MORPHOLOGY

OF
PERMANENT INCISORS

Dr. Firas Alsoleihat, BDS, PhD

Department of Conservative Dentistry
Introduction
 Human dentition is diphyodont

Primary (deciduous/ predecessor) dentition
• Formula: I 2/2 C 1/1 M 2/2
• Eruption: 6 months - 28±4 months
• Shedding: 6 to12 years

Secondary (permanent/successor) dentition
• Formula: I 2/2 C 1/1 P 2/2 M 3/3
• Eruption: 6 to (18-25) years
Stages of human dentition
 Edentulous stage: 0 - 6 months
 Eruption of primary dentition: 6 months-2.5
years
 Functioning primary dentition: 2.5 – 6 years
 Mixed dentition: 6 – 12 years
 Permanent dentition: 12+ years
 Full permanent dentition: (18-25)+ years
Dental terms
 Dental arch: maxillary and mandibular
 Tooth class

Incisor: incisal edge

Canine: one pointed cusp

Premolar (bicuspid): 2 cusps

Molar: 3 or more flattened cusps
 Identification traits

Set traits

Arch traits

Class traits

Type traits
Glossary
Terms related to anterior teeth

Anterior teeth

Surfaces

Line angle

Point angle

Incisal edge

Cusp

Cingulum

Fossa

Ridge and marginal ridge

Cervical line

Lobe

Mamelon

Lingual pit

Developmental groove

Division into thirds

Contact point
 The permanent incisors
 Eruption sequence

41/31, 11/21, 42/32, 12/22
 Functions

Cutting

Esthetics

Speech
 Class traits

Incisal 2/3 flattened MD
& compressed LL

Long horizontal
MD biting edge

2 or more mamelons

Marginal ridges
parallel to long axis
 Chronology

Maxillary Central Maxillary Lateral

incisor Incisor
First evidence of First evidence of
calcification:3-4mo calcification:1yr
Enamel completed:4-5yr Enamel completed: 4-5yr
Eruption: 7-8yr Eruption:8-9yr
Root completed:10yr Root completed:11yr
The permanent maxillary incisors
 Arch traits

Crown
• Wider MD
• Smaller height / width proportion
• Greater MD / LL proportion

Root
• Greater MD / LL proportion
• Conical root in central incisors
 Type traits

Size

Height / width proportion
in crown

MD / LL proportion
in crown and root
 The permanent maxillary central incisors
 Labial aspect

The widest MD of all incisors – type trait

3 mamelons
• Middle is the smallest in width
• Mesial has a raised shoulder
• Distal has a low shoulder

2 labial lobe grooves

90º mesioincisal line angle – type trait

Rounded distoincisal line angle

Mesial contour straight, distal is somewhat rounded
and both converge cervically

Mesial height of contour (contact point) within incisal third

Distal HOC at junction between incisal & middle thirds

CEJ convex cervically

Root is conical & inclined distally
The permanent maxillary central incisors
 Lingual aspect

Scoop-like surface

Lingual fossa bordered by (all
more prominent in max.)
• Mesial & distal marginal ridges
• Cingulum

CEJ more convex than labial&
summit toward distal

Root is narrower seen from lingual
 Mesial aspect

Chisel-shaped

Labial HOC in the cervical third

CEJ curved incisally (the most
pronounced) – type trait

Incisal edge coincides with long
axis

Root is conical
The permanent maxillary central incisors
 Distal aspect

CEJ is less curved than seen from mesial

Little differences exist between the mesial and distal aspects of this
tooth.
The crown gives an illusion of being somewhat thicker toward the
incisal third when viewed from this side due to the slope of
the labial surface disto-lingually, more of that surface is seen
from the distal aspect. Most teeth are turned a little on their
root bases to adapt to the dental arch curvature.
The extent of curvature of the cervical line is less than on the
mesial side “most teeth show this characteristic”

 Incisal aspect

Triangular outline

Labial outline is slightly convex
• Meets M+L outlines at sharp line angles

Mesial outline is longer than distal

Labial lobe grooves
Maxillary central incisor
 Permanent maxillary
lateral incisor
The crown closely resembles that of the central incisor.
They supplement central incisors in function.
Smaller than the central incisor in all dimensions except the
root length.
They vary in form more than any other tooth in the mouth
except for the third molar.
If the variation is too great it is considered a developmental
anomaly.
Peg shaped lateral: a common anomaly where the tooth has a
pointed non descript form.
 Permanent maxillary
lateral incisor
In some individuals these teeth are missing.
The presence of a palato-gingival groove ”palato-radicular
groove” in some individuals may be a predisposing factor
to localized periodontal disease.
Some of the common malformations:
1. The presence of a large pointed tubercle as part of the
cingulum
2. A deep developmental groove that extend down on the
root lingually with a deep fold in the cingulum.
3. Twisted root.
4. Distorted crown…..
The permanent maxillary lateral incisors
 Labial aspect

Narrower MD & shorter IC – type trait

More rounded in general
• MI angle
• DI angle more rounded
• M & D outlines

HOCs are farther from incisal edge
• Mesial HOC is between middle & incisal thrids
• Distal HOC is at the center of middle third

Root is conical and slightly inclined distally
 Labial aspect / Ctd.
The tooth is relatively narrow mesio-distally, about 2mm
narrower than the central incisor.
The cervico-incisal measurement is 2-3mm shorter than
the central incisor.

the root:
is about 1.5 times the length of the crown.
Tapers evenly from the cervical line to two thirds its
length apically. in most cases it curves sharply from
this area apically in a distal direction and ends in a
pointed apex.

Sometimes the root ends straight and sometimes curves

mesially.
 Lingual Aspect

Marginal ridges & cingulum are
more pronounced

Lingual fossa is deeper

Developmental groove and pit?

Mesial and distal marginal ridges are marked.

The cingulum is usually prominent with a tendency
to deep developmental grooves within the
lingual fossa where it joins the cingulum.
The incisal ridge is more developed and the lingual
fossa is more concave and circumscribed than
the central incisor.
It tapers towards the lingual like the central incisor.
A deep developmental groove is a common finding
at the distal side of the cingulum which may
extend to the root.
 Mesial Aspect

•Mesial aspect
•Cingulum more convex
•CEJ less curved
Similar to a small central incisor except the root appears
longer, the crown is shorter, the labio-lingual measurement of
the tooth is less.
The curvature of the cervical line is marked in an incisal
direction though less than that of the central incisor.
The incisal ridge appears somewhat thicker than that of the
central due to the heavy development.
The root appears tapered, cone shaped, with a blunt apex,
again this is variable because sometimes it appears blunt, and
other times it is pointed.
A line drawn through the centre of the root bisects the incisal
ridge of the crown.
 Distal Aspect

The width of the crown distally appears

thicker than mesially from the marginal
ridge to the labial aspect due to the
placement of the crown on the root.
The curvature of the cervical line is usually a
mm or less than the mesial surface.
A developmental groove may be found on
this aspect extending towards the root.
 Incisal Aspect
•Incisal aspect
•Ovoid outline
•Smaller MD than central
•Labial outline is rounded
•ML & DL line angles are more rounded

Sometimes it resembles that of a central

incisor and sometimes it looks like a small
canine.
The cingulum may be large as well as the
incisal ridge and the labio-lingul width may be
greater than usual in comparison with the
mesio-distal width. if these variations are
present the tooth has a marked resemblance to
a small canine.
It exhibits more convexity labially and
lingually from this aspect than the central
incisor.
Maxillary lateral incisor
The permanent mandibular
incisors
 Arch traits

Crown
• Narrower MD
• Greater height / width proportion
• Smaller MD / LL proportion

Root
• Smaller MD / LL proportion
• Generally oblong in x-section
 Type traits (arch trait)

Nearly equal in size &
dimensions
The permanent mandibular central
incisors
 Labial aspect

The narrowest MD of all incisors

Bilaterally symmetrical (type trait)

3 mamelons
• Mesail and distal mamelons are of equal prominence

90 º MI & DI angles and are at same level IC (type traits)

Both HOCs are within the incisal third

M & D outlines are almost straight lines

CEJ convex cervically

Root is narrow & conical
 Lingual aspect

Shallow fossa & less prominent cingulum
& marginal ridges

CEJ summit in the center
 The permanent mandibular central
incisors
 Mesial aspect

Labial HOC within cervical third

From HOC toward incisal edge labial
outline is straight

Root
• Broad & flat
• A shallow depression in the midportion
• Ovoid in x-section
 Distal aspect

CEJ is less curved
 Incisal aspect

Triangular

Labial surface is flat compared to max. incisors

Seldom labial lobe groove

Long axis of incisal edge is perpendicular to
LL line (type trait)

Mesial outline = distal outline in length
 Pulp

Broad LL and narrow MD
Mandibular central incisor
The permanent mandibular lateral incisors

 Labial surface

Slightly wider than central

Lack of bilateral symmetry

MI angle is sharp while DI angle is
rounded & more cervically situated
 Lingual & mesial aspects

Nearly identical to that of central
 Distal aspect

More of the incisal edge is visible

CEJ is less pronounced
 Incisal aspect

Incisal edge is not perpendicular to LL line

DI angle is more toward lingual
 Pulp

Similar to that of central
Mandibular lateral incisor
Incisal relationship
 Class I
 Class II
 Class III
 Overjet
 Reverse
overjet
 Overbite