,
facio-lingually
Incisal margin of LI – almost
rounded in outline Crown of LI – oblong, facio-
lingually
Crown outline of CI – more
triangular
In CI & LI – Labial surfaces –
almost flat at incisal & middle
Labial surface of LI – slightly third
convex near incisal
