MANDIBULAR MOLARS Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine Department of Cariology and Restorative Dentistry Audrey Levitt

Galka, DDS Director, Dental Anatomy Reference

Woelfelss Dental Anatomy- Its Relevance to Dentistry. Eighth Edition. Rickne C. Scheid. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Pages 120-137

UNIVERSAL NUMBERING SYSTEM: 17, 18, 19, 30, 31, 32 FUNCTIONS - MOLARS *Mastication *Vertical dimension *Continuity in Dental Arches *Cheek Support CLASS TRAITS - MOLARS *Largest, strongest *Not succedaneous *Shortest crowns C-O *Wider M-D than long C-O *Broadest occlusal surfaces *Crowns taper lingually (except some max. 1st molars), & distally *Crown height less on distal than mesial MANDIBULAR FIRST MOLAR OCCLUSAL VIEW *Crown tapers distally; distal side is narrower B-L than mesial side *Crown tapers from buccal to lingual; M-D width on buccal half is wider than on lingual half *Crown oblong - much wider M-D than B-L. (opposite of maxillary molars) *Pentagonal (widest portion of crown B-L @ DB cusp) - more square or parallelogram shape *Outline convex B,L,M,D *Because of lingual inclination (tilt) of crown, large portion of B surface visible OCCLUSAL VIEW Cusps Mandibular 1st molars have 5 cusps: (4 major, 1 minor)
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Maxillary

D cusp occurs 81% of time Longest to Shortest: ML, DL, MB, DB & smaller minor D cusp Largest Cusp in volume: MB OCCLUSAL VIEW - Ridges & Fossae *Triangular ridges of MB & ML cusps form transverse ridge *Triangular ridges of DB & DL cusps form 2nd transverse ridge *D - triangular ridge *3 fossae - large central fossa, smaller mesial triangular fossa & smallest distal triangular fossa OCCLUSAL VIEW - Grooves Dryopithecus groove pattern *Central groove (zigzag) through central fossa from M-D triangular fossae *Lingual groove from central fossa onto lingual surface *MB groove from central groove @ or mesial to central fossa onto buccal; may or may not be continuous with lingual groove *DB groove (unique to 1st molar) from central groove btw.central fossa & distal triangular fossa, onto buccal surface *Developmental marginal ridge grooves occur more frequently on mesial than distal. OCCLUSAL VIEW - Contact Areas *Mesial contact: in center B-L *Distal contact: just lingual to distal cusp (distal portion of distal cusp may join distal contact) BUCCAL VIEW *MB cusp largest, widest, & highest cusp on buccal side *DB sl. smaller, shorter, may be sharper *D cusp absent 1/5 of time *ML cusp highest (longest) of all cusps; visible behind MB cusp *DL cusp visible behind DB cusp *Crowns are wider M-D than long C-O * Mandibular 1st molar has largest mesiodistal dimension of any tooth *Curve of Wilson When viewing extracted teeth with root axis held vertically, L cusps are higher than B cusps; in mouth, L cusp tips are at a lower level than B cusps due to lingual tilt of root axis in mandible *Crown - trapezoidal: M - straight or sl. concave from CEJ to convex contact area D - straight or sl. convex from CEJ to contact *Occlusal surface slopes cervically from mesial to distal (Class Trait) (Crown tipped distally on its roots) When 3 B cusps *MB groove - longer, often ends in deep pit *DB groove - shorter, not frequently pitted BUCCAL VIEW - Contact Areas Class Trait Mesial Middle third or at junction of occlusal & middle thirds

Distal Middle third, more cervical than mesial, near middle of tooth Cervical Line Nearly straight across; point of enamel may dip down nearly into root bifurcation ROOTS *2 roots - M & D. *M root averages 1mm longer than D *Both roots nearly twice as long as crown. root/crown ratio of any tooth 1.83:1) *Root bifurcation close to cervical line- relatively short root trunk (shorter than on maxillary molars) *Depression exists between bifurcation & cervical line.

(Highest

BUCCAL VIEW -Roots *Roots relatively divergent & widely separated *M root bows out mesially, (mesial side of root may extend mesial to mesial surface of crown), but apical half deflects distally *D root usually straighter than M & more pointed apex (apex often lies distal to distal surface of crown) LINGUAL VIEW *Crown tapers lingually & from proximal contacts to cervix *2 L cusps (nearly equal size) o ML wider and longer than DL o slightly longer & more pointed (conical) than B cusps B cusps hidden behind them *L groove separates ML & DL cusps - terminates occlusally or lingually in occlusal 1/3, no pit. LINGUAL VIEW - Roots *Roots narrower on lingual side than on buccal *Root trunk appears longer on lingual side than on buccal because cervical line more occlusal on lingual than buccal *Root trunk has depression between cervical line & bifurcation *Cervical line relatively straight or irregular; may dip between roots PROXIMAL VIEW *Crown shorter C-O compared to F-L *Crown- rhomboidal *Note - Crown tilted lingually from root base (Arch trait) (Crown also tips distally relative to long axis of root) DISTAL/LINGUAL TILT Maxillary molars more symmetrical - Centered over their roots

PROXIMAL VIEW - Mesial: Marginal ridge: *Concave B-L *Occlusally positioned *Not much of triangular ridges visible *Often crossed by marginal ridge groove, distal less often crossed Cervical Line: Convex toward occlusal PROXIMAL VIEW Distal Distal tilt of crown relative to long axis of root Sloping of occlusal surface Much of occlusal surface and all cusps seen Marginal ridge: More cervically located than mesial; all posterior teeth except mand. 1st premolar Short Cervical line: Nearly straight Slants occlusally from B-L PROXIMAL VIEW - Crest of Curvature Class trait as with premolars *Buccal - cervical third *Lingual - middle third Outline nearly straight in cervical third PROXIMAL VIEW Roots- Mesial *M root of 1st molars broad B-L, (hiding D root); blunt & wide apex *Usually deep depression on M surface of M root extending from cervical line to apex indicating: M root has 2 root canals - B & L (Sometimes root divided into B & L parts) PROXIMAL VIEW Roots- Distal *D root- not as broad B-L, nor as long, more pointed @ apex *D root- usually has 1 canal *Mesial root visible behind distal root MANDIBULAR FIRST MOLAR - Development First Evidence of Calcification At birth Enamel Completed 2 - 3 years Eruption 6 - 7 years Root Completed 9 - 10 years

MANDIBULAR SECOND MOLAR In same mouth, crown of mand. 2nd molar is smaller than mand. 1st molar.

OCCLUSAL VIEW Rectangular crown Less crown taper B-L than 1st Crown oblong- wider M-D than F-L * 4 Cusps (2B,2L) Longest to shortest: ML, DL, MB, DB Crown wider on mesial due to mesial buccal bulge cervical ridge- widest B-L dimension of crown is at this bulge M outline straight; D side shorter & convex * Mesial contact of 2nd molar is closer to buccal than 1st * Distal contact of second molar is centered B-L.

Buccal

OCCLUSAL VIEW - Ridges & Fossae *Triangular ridges of MB & ML cusps form transverse ridge. *Triangular ridges of DB & DL cusps form 2nd transverse ridge. *3 fossae - large central fossa, smaller mesial triangular fossa & very small distal triangular fossa OCCLUSAL VIEW - 3 Major Grooves- Cruciform groove pattern *Central groove runs M-D from fossa to fossa *M-D course straighter than on mand. 1st molars *Buccal & lingual grooves usually continuous & intersect with central groove in central fossa *Developmental marginal ridge grooves more frequent on mesial *More secondary grooves BUCCAL VIEW - Crown *Wider M-D than high C-O (but more so on mand. 1st molars) *Appears wider @ cervix than 1st molar because of absence of D cusp; (less taper toward cervix below contact points) * Crowns tipped distally on root (more for 2nd); occlusal slopes M-D *As on 1st, MB cusp wider M-D than DB *As on 1st, longer lingual cusp tips visible from behind buccal cusps *2 lingual cusps - nearly equal in size *1- B groove -separates MB & DB cusps; may end in pit *Contact areas - same as all other molars Mesial Middle third or at junction of occlusal & middle thirds Distal Middle third, more cervical than mesial, near middle of tooth Cervical line of buccal - nearly straight ROOTS *Mandibular 2nd molars have 2 roots- M & D *Root furcation close to cervical line- making root trunk relatively short *Root trunk sl. longer on 2nd than mand. 1st molars (shorter than on max. molars) BUCCAL VIEW -Roots *M sl. longer than D *More parallel & closer together than mand. 1st molar (Mand. 1st molar roots widely separated)
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*Depression on root trunk from CEJ to root bifurcation *Both roots taper apically, more pointed than 1st *Apices directed toward centerline or curve distally (Pliers)

Mandibular 2nd molar- roots more parallel, taper apically Mandibular 1st molar- Roots widely separated LINGUAL VIEW- Crown Buccal cusps hidden behind longer lingual cusps Less lingual side crown taper than mandibular 1st molar Cervical line- straight or irregular LINGUAL VIEW- Roots Less root spread & straighter roots than mand. 1st Depression between cervical line and bifurcation PROXIMAL VIEW Crown less wide F-L than Mandibular 1st molar Crown tilted lingually & distally Cervical line (1st and 2nd Molars) Mesial slopes occlusally from B to L Distal nearly straight, but stants occlusally from B to L PROXIMAL VIEW - Crest of Curvature *Buccal - cervical third (close to cervical line) buccal cervical ridge; buccal cingulum (not as prominent on mand. 1st molar) *Lingual - middle third PROXIMAL VIEW-Mesial Mesial marginal ridge sharply V-shaped, occlusally positioned Not much of triangular ridges visible PROXIMAL VIEW- Distal Much of occlusal surface and all cusps visible Distal marginal ridge groove less frequent than mesial PROXIMAL VIEW- Roots M root of mandibular 2nd molar less broad B-L, narrower in cervical third, and more pointed @ apex than mandibular 1st molar M root - deep depression mesial surface 2 canals- B,L Distal root not as broad or as long as Mesial; M root visible behind narrower D root from D view MANDIBULAR SECOND MOLAR - Development First Evidence of Calcification 2 - 3 years Enamel Completed 7 - 8 years

Eruption Root Completed

11 - 13 years 14 - 15 years

MANDIBULAR THIRD MOLARS *Extremely variable - large or small *Shortest of mandibular teeth *Crown- large bulbous rectangular; may resemble crown of mandibular 1st or 2nd molar or neither *Roots often short & fused