Dental Anatomy - Form + Function and Geometries
1. Proximal contact areas
2. Interproximal spaces
3. Embrasures
4. Labial and buccal contours at cervical thirds
5. Curvature of the cervical lines on mesial and distal surfaces - correct answer What are the
laws that must be known and observed?
Contact area - correct answer Which is more accurate, a contact point, or a contact area?
It prevents food from packing between teeth
It helps to stabilize dental arch - correct answer Why are proximal contact areas important?
They create spillways from interdental soft tissues - correct answer How do proximal contact
areas prevent food from being packed between teeth?
Prevents tilting of teeth - correct answer How do proximal contact areas help to stabilize the
arch?
Hyper-eruption of opposing tooth
Distal tilt of mesial tooth
Mesial tilt of distal tooth - correct answer What are possible things that could happen to the
dental arch when a tooth is extracted?
Cervically, centered - correct answer Contact areas move ______________ cervicoincisally as
you progress distally in the arch
Facial, centered, broad - correct answer Contact areas are more _________ in the anterior
teeth and become more ____________ in the posterior teeth with the contact areas
themselves becoming more ________ as you move distally
A triangle - correct answer What shape is formed between teeth by proximal contact areas and
the alveolar process?
1-1.5 mm - correct answer What is a normal range for the distance between the CEJ and
alveolar crest?
Gingival tissue - correct answer What are the triangularly shaped spaces between teeth
typically filled by?
Teeth need sufficient bone to support
, Gingival tissue also requires blood supply and innervation which requires space - correct
answer Why does there need to be sufficient space between teeth?
Provides spillway (reduces forces on teeth)
Prevents food from being forced through contact area - correct answer What is the purpose of
the form of embrasures?
Reduces direct forces onto gingival tissue - correct answer What is the purpose of the facial and
lingual heights of contour in the cervical and middle thirds, respectively?
0.5, lingual of posterior teeth which are 1 mm - correct answer A typical measurement for the
height of contour from CEJ for the facial and lingual on most teeth is __________ mm with the
exception of __________________ which is/are _____________ mm
Mandibular anterior teeth (mandibular canines have the most curvature of these teeth) -
correct answer What teeth have the least curvature above the cervical line on the facial and
lingual surfaces?
Epithelial attachment - correct answer What seals the soft tissue to the tooth?
CEJ - correct answer Generally, the curvature of epithelial attachment follows what?
No, but they follow the same curvature - correct answer Are the CEJ and epithelial attachment
at the same level?
Curvature of the cervical line - correct answer There is a relationship between interproximal
contact position and ____________________________ that enforces the idea the the extent of
curvature seems to depend on the height of contact area above the crown cervix
Some functional basis - correct answer Every curve and segment of a normal tooth has
___________________________
Orthodontics - correct answer What is an example of a form rule follower?
Implantology - correct answer What is an example of a form rule breaker?
Single cone (haplodont)
Three cusps in line (triconodont)
Three cusps in a triangle (tritubercular molar)
Four cusps in quadrangle (quadritubercular molar) - correct answer What are the phylogenetic
classes of tooth forms?
Primary center of formation - correct answer Each cusp represents a
________________________________________
1. Proximal contact areas
2. Interproximal spaces
3. Embrasures
4. Labial and buccal contours at cervical thirds
5. Curvature of the cervical lines on mesial and distal surfaces - correct answer What are the
laws that must be known and observed?
Contact area - correct answer Which is more accurate, a contact point, or a contact area?
It prevents food from packing between teeth
It helps to stabilize dental arch - correct answer Why are proximal contact areas important?
They create spillways from interdental soft tissues - correct answer How do proximal contact
areas prevent food from being packed between teeth?
Prevents tilting of teeth - correct answer How do proximal contact areas help to stabilize the
arch?
Hyper-eruption of opposing tooth
Distal tilt of mesial tooth
Mesial tilt of distal tooth - correct answer What are possible things that could happen to the
dental arch when a tooth is extracted?
Cervically, centered - correct answer Contact areas move ______________ cervicoincisally as
you progress distally in the arch
Facial, centered, broad - correct answer Contact areas are more _________ in the anterior
teeth and become more ____________ in the posterior teeth with the contact areas
themselves becoming more ________ as you move distally
A triangle - correct answer What shape is formed between teeth by proximal contact areas and
the alveolar process?
1-1.5 mm - correct answer What is a normal range for the distance between the CEJ and
alveolar crest?
Gingival tissue - correct answer What are the triangularly shaped spaces between teeth
typically filled by?
Teeth need sufficient bone to support
, Gingival tissue also requires blood supply and innervation which requires space - correct
answer Why does there need to be sufficient space between teeth?
Provides spillway (reduces forces on teeth)
Prevents food from being forced through contact area - correct answer What is the purpose of
the form of embrasures?
Reduces direct forces onto gingival tissue - correct answer What is the purpose of the facial and
lingual heights of contour in the cervical and middle thirds, respectively?
0.5, lingual of posterior teeth which are 1 mm - correct answer A typical measurement for the
height of contour from CEJ for the facial and lingual on most teeth is __________ mm with the
exception of __________________ which is/are _____________ mm
Mandibular anterior teeth (mandibular canines have the most curvature of these teeth) -
correct answer What teeth have the least curvature above the cervical line on the facial and
lingual surfaces?
Epithelial attachment - correct answer What seals the soft tissue to the tooth?
CEJ - correct answer Generally, the curvature of epithelial attachment follows what?
No, but they follow the same curvature - correct answer Are the CEJ and epithelial attachment
at the same level?
Curvature of the cervical line - correct answer There is a relationship between interproximal
contact position and ____________________________ that enforces the idea the the extent of
curvature seems to depend on the height of contact area above the crown cervix
Some functional basis - correct answer Every curve and segment of a normal tooth has
___________________________
Orthodontics - correct answer What is an example of a form rule follower?
Implantology - correct answer What is an example of a form rule breaker?
Single cone (haplodont)
Three cusps in line (triconodont)
Three cusps in a triangle (tritubercular molar)
Four cusps in quadrangle (quadritubercular molar) - correct answer What are the phylogenetic
classes of tooth forms?
Primary center of formation - correct answer Each cusp represents a
________________________________________
