Morphology of Individual Primary Teeth

Studying Tooth Morphology

• Primary purpose of studying tooth morphology is to understand tooth development and structure.

Primary Tooth Calcification

• Accurate chronology of primary tooth calcification is clinically significant because it helps in determining the age of a child and identifying potential developmental anomalies.

Characteristics of Maxillary Central Incisors

• Characteristic feature of the incisal edge of maxillary central incisors is not specified in the text, but it is important to note that the morphology of these teeth is crucial in restoring their natural contours.

Restoring Deciduous Teeth

• Good knowledge of tooth morphology is essential for restoring natural contours of deciduous teeth, especially when performing cavity preparations.

Natal and Neonatal Teeth

• About 85% of natal or neonatal teeth are primary incisors, with small percentages being supernumerary teeth.
• Early eruption of natal and neonatal teeth is prevalence is low.
• Natal teeth are teeth present at birth, while neonatal teeth erupt during the first 30 days.
• Most studies suggest that the etiology for the premature eruption or appearance of natal and neonatal teeth is unknown.

Radiographs for Prematurely Erupted Teeth

• A radiograph should be made to determine the amount of root development and the relationship of a prematurely erupted tooth to its adjacent teeth.
• One of the parents can hold the x-ray film in the infant's mouth during the radiograph.

Characteristics of Prematurely Erupted Teeth

• Most prematurely erupted teeth (immature type) are hypermobile due to limited root development.
• Prematurely erupted teeth are not well-rooted, making them prone to mobility.

Natal and Neonatal Molars

• Natal and neonatal molars are not common.

Etiology of Early Eruption

• The etiology for the early eruption of primary teeth seems to be familial, due to inheritance as an autosomal dominant trait.