Dental Anthropology

Apical—the surfaces of a tooth that face towards the apex of the roots

Buccal—the surface of canines, premolars and molars facing the cheeks

Cervix—the meeting point of the crown and root (the CEJ-cement-enamel junction)

Cingulum—broad bulge girdling the cervical one-third of the crown

Contact area—area of contact between two teeth where the mesial and distal surfaces of adjacent teeth abut

Crest—large ridges descending from the apices of cusps or connecting two cusps

Crown—the part of the tooth that projects into the mouth;  coated with enamel

Cusp—pyramidal or cone shaped elevation on the occlusal surface of a tooth with three to four ridges or crests descending from its apex

Cuspid—elevation smaller than a cusp

Cuspule—elevation smaller than a cuspule

Dentine—the tissue that forms the core of the whole tooth

Distal—the surface of all teeth that faces along the dental arcade away from the median sagittal plane

Enamel—the hard coating covering the crown of the tooth

Fissure—a fault resulting from the imperfect joining of two cusps or lobes

Fossa—round depression

Groove—linear, trough-like depression between cusps

Incisal—the cutting edge of incisors and canines (equivalent to occlusal in the teeth that overlap during normal occlusion

Labial—the surfaces of incisors facing the lips

Lingual—the surface of all teeth that faces the tongue

Lobe—large, rounded projections on occlusal surface

Mammelons—rounded prominence (on incisal margins when they first erupt)

Mesial—the surface of all teeth that faces along the dental arcade towards the median sagittal plane

Occlusal—the surface of all teeth that parallels the plane in which upper and lower dentitions meet.  In particular, it is used to describe the surface of premolars and molars that meets in normal occlusion

Pit—small circular, tightly defined depression on crown

Pulp—the living tissue of the tooth

Ridge—similar to crests, but smaller and less sharply defined

Root—the part of the tooth embedded in the jaws;  coated with cement

Tubercle—small, rounded prominence on surface of tooth

Wear facet—flat, polished surface created by habitual contact between teeth