Dental Terms Flashcards

Dental Terms Overview

• Superscript: Refers to technical terminology regarding dental anatomy.

Tooth Positioning Terms

• Mesial: Direction towards the midline of the dental arch.
• Distal: Direction away from the midline; roots often bend distally.
• Lingual: Orientation towards the tongue, representing the inner aspect of the teeth.
• Labial: Refers to the outer surface from canine to canine.
• Buccal: Indicates the external aspect of the mouth from molar to pre-molar.

Tooth Surface Areas

• Interproximal: Space between two adjacent teeth.
• Occlusal: The biting surface of posterior teeth.
• Incisal: The biting edge of anterior teeth.

Axial Terms

• Mesiodistal: Axis extending from mesial to distal.
• Mesiolingual: Direction toward the midline on the tongue side.
• Buccolingual: Direction from pre-molar to molar on the tongue side.
• Mesiobuccal: External direction from pre-molar to molar towards the midline.
• Distolingual: Direction away from the midline on the tongue side.
• Distobuccal: Direction away from the midline on the cheek side.

Cusp Terminology for Upper Molars

• Protocone: Mesiolingual cusp of the upper molar.
• Paracone: Mesiobuccal cusp of the upper molar.
• Hypocone: Distolingual cusp of the upper molar.
• Metacone: Distobuccal cusp of the upper molar.

Cusp Terminology for Lower Molars

• Protoconid: Mesiobuccal cusp of the lower molar.
• Ectoconid: Distolingual cusp of the lower molar.
• Hypoconid: Distobuccal cusp of the lower molar.
• Metaconid: Mesiolingual cusp of the lower molar.
• Hypoconulid: Most distal and smallest cusp on a lower molar.