Anatomical crown refers to the biting surfaces, like the molars, it shows the pits

& fissures, cusps, valleys ,etc…

Clinical crown refers to the anterior or front teeth, visible when you smile!

Buccal or facial or labial — This is the tooth surface that faces the outside of your mouth. It's also what people can see when they look at you. The tooth surface that is closest or next to your cheek is called the buccal surface. In teeth that are closer to the front of the mouth, this surface is closer to the lips and is called the labial surface. Facial is an "umbrella" term that refers to both the buccal and labial surfaces.

Lingual or palatal — This is the surface of a tooth that is closest or next to your tongue. On your upper teeth, this is called the palatal surface. On your lower teeth, it's called the lingual surface.

Mesial and distal — The mesial and distal surfaces are the sides that come into contact with adjacent teeth. They are also called proximal surfaces. The mesial side faces the front of the mouth. The distal side faces the back of the mouth.

Occlusal — You might think of this as the "top" of a tooth. It's the surface of the back (molar and premolar) teeth that is used for biting or chewing.

Cusps — The parts of the occlusal surface that are raised.

Surfaces

Surfaces that are nearest the cheeks or lips are referred to as facial, and those

nearest the tongue are known as lingual. Facial surfaces can be subdivided into

buccal (when found on posterior teeth nearest the cheeks) and labial (when

found on anterior teeth nearest the lips). Lingual surfaces can also be described

as palatal when found on maxillary teeth beside the hard palate.

Surfaces that aid in chewing are known as occlusal on posterior teeth and incisal

on anterior teeth. Surfaces nearest the junction of the crown and root are

referred to as cervical, and those closest to the apex of the root are referred to as

apical. The words mesial and distal are also used as descriptions. "Mesial"

signifies a surface closer to the median line of the face, which is located on a

vertical axis between the eyes, down the nose, and between the contact of the

central incisors. Surfaces further away from the median line are described as

distal.

Cusp

A cusp is an elevation on an occlusal surface of posterior teeth and canines. It

contributes to a significant portion of the tooth's surface. Canines have one cusp.

Maxillary premolars and the mandibular first premolars usually have two cusps.

Mandibular second premolars frequently have three cusps--- one buccal and two

lingual. Maxillary molars have two buccal cusps and two lingual cusps. A fifth

cusp that may form on the maxillary first molar is known as the cusp of Carabelli.

Mandibular molars may have five or four cusps.

Cingulum

A cingulum is a convexity found on the lingual surface of anterior teeth. It is

frequently identifiable as an inverted V-shaped ridge,[8] and its appearance is

comparable to a girdle.[9] All anterior teeth are formed from four centers of

development, referred to as lobes. Three are located on the facial side of the

tooth, and one on the lingual side. The cingulum forms from this lingual lobe of

development.[10] The majority of a lingual surface's cervical third is made up of

the cingulum.[11] On lower incisors, a cingulum usually is poorly developed or

absent. Maxillary canines have a large, well-developed cingulum,[11] where as

the cingulum of mandibular canines is smoother and rounded.[12]

Ridges

Ridges are any linear, flat elevations on teeth,[13] and they are named according

to their location. The buccal ridge runs cervico-occlusally in approximately the

center of the buccal surface of premolars. The labial ridge is one that runs

cervico-incisally in approximately the center of the labial surface of canines. The

lingual ridge extends from the cingulum to the cusp tip on the lingual surface of

most canines. The cervical ridge runs mesiodistally on the cervical third of the

buccal surface of the crown. These are found on all primary teeth but only on the

permanent molars.

Cusp ridges are ridges that radiate from cusp tips. There are two marginal ridges, mesial and distal, present on all teeth. On anterior teeth, they are located on the mesial and distal borders of the lingual surface; on posterior teeth, they are located on the mesial and distal borders of the occlusal surface. Triangular ridges are those that project from the cusp tips of premolar and molars to the central groove. Transverse ridges are formed by the union of two triangular ridges on posterior teeth. The joining of buccal and lingual triangular ridges is usually named as an example. The oblique ridge is found on the occlusal surfaces of maxillary molars. It is formed by the union of the distal cusp ridge of the mesiolingual cusp and the triangular ridge of the distobuccal cusp. The oblique ridges usually forms the distal boundary of the central fossa.

Oblique ridge—The only tooth on which an oblique

Cusp—A pointed or rounded elevation of enamel found on cuspids and on the chewing surfaces of bicuspids and molars.

Cingulum—Found on the lingual aspect of an anterior tooth. It is a convex mount of enamel localized to the cervical one-third of the crown.

Fissure—A linear fault that sometimes occurs in a developmental groove by incomplete or imperfect joining of the lobes. A pit is usually found at the end of a developmental groove or a place where two fissures intersect.

Fossa—A rounded or angular depression of varying size found on the surface of a tooth.

Central fossa—Centrally located depression found on the occlusal surface of molars and mandibular second bicuspids. The other bicuspids have mesial and distal triangular fossa, but do not have a central fossa.

Lingual fossa—Irregular, shallow depression found on the lingual surfaces of an incisor or cuspid.

Triangular fossa—Located adjacent to the marginal ridges on the occlusal surfaces of posterior teeth. Two types of triangular fossae are mesial and distal.

Groove—A small linear depression on the surface of a tooth.Developmental groove-Fissure between the cusps on the crown of the tooth. Cusp tips are the initial site where enamel develops. As the enamel develops and spreads laterally, it touches enamel developing from other cusps. This junction forms a developmental groove. Such grooves appear on the labial, buccal, and lingual surfaces, and are least apparent on the labial aspect of anteriors.

Supplemental groove—A minor, auxiliary groove that branches off from a much more prominent developmental groove. They do not represent the junction of primary tooth parts and gives the occlusal surface a wrinkled appearance.

Lobe—Is one of the primary divisions of a crown; all teeth develop from four or five lobes. Lobes are usually separated by readily identifiable developmental grooves.

Cusp ridge—Each cusp has four cusp ridges radiating from its tip. They are named according to the direction  they take away from the cusp tip (for example, mesial, distal, buccal, or lingual).

Mamelons—Are small, rounded projections of enamel from the incisal edges of newly erupted anterior teeth. The projections wear away soon after eruption.

Ridge—Any linear elevation found on the surface of a tooth, named according to its location or form.

Lingual ridge—The ridge of enamel that extends from the cingulum to the cusp tip on the lingual surface of most cuspids.

Marginal ridge—A linear, rounded border of enamel that forms the mesial and distal margins of anterior teeth as viewed from the lingual, and the mesial and distal borders of occlusal surfaces on posterior teeth.

Oblique ridge—The only tooth on which an oblique ridge is found is the maxillary molar. Consists of an elevated prominence on the occlusal surface and extends obliquely from the tips of the mesiolingual cusp to the distobuccal cusp.

Transverse ridge—The union of a buccal and lingual triangular ridge that crosses the surface of a posterior tooth transversely (roughly 90° to both the buccal and lingual tooth surfaces).

Triangular ridge—Two inclines meet to form a triangular ridge and are located either on a facial or a lingual cusp ridge.

Sulcus—An elongated valley or depression in the surface of a tooth formed by the inclines of adjacent cusp or ridges.

Oblique ridge is found is the maxillary molar. Consists of anelevated  prominence  on  the  occlusal  surface  andextends obliquely from the tips of the mesiolingual cuspto the distobuccal cusp.

Triangular  ridge—Two  inclines  meet  to  form  atriangular ridge and are located either on a facial or a lingual cusp ridge.

Transverse  ridge—The union of a buccal and lingualtriangular ridge that crosses the surface of a posteriortooth transversely (roughly 90° to both the buccal andlingual tooth surfaces).

2-7    GLOSSARY OF UNIQUE DENTAL ANATOMY

The following list will be helpful to you in understanding some of the anatomical

terms used in this chapter.

axillary R 1st premolar (5) occlusal aspect:MBCR - mesiobuccal cusp ridgeMMR - mesial marginal ridgeMTF - mesial triangular fossCDG - central developmental grooveMLCR - mesiolingual cusp ridgeDLCR - distolingual cusp ridgeDTF - distal triangular fossaDMR - distal marginal ridgeDBCR - distobuccal cusp ridge

Maxillary 1st premolar (5,12) occlusal aspectTBC - tip of buccal cuspMBCR - mesiobuccal cusp ridgeMBDG - mesiobuccal developmental grooveMTF - mesial triangular fossaMMDG - mesial marginal development grooveMMR - mesial marginal ridgeMLCR - mesiolingual cusp ridgeLTR - lingual triangular ridgeTLC - tip of lingual cuspCG - central grooveDLCR - distolingual cusp ridgeDMR - distal marginal ridgeDTF - distal triangular fossaDBDG - distobuccal developmental grooveBTR - buccal triangular ridgeDBCR - distobuccal cusp ridge