Dental Anatomy & Morphology Flashcards

Which feature most readily distinguishes the mandibular right canine from the mandibular left canine when viewed from the labial aspect?

Answer: The distal slope of the cusp tip is longer than the mesial slope

On mandibular canines, the distal cusp slope is longer than the mesial slope, and the root tip curves distally, helping identify right from left.

The term 'embrasure' in dental anatomy refers to which space?

Answer: The V-shaped space that widens from the contact area toward the facial, lingual, or occlusal

An embrasure is the triangular space adjacent to the contact area of two teeth that opens toward the facial, lingual, or occlusal surface.

Which maxillary premolar most commonly has two roots?

Answer: Maxillary first premolar

The maxillary first premolar most commonly has two roots (a buccal and a lingual root), while the second premolar usually has one root.

In dental morphology, what is a 'fissure'?

Answer: A fault or imperfect fusion at the base of a developmental groove

A fissure is a cleft or imperfect fusion of the enamel at the base of a groove, resulting from incomplete coalescence of developmental lobes.

What is the typical number of developmental lobes from which the mandibular first molar forms?

Answer: Five lobes

The mandibular first molar develops from five lobes, each corresponding to one of its five cusps (mesiobuccal, distobuccal, distal, mesiolingual, distolingual).

Which surface of the maxillary central incisor shows the greatest convexity (height of contour) in the cervical third?

Answer: Lingual surface

The lingual surface of the maxillary central incisor has its height of contour (cingulum) in the cervical third, providing the greatest convexity on that surface.

The 'dental formula' for the permanent human dentition is best expressed as:

Answer: I 2/2, C 1/1, P 2/2, M 3/3 = 32 teeth total

The permanent human dental formula is I 2/2, C 1/1, P 2/2, M 3/3, yielding 8 teeth per quadrant and 32 total.