ORAL ANATOMY 2024

ACTIVITY GUIDE FOR IDENTIFICATION OF LANDMARKS AND

SYSTEMS OF NOMENCLATURE

 Introduction

     This activity will help you get more familiar with the structures on the surfaces of the teeth and the systems of nomenclature you learned from the lecture and the reading materials. These are practice exercise to help you develop your “dental talking” skills.

      At the end of this activity, you are expected to be more confident in communicating using dental terms and in identifying landmarks/structures found on the surface of the teeth.

      I hope you will have great fun doing these exercises. Let’s go!

Instructions

      You can do these activities via Viber or Messenger, chat or video chat, or via Zoom.

      Identifying landmarks and structures:

1. Collect some pictures of teeth from the web and with a classmate, take turns with one role- playing as a teacher and the other as a student.
2. “Teacher” will point at one structure or landmark on the tooth and “student” will identify it.
3. Do this exercise until you feel you are now familiar with naming the landmarks.

      Using the different systems of nomenclature:

1. Again, with a classmate, take turns with one role-playing as a teacher and the other as a student.
2. “Teacher” will mention one tooth, using the complete name of the tooth or any of the 3 systems of nomenclature and “student” will have to give the provide the identify the tooth based on the system of nomenclature asked by the “teacher”. Questions and answers should be in “Jeopardy” style.

Example:

     Teacher:   Mandibular right second molar FDI

     Student:    What is tooth 47.

     Teacher:    Tooth no 47 FDI, in ADA?

     Student:    What is 31.

You can use any combination. Do this until you feel you are now familiar with the systems of nomenclature.

 Did you enjoy doing these exercises? It is like discovering a new language. By learning how to “talk dentally” we will facilitate conversation among us dental professionals. As you have experienced, I hope you had, the terms we use in anatomy is very descriptive, the name is the clue itself to the structure.

Just for kicks, why don’t you try using these terms with your family and friends to show them how far you’ve gone into the world of dentistry.