Contact Points; Height of Curvature: When viewed from the facial, each contact area/height of curvature is at about the

same height. Right and Left: The larger distal occlusal fossa and mesial lingual marginal developmental groove are consistent clues to right and left. The distal surface has a longer radius of curvature than does the mesial surface. Root: There is a single root. Grooved and/or bifurcated roots do sometimes occur. Variation: This is a variable tooth in both crown and root. It may, in some persons, more nearly resemble the lower second prmolar. ..... Mandibular Second Premolar Facial: From this aspect, the tooth somewhat resembles the first, but the buccal cusp is less pronounced. The tooth is larger than the first. Lingual: Two significant variations are seen in this view. The most common is the three-cusp form which has two lingual cusps. The mesial of those is the larger of the two. The other form is the two-cusp for with a single lingual cusp. In that variant, the lingual cusp tip is shifted to the mesial. Proximal: The buccal cusp is shorter than the first. The lingual cusp (or cusps) are much better developed than the first and give the lingual a full, well-developed profile. Occlusal: The two or three cusp versions become clearly evident. In the three-cusp version, the developmental grooves present a distinctive 'Y' shape and have a central pit. In the two cusp version, a

single developmental groove crosses the transverse ridge from mesial to distal. (Review: the lower second premolar is larger than the first, while the upper first premolar is just slightly larger than the upper second.)