| Cusp | |
|---|---|
 The teeth of the right side of the mouth, shown contacting the teeth in the opposing jaw with their cusp tips | |
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | cuspis dentis |
| TA98 | A05.1.03.010 |
| TA2 | 925 |
| FMA | 56481 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
Acusp is a pointed, projecting, or elevated feature. Inanimals, it is usually used to refer to raised points on the crowns ofteeth.The concept is also used with regard to the leaflets of the fourheart valves. Themitral valve, which has twocusps, is also known as the bicuspid valve, and thetricuspid valve has three cusps.
A cusp is anocclusal orincisal eminence on a tooth.Canine teeth, otherwise known ascuspids, each possess a single cusp, whilepremolars, otherwise known asbicuspids, possess two each. Molars normally possess either four or five cusps. In certain populations themaxillary molars, especiallyfirst molars, will possess a fifth cusp situated on themesiolingual cusp known as theCusp of Carabelli.
One other variation of the upper first premolar is the 'Uto-Aztecan' upper premolar. It is a bulge on the buccal cusp that is only found in Native American Indians, with highest frequencies of occurrence in Arizona. The name is not a dental term; it comes from a regional linguistic division of Native American Indian language groups.
There are four main cusps found on themolars of the upperdentition oftherian mammals.
Thehypocone is found on the distal lingual side of the tooth. It fits into the grooves of the lower dentition and is anadaptation for the overall grinding and tearing of foods using the occlusal (chewing side) of the tooth surface duringocclusion ormastication (chewing). Its strength is due to the thickness of theenamel which differs among species of hominids. The hypocone appears to have evolved independently more than twenty times in different mammal groups during the Cenozoic period.[1]
Themetacone is acusp on themolars of the upperdentition inhominids. It is found at thebuccaldistal area of the tooth. The crests between the cusps areadaptations for slicing food duringocclusion ormastication (chewing).
The anterior of the three cusps of a primitive upper molar that in higher forms is the principal anterior and outside cusp.
Theprotocone is founding themolars of the upperdentition inPlacental andMarsupial vertebrates.[2] It is found at the mesiolingual area of the tooth. The crests between the cusps areadaptations for slicing food duringocclusion ormastication (chewing).
