Dental plans - 100,000+ Dentists $99.95/year!         

general dental orthodontics insurance journals

A Magellan 3 star site

Names Of Individual Teeth
Copyright © 1998 Masel books disclaimer

 

Contents

More Dental Information
Information about dental insurance
Information about orthodontics  



mouth with teeth labeled

Palmer's Notation

Palmer's notation is a widely used method to designate individual teeth. In Palmer's notation, your mouth is divided into four parts called quadrants, that is the upper left quadrant, the upper right quadrant, the lower left quadrant, and the lower right quadrant as illustrated in the figure on the right. Then each individual tooth in the quadrant is given a name. For example the two upper and two lower teeth at the center of your mouth are called central's. One then combines the names of the quadrant and the tooth to come up with a Palmer's notation. For example, the central on the upper right side of your mouth is called an upper right central.

The remaining teeth are designated as follows:

Central
The two upper and two lower teeth in the very center of your mouth.
Lateral
The teeth just adjacent to the centrals.
Cuspid
The pointy teeth just behind the laterals. These teeth have one cuspal (or point). Cuspids are also called canines.
First Bicuspid
The teeth just behind the cuspids. These teeth have two cuspals (or points)
Second Bicuspid
The teeth just behind the first bicuspids. These teeth also have two cuspals (or points)
First Molar
The teeth just behind the second bicuspids. These teeth have a level surface with four cuspals.
Second Molar
The teeth just behind the first. These teeth also have a level surface with four cuspals.
Third Molar
The teeth just behind the second molars. These teeth also have a level surface with four cuspals.

Alternative names for individual teeth:

Incisor
Another name for the centrals and laterals
Canine
Another name for the cuspids
6 year molar
Another name for your first molar
12 year molar
Another name for your second molar
Wisdom Tooth
Another name for the third molar
Anterior Teeth
Your centrals, laterals, and cuspids. These are the teeth in the front of your mouth
Posterior Teeth
Your bicuspids and molars. These are the teeth in the back of your mouth.
Deciduous Teeth
Your primary, or "baby teeth"
Primary teeth
The first set of teeth which come in. Primary teeth are also called "baby teeth" or deciduous teeth.
Secondary Teeth
Your permanent teeth, i.e. the second group of teeth to come in.
Quadrants
The four parts of your mouth, that is the upper left, the upper right, the lower left, and the lower right.

Numerical notation for teeth

The numerical notation for teeth is an alternate to Palmer's notation. In this notation, the centrals are designated as 1's, the laterals as 2's, the cuspids as 3's, the first bicuspids as 4's, the second bicuspid's as 5's, the first molars as 6's the second molars as 7's and the third molars as 8's

Universal numerical notation for teeth

The universal numerical notation is an alternative numerical notation for teeth. In this notation, your upper right third molar is designated as tooth#1, and then you number each tooth sequentially moving right to left and down across your mouth.

Featured Advertisers

Please visit our sponsors

Find a dentist click here
Click Here

Search Our site

Search for the following keywords:

search example 1: john and doe or jane
search example 2: john and (doe or jane)
search example 3: not (john or jane) and doe
search example 4: j* and doe

discount dental plan click here

 

dental insurance click here

       

discount dental plan click here

Copyright © 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002 Masel books. All copying of the site is strictly forbidden.

Disclaimer: These FAQs are meant to provide general information about orthodontic treatment. The FAQ does not provide medical advice, and should not be used as a substitute for medical advice. Rich Masel and Masel Industries, Inc provide no warranty and accept no liability for the information disclosed here. FOR MEDICAL ADVICE SEE YOUR ORTHODONTIST.

This site is not connected to lesaM, the operating company for Masel orthodontics Legal and Privacy Information

 

For comments about this page contact