Figure 4-7. Division of teeth into thirds.
4-9.
ANATOMIC TERMINOLOGY
In this paragraph, there are a series of anatomic terms that describe the location,
configuration, or shape of teeth. These are terms that the dental specialist should be
able to understand and use.
a. General Terms. See figure 4-8.
(1) Contact area (point). The contact area (point) is an area on the convex
part of the mesial or distal surface of a tooth which normally contacts an adjacent tooth.
The term "contact area" rather than "contact point" is preferred because the amount of
contact is greater than that of a point. By means of the contact area, the teeth help to
support each other when force is exerted.
MD0501
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