MAXILLARY CENTRAL

AND
LATERAL INCISORS
MORPHOLOGY
Assist. Prof. Dr. Neşe Cızıroğlu
Maxillary Central Incisor
 Maxillary Central Incisor
 The maxillary central incisor is the widest mesiodistally of any of
the anterior teeth.
Root 13 mm
 The labial face is less convex than that of the maxillary lateral
incisor or canine, which gives the central incisor a squared or
rectangular appearance.
Mesiodistal diameter at
cervix 7 mm

Crown 10.5 mm
Mesiodistal
diameter 8.5 mm
 Maxillary Central Incisor
The crown nearly always looks symmetrical and regularly formed,
having a nearly straight incisal edge,
a cervical line with even curvature toward the root,
‫انحناء متساوي‬
a mesial side with straight outline,
the distal side being more curved.
The mesial incisal angle is relatively sharp, the distal incisal angle
rounded.
Mamelons may be seen on incisal edge.
Mamelons are the small bumps on your four front teeth called
incisors. They usually appear as a group of three and wear down as
you age.They give your teeth a scalloped or serrated look.
 Distal margin Mesial margin
shorter, rounder straight

 Distal outline of the crown is more convex than mesial outline, with the crest of
curvature higher toward the cervical line
 Maxillary Central
• Incisal outline tends to curve downwards towards the center
of crown outline  making the crown length greater at the Incisor -Labial
center than at the mesial angles
• Incisal outline follows a semicircular direction with the
curvature of rootwise
• Incisal outline is usually regular and straight (after mamelons
obliterated)

Mesio-distal width: 8-9 mm (at the contact areas).

At cervix, this measurement is 1.5-2 mm less
Height: 10-11 mm (highest
point of cervical line to
Distal outline is more convex than mesial outline,
lowest point of incisal edge)
the crest of curvature being higher towards cervical line.

Disto-incisal angle is not as sharp as mesio-incisal angle .

 Developmental lines are divided labial surfaces into 3 parts.

Labial ridge
Disto-labial ridge

Mesio-labial ridge

Disto-labial developmental
groove Mesio-labial
developmental groove

Disto-labial edge Mesio-labial edge

 Maxillary Central Incisor

LABIAL PALATINAL

INCISAL

DISTAL MESIAL

MESIAL DISTAL
 Maxillary Central Incisor

LABIAL PALATINAL INCISAL MESIAL DISTAL

Trapezoid Triangle
Maxillary Central Incisor Palatal

Reverse of that found on labial aspect.
Palatal aspect has convexities and concavity.
The outline of cervical line is similar but
immediately below it, there is cingulum.
Marginal ridges confluent with the cingulum
mesially and distally.
There is palatinal fossa below the cingulum and
between marginal ridges.
Marginal ridges and cingulum are completing the
palatinal portion with raised palatal portion of
incisal ridge by bordering palatinal fossa.
The crown and root taper labio-lingually.
A cross section of root at cervix shows the root
to be triangular with rounded angles: One side
of triangle is labial with the mesial and distal
sides pointing palatinally
There are developmental grooves extending
from cingulum into the palatinal fossa
Mesial side of triangle is trifle longer
than distal side.
 Lingual(Palatal)ridge

Cingulum
Distal marginal ridge

Mesial marginal ridge Lingual(palatal) fossa

Disto-lingual(palatal)edge
Mesio-lingual(palatal) edge

Incisal edge
 Maxillary Central Incisor
Maxillary right central incisor,
Palatinal and incisal aspects

 CL, Cervical line;

 C, cingulum;
 MMR, mesial marginal
ridge;
 LF, lingual fossa (palatal)
 DMR, distal marginal ridge.

 The labioincisal edge [LIE (1)] and linguoincisal (palato) edge

 [LIE (2)] border the incisal ridge.
 Maxillary Central Incisor Mesial
Crown is fundemantal form of incisor :wedge-shaped or triangular
with the base at cervix and the apex at the incisal edge.
Line drawn through the crown and the root, the center of tooth
will bisect the apex and also incisal ridge.
Labial outline of crown is slightly convex.
Palatinal outline is convex at point where joins the crest of
curvature at cingulum, then it becomes concave at mesial marginal
ridge and becomes slightly convex again at palatoincisal ridge and
incisal edge.
Cervical line in this aspect curves incisally to a noticeable degree.
This curvature is greater than at any surface of any other tooth.
Root is cone-shaped with a bluntly rounded apex.
 Maxillary Central Incisor Distal

Crown looks thicker toward incisal 1/3 because of slope of

labial surface disto-palatinally (illusion): more of that
surface is seen from this aspect.

The curvature of cervical line is less in extent on the distal

than on the mesial surfaces.
Mesial Distal

Mesial marginal ridge

Distal marginal ridge

 Maxillary Central Incisor Incisal
 Labial face of crown is relatively flat and broad in
comparison with palatal surface especially toward 1/3.
 Cervical portion is convex labially.
 Incisal ridge may be seen clearly (slope of incisal edge
toward palatinal).
 Triangular outline reflected by outline of root cross
section.
 Outline of palatinal portion tapers palatinally toward
cingulum. Bulky from this aspect than mesial or distal aspect.
Relatively broad surface at site of contact areas at
 Mesiolabial and distolabial line angles are prominent.
mesial and distal.
 Calibration of mesial and distal labial line angles are Labiopalatinal calibration of crown is more than 2/3
greater than the calibration of mesio and distopalatinal as great as the mesiodistal calibration.
line angles (which they represent mesial and distal Line drawn to the center of cingulum from
marginal ridge borders). mesioincisal angle is greater than the line drawn from
same point to distoincisal angle.
 Labial ridge

Mesio-labial
Disto-labial developmental groove
developmental groove

Lingual fossa
Distal marginal ridge

Mesial marginal ridge

Lingual ridge

Cingulum
MEASUREMENT WITH DIGITAL CALIPER
Maxillary LATEREAL Incisor
Maxillary LATEREAL Incisor
 Maxillary LATEREAL Incisor
• In general, the maxillary lateral is similar to the
central incisor from all aspects, but its dimensions
differ
• Its crown is smaller in all directions.

The cervicoincisal length of the lateral crown is greater than its

mesiodistal width.

The distoincisal angles of the crown are more rounded than those
of the central incisor.
Maxillary right lateral incisor labial aspect
Maxillary LATEREAL Incisor

The outline of the crown is trapezoidal.

Mesial margin is similar to central
incisor but the distal margin is more
rounded

Mesio-incisal and disto-incisal line

angles are more rounded than central
incsior and the incisal edge is more
rounded rathen than straigth
 Maxillary LATEREAL Incisor

Lenght of Root
13 mm

mesiodistal
diameter at cervix
5 mm

Lenght of
mesiodistal crown 9mm
diameter 6.5 mm
INCISAL
DISTAL MESIAL PALATAL
LABIAL ASPECT
ASPECT
ASPECT
 Maxillary LATEREAL Incisor
• The mesial outline of the crown from the labial aspect resembles that of the central incisor,
• with a more rounded mesioincisal angle.
• The crest of contour mesially is usually at the point of junction of the middle and incisal thirds;
occasionally, in the so-called square forms, the mesioincisal angle is almost as sharp as that found on
most maxillary central incisors. However, a more rounded mesioincisal angle is seen more often.
• The distal outline of the crown from the labial aspect differs somewhat from that of the central
incisor.
• The distal outline is always more rounded, and the crest of contour is more cervical, usually in the
center of the middle third. Some forms describe a semicircular outline distally from the cervix to the
center of the incisal ridge.
• The labial surface of the crown is more convex than that of the central incisor except in some
square and flat-faced forms.
 Maxillary LATEREAL Incisor
• This tooth is relatively narrow mesiodistally, usually about 2 mm narrower than the central incisor.
• The crown on the average measures from 2 to 3 mm shorter cervicoin- cisally than that of the
central incisor, although the root is usually as long, if not somewhat longer, than that of the central
incisor.
• In general, its root length is greater in proportion to its crown length than that of the central
incisor. The root is often about 1.5 times the length of the crown.
• The root tapers evenly from the cervical line to a point approximately two thirds of its length
apically. In most cases, it curves sharply from this location in a distal direction and ends in a pointed
apex. Although the curvature distally is typical, some roots are straight, and some may be found
curving mesially.
• This tooth may show considerable variance in its crown form; the root form may be more
characteristic.
Maxillary LATEREAL Incisor
Maxillary LATEREAL Incisor
 ridges and
Marginal ridges and cingulum are prominent. prominent.
These structures form a V and on top of this V
LINGUAL PIT is present.
LINGUO-GINGIVAL GROOVE may be present
and it emanates from the lingual pit through the
CEJ.
Lateral incisor is THE MOST COMMON tooth
to have the linguo gingival groove.

The lingual fossa is deep and triangular shaped.

It occupies 2/3 of lingual surface of the crown.
Maxillary LATEREAL Incisor
Maxillary LATEREAL Incisor
Maxillary LATEREAL Incisor
CENTRAL VS LATERAL INCISOR
CENTRAL VS LATERAL INCISOR
 •THANK YOU

• please bring these notes with you for the preclinical course