MORPHOLOGY OF UPPER PREMOLARS

Abstract

Despite the numerous books on dental anatomy, there are few scientific articles that cover a detailed study of the external morphology of teeth. The development of studies aimed at the morphological evaluation of upper premolars, mainly for differentiation between them, is quite relevant for the Discipline of Dental Anatomy, and, consequently, for Dentistry. The objective of this study was to analyze the morphology of upper premolars, highlighting the differences between them. Measurements were performed using a digital caliper, along with the visual analysis of some anatomical structures 100 first premolars (UFPM) and 100 second premolars (USPM) from a teaching collection. Since the data presented normal distribution, t-test and Chi-square test were performed. The results of this study demonstrate that UFPM and USPM exhibit measurements and features that facilitate their identification and differentiation. Some anatomical aspects are more frequent and uniform, while others show greater variability. It was concluded that the root is not a significant characteristic for distinguishing between them, as the majority of UFPM and USPM in our sample presented one root. The larger buccal cusp and the presence of a cervical depression on the mesial surface of UFPM, a short central groove and more frequent supplemental grooves in USPM, are important features for differentiating between upper premolars. For assisting in the identification of the side of extracted teeth, the lingual cusp mesially deviated is a frequent characteristic for both upper premolars. Understanding these characteristics favors the identification of teeth in Dental Anatomy classes.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56238/sevened2024.034-005