Dental Terminology

Terms used to describe the aspects of the tooth are different to 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.

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