Dr. Kaufman explains all the surfaces of a tooth.
Hello and welcome to a New York dental minute. I am Doctor Zev Kaufman.
You've just heard your dentist say that you need a MOD filling in your lower right molar. What does that mean?
As with any other profession, dentistry has its own language. Here's some help in understanding dental terminology.
Each tooth has six surfaces, and each surface or direction, has a specific name to help us communicate better.
The top of the tooth is called occlusal, labeled O, for the back or posterior teeth, and it is called incisal labeled I, for the front or anterior teeth.
The part closer to the gum is called gingival or apical.
The part next to the lips is called facial, labeled F for the front teeth and buccal labeled B, for the back teeth.
The side facing the inside of the mouth is called lingual, L, for the bottom teeth as they face the tongue (lingua), and palatal, P, for the upper teeth, as they face the palate.
The side of the tooth closer to the midline, or the front of the mouth is called mesial, M, and the side facing the back of the mouth is called distal, D.
If your dentist tells you that you have a cavity in your upper molar which is an MODL, you know now that the upper molar has a cavity that covers the Mesial, Occlusal, Distal, and Lingual surfaces. That is one big filling that you might need!
If you didn't catch all this right away, just play this clip again.
So now, you know... from Prosthodontics & Implant Surgery of Manhattan, where people come in with missing teeth and leave with winning smiles, I am Doctor Zev Kaufman.