Dental Anatomy: Permanent maxillary molars-Lecture 2

Principle identifying features of the maxillary 2nd molar:
?No fifth cusp “cusp of carabelli” is evident.
?Roots are divergent and may be coalescent (joined together).
?Both distal cusps (distobuccal and distolingual) are less developed.
?The crown is smaller in overall dimensions than the maxillary first molar.

Buccal aspect:
?The crown is a little shorter cervico-occlusally (about 0.5 mm) and narrower mesio-distally than the maxillary 1st molar.
?The distobuccal cusp is smaller and allows part of the distal marginal ridge and part of the distolingual cusp to be seen.
?The buccal roots are about the same length. They are more nearly parallel and inclined distally more than those of the maxillary 1st
molar. So the end of the distobuccal root is slightly distal to the distal extremity of the crown and the apex of the mesiobuccal
root is on a line with the buccal groove of the crown instead of the tip of the mesiobuccal cusp as in the maxillary 1st molar.
?The palatal root is the longer (1 mm longer than the buccal roots).

Lingual aspect:
?The distolingual cusp is smaller than that of the maxillary 1st molar.
?Part of the distobuccal cusp may be seen mesial to the distolingual cusp (through the sulcus between the mesiolingual and the
distolingual cusps).
?No fifth cusp is evident.
?The apex of the palatal root is in line with the distolingual cusp tip instead of the lingual groove as was found in the maxillary
1st molar.