Dental Terminology

Terms used to describe the aspects of the tooth are different to those used when describing other aspects of the body. These terms are used when describing where a lesion is on the tooth eg. periodontal pocket on the palatal aspect of the upper canine. The terms can also be combined to give absolute accuracy for example distopalatal would indicate the surface of the tooth furthest away from the midline and on the aspect facing the palate.

Term	Explanation
Mid-line	Refers to the centre point in the mouth between the first incisors on the left and right side, so closest to the midline is the aspect of the tooth in the arch that is closest to the midpoint of the two incisors.
Palatal	Surface of the tooth towards the palate.
Lingual	Surface of the tooth towards the tongue.
Labial	Surface of the tooth towards the lips.
Buccal	Surface of the tooth towards the cheeks.
Occlusal	Surface of the tooth facing the opposite jaw.
Interproximal	Surface between two teeth.
Mesial	Surface of the tooth towards the front mid-line.
Distal	Surface of the tooth away from the front mid-line.
Apical	Towards the root.
Coronal	Towards the crown.