Premolars

General Characteristics &

Functions:
• 2 premolars per quadrant
• At least 2 cusps, buccal cusp always larger
• Distal to the canines
• Succedaneous
• Shorter crown than anterior teeth
General Characteristics &
Functions:
• ‘Transitional tooth’ during chewing, or
mastication
• It has properties of both the anterior canines
and posterior molars
• Assist molars in grinding, and canines in
tearing
• Food can be transferred from the canines --
premolars -- molars for grinding
• Support facial muscles (aesthetics and
speech)
Permanent Maxillary
First Premolars
Permanent Maxillary First Premolars
 General morphology
• From buccal aspect, crown resembles maxillary canine
• except that mesial slope is longer than distal slope
• Distinct depression on mesial surface, extending from cervical
half of crown to root bifurcation
• mesial developmental depression / fossa canina / canine
fossa
• *assumed to be caused by pressure from earlier completed
crown of maxillary first canine
• The only premolar with two roots
• *maxillary second premolars may also have double roots
• Buccal cusp larger than palatal cusp
• From occlusal aspect, buccal side wider than palatal side
• Two cusps separated by deep central groove
Principal identifying features

• Two roots, buccal and palatal (tend to curve distally)

• Two pulp horns and two pulp canals
• Two sharply defined cusps (buccal larger than palatal)
• Mesial developmental depression
• Mesial slope of buccal cusp longer than distal slope
• Palatal cusp tilts slightly mesially
• Occlusal outline more angular than maxillary second premolar
 Buccal view features

• Widest mesiodistally (of all premolars)

• Mesial and distal contact – cervical to junction
of occlusal and middle third
• Mesial outline more rounded
• Mesial slope of buccal cusp is longer than
distal slope (helps to distinguish right from
left)
 Lingual view features
• Lingual surface is rounded in all
directions and smaller than
buccal surface
• Lingual cusp offset towards
mesial
• Mesial cusp slope of lingual cusp
is shorter than distal cusp slope
 Proximal view features
• Mesial developmental depression
extending to the root
• CEJ curvature deeper and more occlusal
on the mesial surface compared to distal
surface
• Distal surface is similar to mesial (except
it does not have a depression)
• More of occlusal surface shows because
distal marginal ridge is more cervical
than mesial marginal ridge
 Occlusal view features
• Outline resembles a hexagon
• Wider buccolingually than mesiodistally
• Buccal ridge is prominent on buccal margin
• Lingual margin of occlusal outline is almost
a semicircle
• Lingual part narrower mesiodistally than
buccal part
 Occlusal table components
• Four buccal cusp ridges descend from the
buccal cusp tip (buccal, lingual, mesial
and distal)
• Four buccal-inclined cuspal planes
(mesiobuccal, mesiolingual,
distobuccal and distolingual)
• Four lingual cusp ridges
• Four lingual-inclined cuspal planes
 Occlusal table components
• Transverse ridge (buccal + lingual triangular ridge)
• Long central groove extending mesiodistally (dividing
tooth buccolingually)
• Marginal grooves (mesial and distal )
• Triangular grooves (mesiobuccal, distobuccal, mesiolingual
and distolingual)
• Two triangular fossa (mesial and distal)
Permanent Maxillary
Second Premolars
Permanent Maxillary Second Premolars
Maxillary 2nd Premolar
• 5th Tooth from midline of maxilla.
• Maxillary 1st& 2nd premolar resemble
each other closely.
• Therefore comparisons are made in
relation to maxillary 1st Premolar to be
able to distinguish the features between
the two.
Permanent Maxillary Second Premolars
• Less angular, more rounded crown
• Single root flattened mesiodistally
• Smaller crown cervico-oclusally and
mesiodistally, (it also may be larger in
those dimensions
• Root length slightly greater than maxillary
1st premolar
• No canine fossa
Buccal aspect
 Buccal Aspect
• Shorter cusp, lest pointed
• Mesial slope of buccal cusp ridge is usually
shorter than the distal slope (opposite for 1st
premolar)
• Crown and root are thicker at the cervical
portion (not a rule)
Lingual aspect
 Lingual
Aspect
• Lingual cusp is longer
• Therefore crown is longer on lingual
side
Mesial aspect
 Mesial
Aspect
• Shorter Cusp , with the buccal and lingual cusp
more nearly the same length
• Greater distance between the cusp tips widens
the occlusal surface buccolingually
• Shallow developmental groove on the single
tapered root (not found on the Maxillary 1st
premolar)
• No developmental groove crossing the mesial
marginal ridge is evident.
Distal aspect
 Distal
• Distal rootAspect
depression is deeper than the mesial
depression ( opposite in maxillary 1st premolar;
depression on the mesial surface of the root)
Occlusal aspect
 Occlusal
• OutlineAspect
of crown is more rounded/oval rather than
angular
• Central developmental groove is shorter and more
irregular; tendency toward multiple
supplementary grooves radiating from the central
groove
• Supplementary grooves terminate in shallow
depressions in the enamel that may extend to the
cusp ridges.
• Irregular and wrinkled occlusal surface
Permanent Mandibular
First Premolar
Permanent Mandibular
First Premolar
Tooth
Identification

Universal Numbering
System

Palmer Notation Method

Tooth
Identification

International/FDI system
 Buccal Aspect
• A large pointed buccal cusp is
seen
• Mesiobuccal cusp ridge is shorter
than the distobuccal cusp ridge
(similar to that of a canine)
• Concavity is seen occasionally at
the mesial and distal slope of
the buccal cusp
 Lingual Aspect
• Crown tapers lingually
• Lingual cusp is non functional
as it is small and pointed
• Some lingual cusp is even shorter
than the cingulum of the
maxillary canine
• Mesiolingual developmental
groove is seen between the
mesiobuccal and lingual lobe
 Mesial
• LingualAspect
cusp is around two third
the size of the buccal cusp
• Extreme lingual slope is seen at
the mesial marginal ridge
• Between the mesial marginal ridge
and the mesiolingual cusp ridge is
the mesiolingual developmental
groove
• Mesial contact area is in the
middle third
 Distal
• DistalAspect
marginal ridge is higher
compared to the mesial
marginal ridge and does not
have extreme lingual slope
• The cervical line curvature is
less curved
 Occlusal Aspect
•Two depressions
(mesial and distal fossae)
seen on the occlusal
surface
• Mesiolingual depression
and mesiolingual
developmental groove
commonly seen
• Lingual cusp tip is shifted
mesially
 Root
• Single root
• On the mesial aspect of the root, a
deep developmental groove is seen
• On the distal aspect, a shallow
depression without any
developmental groove is present
Permanent Mandibular
Second Premolar
Permanent Mandibular Second
Premolar
Buccal side

-Resembles 1st
premolar
-Larger crown
-Shorter and less
pointed buccal cusps
-Broader
Lingual side
-Lingual cusp is smaller than
buccal cusp but it is larger than
mandibular first premolar
lingual cusp
-Occlusal surface of buccal
cusp can be seen
Mesial Side

• Dimension at cervical
3rd > occlusal 2rd
• Mesio-lingual cusp is
longer and sharper than
the mesiobuccal cusp
Distal
Side -Crown is narrower
distally than mesially
-Cervical line curves
occlusally
 Variation
• May have 2 cusps
• Root may be partially bifurcated (Rare)
Vie Maxillary 1st Premolar Maxillary 2nd Premolar
w
Occlusal Large Smalle
r r
Edgy More rounded
crown crown
Buccal cusp longer than Two cusps same
lingual
Long central length
Short central groove
groove More supplement
Groove interrupts mesial grooves
Mesial marginal ridge not
marginal ridge interrupted

Mesial/d Shorter root Longer

istal root
Bifurcation with root Single-rooted
trunk
Mesial developmental Convex mesial
depression
(canine fossa) surface

Buccal Mesial slope Distal slope

longer longer
Maxillary vs Mandibular
Traits Maxillary Mandibular
Buccal ridge More prominent Less prominent
Buccal and Not very prominent More difference
lingual cusp
height difference
Lingual tilt of crown Crown aligned over Crown tilts lingual
the root

relative to the root

Crown width Wider Less oblong
bucco buccolinguall
lingually y
Crown shape Oval or rectangular Square or round