Dental terminology

Last revised by Andrew Murphy on 6 Jan 2021

There are specific dental terminology to be aware of when describing teeth and dental disease on orthopantomogram or other imaging studies of the teeth or jaw 1.

  • apical: the direction towards the apex of the root of a tooth
  • mesial: the direction towards the anterior midline of the dental arch
  • distal: the direction away from the anterior midline of the dental arch
  • buccal: the surface of the tooth towards the inner aspect of the cheek
  • lingual: the surface of the tooth towards the tongue
  • crown: region of tooth projecting from the bone
  • root: region of tooth embedded within the bone
  • interproximal: between two adjacent teeth

Note a contracture can be made between the above terms for more accurate description (e.g. mesial and buccal can be made into mesiobuccal).

See also

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