Dental Anatomy Terms
The parts of a tooth, the tissues around it, and the landmarks clinicians name during an exam — defined in plain English.
25 anatomy terms, A-Z
- Alveolar Bone — The portion of the jaw that contains the tooth sockets and supports the teeth.
- Anterior Teeth — The teeth at the front of the mouth — incisors and canines — used for biting and smile aesthetics.
- Bicuspid — A bicuspid (also called a premolar) is a transitional tooth located between the canines and molars, with two cusps used for tearing and grinding food.
- Buccal — The tooth surface that faces the cheek.
- Canine — A canine is a pointed tooth located between the incisors and premolars, used for tearing food. Adults have four canines — one in each quadrant.
- Cementum — Cementum is the thin, bone-like layer that covers the root of a tooth and provides attachment for the periodontal ligament fibres that hold the tooth in its socket.
- Cusp — A cusp is a raised, pointed projection on the chewing surface of a tooth. Molars and premolars typically have 2 to 5 cusps that interlock with opposing teeth during biting.
- Deciduous Teeth — The 20 primary "baby" teeth that are eventually replaced by permanent teeth.
- Dentin — Dentin is the dense, calcified tissue that lies beneath the enamel and forms the bulk of a tooth. It is softer than enamel and contains microscopic tubules that connect to the nerve.
- Distal — The surface of a tooth that faces away from the midline of the mouth, toward the back.
- Enamel — Enamel is the hard, outermost layer of a tooth. It is the hardest substance in the human body, but unlike bone it cannot regrow once lost.
- Gingiva — The gingiva is the soft tissue (gums) that surrounds the teeth and covers the alveolar bone, forming a protective seal around each tooth.
- Incisor — Incisors are the eight thin, sharp-edged front teeth (four upper, four lower) used to bite and cut food.
- Interproximal — The area between two adjacent teeth, where flossing and interdental brushes clean.
- Labial — The tooth surface that faces the lips.
- Lingual — The tooth surface that faces the tongue.
- Mandible — The mandible is the lower jawbone, the only movable bone of the skull, which holds the lower teeth and forms the temporomandibular joint with the skull.
- Maxilla — The maxilla is the upper jawbone, a fixed paired bone that forms the roof of the mouth, the floor of the nasal cavity and orbits, and houses the upper teeth.
- Mesial — The tooth surface closest to the midline of the dental arch.
- Molar — Molars are the large, flat-topped teeth at the back of the mouth used to grind and crush food. Adults normally have 12 molars, including 4 wisdom teeth.
- Occlusion — Occlusion is the way the upper and lower teeth contact each other when the jaws close, including both static contact (the bite) and dynamic contact during chewing and grinding.
- Periodontal Ligament — The periodontal ligament (PDL) is a network of collagen fibres that attaches the cementum of a tooth root to the surrounding alveolar bone, allowing tiny movements during chewing and acting as a shock absorber.
- Posterior Teeth — The teeth at the back of the mouth — premolars and molars — used primarily for chewing.
- Pulp — The pulp is the soft tissue at the centre of a tooth, containing the nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue that keep the tooth alive and sensitive to temperature and pressure.
- Wisdom Tooth — A wisdom tooth (third molar) is the last tooth to erupt at the back of each quadrant of the mouth, typically appearing between ages 17 and 25. Many people lack space and require removal.
About anatomy terminology
Dental anatomy is the vocabulary every other dental term is built on.
These entries cover the hard structures of the tooth, the pulp and root canal system, and the supporting periodontal tissues.