PREMOLARS

THE PRERMOLARS

 General characteristics:
 The premolars are so named because they
are situated in front of the permanent
molars.
 They replace the deciduous molars, so
they are succedaneous teeth (no
premolars in the deciduous dentition).
 They are eight in number, two in each
quadrant.
 They have usually two cusps, buccal and
lingual, so they are called bicuspid. But
this term is misleading, since the
mandibular second premolar may have
three cusps.
 They are developed from four lobes as
anterior teeth, three buccal and one
lingual
except the lower second premolar which
may develop from five lobes.
 The middle buccal lobe of the premolars is
highly developed to a buccal cusp.
 The premolars differ from the anterior
teeth in the following:-
 A. The premolars are wider buccolingually
than mesiodistally.

 B.
They have occlusal surfaces with well
developed cusps.

 C.Their marginal ridges are part of the

occlusal surface and are oriented nearly in
a horizontal plane.
 D. Their crowns are shorter
occluso-cervically.
 E. The contact areas are nearly at
the same level, broad and are
more cervically than those for
anterior teeth.
 F. Their cervical line is less
curved proximally
FUNCTION OF PREMOLARS

 The premolars assist the canines in

tearing of food by the sharp cusps of first
premolars and assist the molars in
mastication of food
 The premolars function with molars in
maintaining the vertical dimension of the
face.
 The support the corners of the mouth and
cheeks to keep them from sagging
MAXILLARY PREMOLARS
MAXILLARY PREMOLARS
 Chronology:

 Appearance of dental organ 7 months I .U.L.

 Beginning of calcification 1 ½ - 3% years

 Crown completed 5-6 years

 Eruption 10- 11 years

 Root completed 13 years

BUCCAL SURFACE:
 The crown:
The geometric outline is roughly
trapezoid with the smallest side is
cervically.
 Outline form:

 Mesial outline: is slightly concave from

the cervical line to the mesial contact
area
 Distal outline: is straight from the
cervical line to the distal contact area.
 The mesial slope is nearly straight .
while the distal slope is convex.
 Cervical line shows little curvature
towards the root.
 Mesial Contact area is located cervical to
the junction middle thirds.
 Distal one is located in the same level or a
little bit of the cervical side.
SURFACE ANATOMY:
 The tip of the buccal cusp is slightly
distal to the long axis as the mesial
slope
 The buccal cusp is long and pointed.

 There is a buccal ridge in the middle

of the crown running to the cervical
margin
 Two developmental grooves are
present mesial and distal to the
buccal ridge
 The cervical ridge occupies the
cervical third of the buccal surface.
 The root:
 It is conical in form with
convex surface and pointed
apex that curved distily.
LINGUAL SURFACE:
 The crown is narrower lingually than
buccally (lingual convergencev)
 The mesial and distal outlines of the
lingual surface are convex.
 Occlusa outline:

 The lingual cusp is shorter than the

buccal cusp by about 1mm.
 The mesial and destal slop of the
lingual cusp meet at a sharp tip
 The mesial slope is shorter than the distal
 The lingual root surface is convex and
narrower than the buccal root.
 The lingual root is shorter than the buccal
root by about 0.8 mm.
 The apical end of the lingual root may curve
distally.
MESIAL SURFACE:
 The crown :
 The geometric outline is roughly
trapezoidal with the small side
occusally.
 Outline form:

 Buccal outline: is convex from the

cervical line to the tip of the buccal
cusp.
 The crest of curvature at the
junction of the middle and cervical
third making the cervical ridge
 Lingual outline: is convex from
the cervical Line to the tip of the
lingual cusp.
 The crest of curvature is at the
center of the middle third.
 Cervical line curves occlusally in a
curvature of about 1 .5 mm.
 Occlusally:

 The buccal cusp is longer than

the lingual cusp by about 1
mm.
 The buccal cusp tip is directly
below the center of the buccal
root.
 The tip of the lingual cusp is
on a line with the lingual
border of the lingual root.
 The mesial marginal ridge lies at
the junction of the middle and
occlusal thirds.
 The mesial marginal ridge is
crossed by a developmental groove
which extends on the mesial
surface.
 On the mesial surface there is a
developmental depression which
extends to the root trunk forming
‘canine fossa”.
 The mesial contact area is
relatively broad. It lies in the
middle third above the buccal cusp
 The root:
 First premolars usually have two
roots (about 80%). ( buccal &
lingual).
 The root trunk is long, making about
half of the root length.
 The buccal and lingual outlines of
the roots are straight.
 Near the apex, the buccal root
inclines lingually while the lingual
root may take buccal or lingual
inclination.
 The mesial surface of the roots is
smoothly convex.
 The root trunk shows a deep
developmental depression below the
bifurcation, (canine fossa).
 In one-rooted teeth (about 20%), the
root outlines end in a blunt apex
with a developmental depression
 whether one or two roots are
present, there are always two root
canals.
DESTAL SURFACE:
 Similar to the mesial surface with
some differences:
 The distal marginal ridge is more
cervically.
 There is no developmental groove
crossing the distal marginal ridge
 The distal contact area is broader
than the mesial one and more
cervically.
 The cervical line is less curved by
1 mm.
 The bifurcation of the roots is
near the apical third( root trunk
is longer)
 On the middle third of the root
trunk there is a depression less
deep than that on the mesial side.
OCCIUSAL SURFACE:
 The geometric outline is roughly
hexagonal (two buccal, two lingual
and two proximal sides)
 The two buccal sides are nearly
equal, the mesial side is shorter
than the distal side and the
mesiolingual side is shorter than
the distolingual side.
 The buccolingual dimension is
greater than the mesiodistal.
 The crown is wider buccally due to lingual
convergencey
 Buccal and lingual trianguilar ridges
extend from the buccal and lingual cusp
tips to the central developmental groove.
 The buccal triangular ridge is more
prominent than the lingual.
 The mesial marginal ridge is shorter than
the distal, and crossed by the mesial
marginal developmental groove.
 The central developmental groove runs
across the central part of the occlusal
surface and extends as the mesial
marginal developmental groove on the
mesial surface.
 There are two triangular fossae distal and
mesial to the marginal ridges which form
their bases.
 The mesial triangular fossa is smaller and
less deep than the distal
 In this fossa, the mesial end of the central
groove meets two collateral supplemental
grooves (mesiobuccal and mesiolingual
supplemental . The pointed of union called
the mesial pit.
THANK YOU