Dental anatomy

• Enamel


  Outer layer of crown
• Dentin


  The dense bony tissue beneath the enamel, makes up most of tooth
• Pulp


  Innermost part of whole tooth, contains nerves and blood vessels
• Furcation

  Anatomical location where the roots divide, only present on multi rooted teeth
• Periodontal ligament

  Attaches to alveolar wall; fibrous connective tissue
• Alveolar bone (tooth socket)


  Lamellar bone around the roots of a tooth
• Cementum


  Outer layer of root; bone-like connective tissue
• Gingiva (gums)


  Attached vs. free
• Gingival sulcus


  Groove between the surface of the tooth and the epithelium lining the free gingiva
• Cementoenamel junction (CEJ) ("neck," "cervical line")


  Where the enamel of the crown meets the cementum of the root
• Maxilla

  Upper "jaw" bone
• Mandible

  Lower "jaw" bone
• Types of teeth

  • Incisors
  • Canines
  • Premolars
  • Molars
• Incisors

  Scrape, nibble
• Canines

  Grasp, tear
• Upper 4th premolar


  Carnassial tooth
• Lower 1st molar


  Carnassial tooth
• Brachydont


  Teeth with short crowns, more pointed on their occlusal surface, slightly curved toward back of mouth, humans, dogs, cats, pigs
• Hypsodont

  Teeth with high crowns, flat occlusal surfaces, herbivores that eat fibrous material
• Deciduous (baby) teeth

  • 2 x (I 3/3 C 1/1 P 3/3 M 0/0)
• Permanent (adult) teeth

  • 2 x (I 3/3 C 1/1 P 4/4 M 2/3)
• Canine tooth roots

  3 rooted teeth – upper 4th premolars, upper molars

  •2 rooted teeth – upper 2nd and 3rd premolars, lower 2nd, 3rd, and 4th premolars, lower 1st and 2nd molars

  •1 rooted teeth – incisors, canines, upper and lower 1st premolars, lower last molars
• Permanent teeth emerge at about 4 months of age in dogs
• Full set of permanent teeth present by 7 months in dogs
• All deciduous teeth should have fallen out by 7 months in dogs
• Wear patterns not very reliable for aging dogs
• Feline deciduous teeth

  • 2 x (I 3/3 C 1/1 P 3/2 M 0/0)
• Feline permanent teeth

  • 2 x (I 3/3 C 1/1 P 3/2 M 1/1)
• Feline tooth roots3 •3 rooted teeth – upper 4th premolars

  •2 rooted teeth – upper 3rd premolars, lower 3rd and 4th premolars, lower molars

  •1 rooted teeth – incisors, canines, upper 2nd premolars, upper molars

  Aging Cats
• Permanent teeth emerge at about 4 months of age in cats
• Full set of permanent teeth present by 6 months in cats
• All deciduous teeth should have fallen out by 6 months in cats
• Wear patterns not very reliable for aging cats
• Other normal findings

  • Incisive papilla
  • Mandibular labial frenulum
  • Parotid and zygomatic salivary gland ducts
  • Molar salivary gland duct in cats
  • Developmental groove in cats