Permanent mandibular

molars
 Permanent mandibular 1st molar

 Generally, it opposes the (upper) first

molar and second premolar in normal
class I occlusion.

 The first molar is usually the first

permanent tooth to erupt.
 Permanent mandibular 1st molar

 The function is similar to that of all molars in regard

to grinding being the principal action during
mastication (chewing).
 The permanent mandibular molars are
nonsuccedaneous teeth, the deciduous molars are
followed by the permanent premolars.
 Principle identifying features of the
permanent mandibular 1st molar

 It is the largest tooth in the mandibular arch. Its

occlusal surface is rectangular in shape.
 Usually, it has five welldeveloped cusps, two buccally,
two lingually, and one distal.
 It has two well-developed roots, one mesial and one
distal.
 dimension of the crown mesiodistally is greater by
about 1 mm than the dimension buccolingually.
 Buccal aspect

 The buccal surface has two grooves. The buccal

(mesiobuccal) groove, which acts as a line of
demarcation between mesiobuccal and
distobuccal cusps or lobes. The distobuccal groove
separates the distobuccal cusp or lobe from the
distal cusp or lobe.
 The mesial contact area is at the
junction of the occlusal and middle
thirds. While, the distal contact area is a little bit
lower
than the mesial contact area.
 Buccal aspect

 The two buccal cusps make up the major portion of the buccal
surface, 80% of the mesiodistal width of the crown. The distal
cusp provides a very small part of the buccal surface, 20% of the
mesiodistal width of the crown.
 If this tooth is posed vertically, all of its five cusps can be seen.
The two
buccal cusps, the buccal portion of the distal cusp, and the tips of
the lingual cusps in the background can be seen. The lingual cusps
are higher than the others.
 Buccal aspect

 The cervical line is curving regularly in apical

direction.
 Two roots are present and well formed. The distal
root is generally straighter, although both often have
a slight distal curvature.
 The point of bifurcation of the two roots is located
approximately 3 mm below the cervical line.
 Lingual aspect

 Three cusps can be seen, the mesiolingual, the

distolingual and the lingual portion of the distal cusp.
The mesiolingual cusp is the widest mesio-distally
and has the highest cusp tip, while the distal cusp has
the lowest cusp tip.
 The 2 lingual cusps are pointed and form obtuse
angle at their cusp tips.
 The lingual developmental groove acts a line
demarcation between the 2 lingual Mandibular right 1st molar
cusps and it extends around 1 third of the crown
cervically.
 Mesial aspect

 The crown from the mesial or distal aspect is roughly

rhomboidal with lingual tilt of the crown.
 the buccal outline of the crown is convex immediately
from the cervical line until the junction of the
cervical and middle thirds forming the buccal
cervical ridge. After that, this outline straightens until
the mesiobuccal cusp tip.

Mandibular right 1st molar

 Mesial aspect

 The lingual outline of the crown is less convex, with

the crest of the curvature at the center of the middle
third of the crown.
 The marginal ridge is placed about 1 mm below the
level of the mesiobuccal and mesiolingual cusp tips.
 The buccal cusp is flat, but the lingual cusp is sharp
with greater height.

 The cervical line mesially is rather irregular, and it is

at a higher level lingually than buccally, usually about
1 mm higher.
 Distal aspect

 The gross outline of the distal aspect (crown

and root) is similar to that of the mesial aspect,
except:
 More of the tooth and most of the occlusal surface
can be seen from the distal aspect, because the buccal
and lingual surfaces of the crown converge distally
and the crown is shorter distally than mesially.
The distal root is narrower than the mesial root bucco-
lingually.

Mandibular right 1st molar

 Distal aspect

 The distal cusp is located a little buccal to the center of the crown
buccolingully, with the distal contact area appearing on its distal
contour.
 The distal marginal ridge is short and dips sharply in a cervical
direction (obtuse angle).
 The cervical line is irregular.

Mandibular right 1st molar

 Occlusal aspect

 The occlusal outline is rectangular in shape.

 The bucco-lingual measurement of the crown is
greater on the mesial side than on the distal side.
The mesio-distal measurement is greater on
buccal side than on the lingual side.
 Occlusal aspect

 It has five well-developed cusps. The MB cusp is

the largest, then the ML, then the DL, then the
DB, and then the smallest one is the D cusp.
 The distal contact area is located at the distal cusp.


 Occlusal aspect

 The occlusal surface has four grooves.

 The central developmental groove is not straight runs
from the central pit in the central fossa to the mesial
and distal triangular pits, at the mesial and distal
triangular fossae respectively.
 The buccal (or mesiobuccal) developmental groove
runs from the central pit toward the buccal surface
between the mesiobuccal and
distobuccal cusps ending in the buccal pit, nearly
centrally located cervicoocclusally.
 Occlusal aspect

 The occlusal surface has four grooves.

 The distobuccal developmental groove runs from its
junction with the central groove in a distobuccal
direction separating the distal and distobuccal cusps.
 The lingual developmental groove is an irregular
groove runs from the central pit toward the lingual
surface between the mesiolingual and distolingual
cusps.

 Note: All of the developmental groove converge in the

center of the central fossa at the central pit.
 Occlusal aspect

 The occlusal surface has three

fossae.
 One major fossa.
 The central fossa is concave area
roughly circular in shape, and it is
centrally located on the occlusal
surface between buccal and lingual
cusp ridges.
 Two minor fossae
 the mesial triangular fossa is
immediately distal to the mesial

 the distal triangular fossa is

immediately mesial to the distal
marginal ridge.
 Permanent mandibular 2nd molar

 It supplements the 1st molar in

function, have nearly same
general morphology, but differ
in the following:
 It is smaller than 1st molar by
fraction of millimeter in all
dimension, but it is not uncommon
to find 2nd molar larger than 1st
molar.
 Permanent mandibular 2nd molar

 Although 2nd molar has two well

developed roots (broad
buccolingually), but they are not as
broad as those of the first molar, nor
are they as widely separated.
 Buccally, only one developmental
groove present, buccal groove.
 Permanent mandibular 2nd molar
 It has only four well developed
cusps of nearly equal size, there is
neither fifth cusp or distal cusp. DB
developmental groove absent.
 Crown and root converge lingually
to lesser degree than the 1st molar.
 Cervical ridge buccally is less
pronounced than the 1st molar.
 B & L developmental grooves meet
the central developmental groove at
right angles at the CP, these grooves
form a cross (dividing occlusal
surface into 4 nearly equal parts).
 Buccal Aspect

 1.The crown is shorter cervico-occlusally and narrower mesio-distally

than that of the first molar.
 2.There is only one developmental groove, the buccal developmental
groove which separates between the mesiobuccal and distobuccal
cusps.
 3.Both mesio-buccal and disto-buccal cusps are nearly equal in their
mesio distal measurements .
 4.The cervical line in many instances points sharply to the root
bifurcation.
 5.The roots are shorter than those of the first molar.They are usually
closer together and are parallel to each other.They are inclined distally
forming an
acute angle with the occlusal plane than that found on the first molar.
 Lingual Aspect

 1.The crown and the roots converge lingually but to a slight

degree, therefore: a.Little of the mesial and distal surfaces may
be seen from this aspect.
b.The mesio-distal dimension cervically is greater than that of
the first molar.
 2.The contact areas are more noticeable from this aspect and
they are slightly more cervically positioned than those of the
first molar.
 Mesial Aspect

 1.The buccal cervical ridge is less

pronounced compared to the first molar.
 2.The mesial root has a somewhat pointed
apex.
 Distal Aspect

1.From this aspect this tooth is similar in form to the first

molar except for the absence of a distal cusp and a
distobuccal groove.
2.The contact area is centered on the distal surface bucco-
lingually and is centered between the cervical line and the
marginal ridge.
 Occlusal Aspect
1.The occlusal outline is rectangular in shape .
2.The distal cusp is not present and there is no distobuccal
groove.
3.The buccal and lingual developmental grooves meet the central
developmental groove at right angles at the central pit. These
grooves form a cross dividing the
occlusal surface into four parts that are nearly equal.
4.Unlike the first molar, the occlusal surface is not smooth but is
roughened by many supplemental grooves radiating from the
developmental grooves .
5.Many teeth show considerable prominence cervically on the
mesiobuccal lobe only.
6.The cusp ridge of the distobuccal cusp lies buccal to the cusp
ridge of the mesiobuccal cusp.
 Permanent mandibular third molars Principle
identifying features
1.This tooth varies considerably in different individuals and present many
anomalies both in form and position.
2.Generally this tooth is more similar to the second molar regarding the
number of cusps and occlusal form than it does to the first molar.It has a
tendency for a more rounded occlusal outline and a smaller bucco-lingual
dimension distally.
3.The size of the tooth is variable ranging from large teeth larger than the
second molar with five or more cusps to dwarfed (small) teeth.
4.Usually there are two short roots :one mesial and one distal.These are
usually shorter than the roots of the first or second molars with greater
tendency for distal inclination in relation to the occlusal plane.Sometimes
there are more than two roots or the roots may be fused.
5. The tooth could be congenitally missing.
 Permanent mandibular 3rd molar

 The mandibular third molar varies considerably in

different individuals and presents many anomalies
both in form and in position.
 It supplements the 2nd molar in function, but it is
seldom as well developed as the 2nd molar.
 Permanent mandibular 3rd
molar
 It usually shows irregular development of crown
portion or roots (5 or more cusps could be found
and under sized roots which are more or less
malformed).
 Most of the mandibular third molars that are not
normal in size are larger than normal, although it
is possible to find dwarfed (small) specimens. In
maxillary third molars, the opposite situation is
likely, most of the anomalies are undersized.
 The roots are generally two in number, shorter in
length and tend to be fused together. In many
instances they show a distinct distal curve.
 Permanent mandibular 3rd
molar

— Mandibular thirds molars are most likely to be

impacted, partially or completely within the jaw due
to insufficient space for eruption. It may be also
horizontally directed and sometimes congenitally
absent.