Maxillary dental arch
Arcus dentalis maxillaris
- Latin synonym: Arcus dentalis superior
- Synonym: Upper dental arch; Upper dental arcade
- Related terms: Maxillary dental arcade; Upper dental arcade
Definition
The maxillary dental arcade (upper dental arcade; superior dental arch) is larger than the mandibular dental arcade (lower dental arcade; inferior dental arch), so that -in normal conditions- the teeth of the maxillae slightly overlap those of the mandible both in front and on the sides.
Since the upper central incisors are wider than the lower, the other teeth in the upper arch are thrown somewhat distally, and the two sets do not quite correspond to each other when the mouth is closed: thus the upper canine tooth rest partly on the lower canine and partly on the first premolar, and the cusps of the upper molar teeth lie behind the corresponding cusps of the lower molar teeth.
The two series, however, end nearly at the same point in the back; this is mainly due to the fact that the molars in the upper arch are smaller.
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