Dental Anatomy, Physiology and Occlusion

Introduction to Dental Anatomy (Dental Anatomy, Physiology and Occlusion) Part 1

Dental anatomy is defined here as, but is not limited to, the study of the development, morphology, function, and identity of each of the teeth in the human dentitions, as well as the way in which the teeth relate in shape, form, structure, color, and function to the other teeth in the same dental arch […]

Introduction to Dental Anatomy (Dental Anatomy, Physiology and Occlusion) Part 2

The Crown and Root Each tooth has a crown and root portion. The crown is covered with enamel, and the root portion is covered with cementum. The crown and root join at the cementoenamel junction (CEJ). This junction, also called the cervical line (Figure 1-3), is plainly visible on a specimen tooth. The main bulk […]

Introduction to Dental Anatomy (Dental Anatomy, Physiology and Occlusion) Part 3

Division into Thirds, Line Angles, and Point Angles For purposes of description, the crowns and roots of teeth have been divided into thirds, and junctions of the crown surfaces are described as line angles and point angles. Actually, there are no angles or points or plane surfaces on the teeth anywhere except those that appear […]

Introduction to Dental Anatomy (Dental Anatomy, Physiology and Occlusion) Part 4

Measurement of Teeth Readers who are not familiar with the Boley gauge should study its use before reading the following instructions on the application of the table of measurements. To understand the table, let us demonstrate the calibrations as recorded and the landmarks they encompass. There are eight calibrations of each tooth to be remembered. […]

Development and Eruption of the Teeth (Dental Anatomy, Physiology and Occlusion) Part 1

Knowledge of the development of the teeth and their emergence into the oral cavity is applicable to clinical practice, anthropology, demography, forensics, and paleontology. However, dental applications are considered primarily. This topic considers the development and eruption of the teeth, specific chronologies of both the primary and permanent human dentitions, dental age, tooth formation standards, […]

Development and Eruption of the Teeth (Dental Anatomy, Physiology and Occlusion) Part 2

Crown and Root Development Dental development can be considered to have two components: (1) the formation of crowns and roots and (2) the eruption of the teeth. Of these two, the former seems to be much more resistant to environmental influences; the latter can be affected by caries and tooth loss.11,12 After the crown of […]

Development and Eruption of the Teeth (Dental Anatomy, Physiology and Occlusion) Part 3

Permanent Dentition The permanent dentition consisting of 32 teeth is completed from 18 to 25 years of age if the third molar is included. Apparently there are four or more centers of formation (developmental lobes) for each tooth. The formation of each center proceeds until a coalescence of all of them takes place. During this […]

Development and Eruption of the Teeth (Dental Anatomy, Physiology and Occlusion) Part 4

Chronologies of Human Dentition The history of chronological studies demonstrates the difficulty in obtaining adequate documentation of the source of the data being presented. Many early tables and charts disagreed on the timing of chronological events. More precise information was needed to avoid injury to developing teeth during surgery on young children, especially related to […]

Development and Eruption of the Teeth (Dental Anatomy, Physiology and Occlusion) Part 5

Duration of Root and Crown Formation The onset and duration of crown and root formation of the primary dentition are illustrated in Table 2-9, which answers questions about the relationship between onset and completion of tooth formation from start to finish. Summary of Chronologies Compared with older, descriptive chronologies based on dissection and those based […]

The Primary (Deciduous) Teeth (Dental Anatomy, Physiology and Occlusion) Part 1

Life Cycle After the roots of the primary dentition are completed at about age 3, several of the primary teeth are in use only for a relatively short period. Some of the primary teeth are found to be missing at age 4, and by age 6, as many as 19% may be missing.1 By age […]

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