Final answer:
A posterior tooth typically has five surfaces: Buccal (or Facial), Lingual, Mesial, Distal, and Occlusal.
Step-by-step explanation:
On a posterior tooth, there are typically five surfaces. These surfaces are:
- Buccal - The surface of the tooth that faces the cheeks. This term is interchangeable with facial when referring to the posterior teeth, but facial can also refer to any surface facing the front (anterior) of the mouth.
- Lingual - The surface that is toward the tongue.
- Mesial - The surface of the tooth that is closest to the middle of the dental arch, toward the front of the mouth.
- Distal - The surface facing away from the middle of the dental arch, toward the back of the mouth.
- Occlusal - The flat biting surface of the posterior teeth where they come into contact with the teeth in the opposing dental arch.
The terms incisal, proximal, and facial are not specifically used to describe the surfaces of posterior teeth when identifying all possible surfaces. The incisal term is mostly used for anterior teeth and proximal refers to areas adjacent to mesial and distal surfaces but not a specific surface itself. Facial is sometimes used broadly to include both buccal