PERMANENT MAXILLARY 1ST

PREMOLAR

INTRODUCTION
Premolars are so named because they are

placed between the anterior teeth and the molars

(pre = before)
Premolars assist canines &

molars in tearing

and chewing food

Have two cusps (bicuspid) & two roots (buccal &

lingual)
Eruption : at 10-11 years

TOOTH NUMBERING
Universal : #5 , #12
Z-P :

4 4

FDI : 14, 24

CHRONOLOGY
First evidence of calcification :1.5 1.75 yrs
Enamel Completion

: 5-6 yrs

Eruption

: 10-11 yrs

Root completion

: 12-13 yrs

DIMENSIONS (in mm)

Cervico-occlusal Length of Crown

8.5

Length of Root

14

Mesiodistal Diameter of Crown

Mesiodistal Diameter of Crown at Cervix

Labio- or Bucco-lingual Diameter of Crown

Labio- or Bucco-lingual Diameter of Crown at Cervix

Curvature of Cervical LineMesial

Curvature of Cervical LineDistal

Buccal Aspect
Crown : Pentagonal shaped
Crown

closely resembles
canine and second premolar

to

maxillary

Mesial margin joins the mesio-occlusal

slope to create an obtuse mesio-occlusal

angle

Contour of the mesial outline is concave

from the contact area to the cervical line

The mesial slope of the buccal cusp is

longer than distal slope, which is the

opposite of canine
Disto-occlusal

angle is a little less

prominent and the cervical concavity is not
as deep

Occlusal margin of this tooth is, similar to

the incisal margin of the maxillary canine

Buccal ridge
Mesio-buccal & distobuccal developmental

depressions on each side of buccal ridge

Lingual Aspect
The crown tapers towards the lingual aspect
The lingual cusp is shorter than the buccal
cusp

The lingual cusp is smooth from the cervical

portion to the area near the cusp tip

 The cusp tip is pointed with mesial and

distal slope meeting at an angle of about
90 degrees

Small portion of the buccal cusp can be

seen from this aspect
Smoothly convex in all directions
There is no clearly defined lingual ridge

Mesial and distal outlines

are normally
somewhat convex & shorter than the same
outlines of the buccal surface

Lingual cusp tip is not as sharply pointed as

the buccal cusp tip

The mesio-occlusal slope is shorter than the

disto-occlusal slope

Mesial Aspect
From the mesial and distal aspect both the
buccal and lingual cusps are visible

A well developed mesial marginal ridge and

a mesial marginal developmental groove is
present

In the middle of the mesial surface is the

mesial developmental depression which
continues beyond the cervical line

 Mesial concavity
Shape of the mesial surface is trapezoidal
Buccal outline is generally convex, with

the height of contour in the cervical third

Lingually the outline takes the form of

an even arc, with the height of contour

in the middle third

Occlusal margin is irregularly concave

and the majority of it is made up of the

mesial marginal ridge.
A prominent mesial marginal groove is

usually present indenting the occlusal

margin almost two-thirds of the way
from the buccal to the lingual outline.

Distal Aspect
There is no developmental depression or

groove on this aspect, instead it is convex

at almost all points

The curvature of the cervical is less on this

aspect

The contact area is near the junction of

occlusal and middle third

distal is remarkably similar to the mesial

surface, although it is slightly shorter

occluso-cervically.

Lingual margin is almost symmetrical & is

quite convex, especially in middle third,

where height of contour is located
Occlusally, distal is similar to mesial aspect,

except that marginal ridge is located at a

more cervical level
There is normally no marginal groove

Occlusal Aspect
Within cusp ridges and marginal
ridges the following are present
TBC & TLC : Tip of Buccal & Lingual
cusp
BTR & LTR : Buccal & Lingual
Triangular ridge
DBDG: disto-buccal developmental
groove
DTF & MTF : Mesial & Distal
triangular fossa
CG : Central groove

outline of crown can be described as

hexagonal or six-sided and it is wider

buccolingually than mesiodistally
prominent

buccal ridge is primary

contributor to generally convex buccal
outline

lingual margin is evenly convex, almost

in a semicircle
Proximal margins are relatively straight

& they converge toward lingual

Root
Most Maxillary first premolars have 2 roots,
but one and three roots can also be seen

Two roots : buccal and lingual

Buccal portion of the root resembles canine

 The root when viewed from the proximal side shows a big
trunk and bifurcation area from where the buccal and
lingual root separate

A developmental depression is seen on the mesial aspect

of the trunk

TRUNK

REFERENCES
CONCISE DENTAL ANATOMY & MORPHOLOGY :

JAMES L FULLER
DENTAL ANATOMY, PHYSIOLOGY

& OCCLUSION:

WHEELERS
TEXTBOOK OF DENTAL ANATOMY, PHYSIOLOGY &

OCCLUSION: RASHMI GS (PHULARI)

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