Dental Anatomy And Morphology Of The Mandibular Lateral Incisor
The mandibular lateral incisor is a little larger in all dimensions than the mandibular central incisor in the same mouth.
The crown of the mandibular lateral incisor resembles that of the mandibular central incisor, but it is not as bilaterally symmetrical. The distal outline is rounded compared to a flatter mesial crown outline. The crown of the lateral incisor is tilted distally on the root, giving the impression that the tooth has been bent at the cervix.
The distoincisal angle is noticeably more rounded than the mesioincisal angle, but before attrition. This is an important mark to distinguish lefts from rights but prior to attrition.
The distal contact point is cervical to the level of the mesial one. The two contact areas are not at the same level unlike the contact areas on the central incisor — on the same level.
From the incisal aspect, the incisal edge does not follow a straight line mesiodistally. It has a distolingual twist — the distal half of the incisal edge is bent lingually.
