Question

"Patient: Male, 22-years

Chief complaint: Requests routine checkup.
Background: Recently moved to your town and seeks regular care. He has no relevant medical history.
Current Findings: The patient has good oral hygiene and low caries experience. Several of his posterior teeth have been fissure sealed. You notice that his tooth #T is present, so that in this quadrant there appears to be one premolar, and three molars. Radiographs show that all third molars are absent, and there are no unerupted teeth. The patient was aware that he still had a ""baby tooth"", but it has never bothered him.

The patient's retained deciduous tooth has which features in common with the tooth immediately distal to it in the arch? (select all that apply.)
a. Two roots
b. Two widely-splayed roots
c. Five cusps
d. A prominent buccal cervical bulge"

Answer 1

The retained deciduous tooth of the patient has a prominent buccal cervical bulge similar to the tooth distal to it, which is a feature not typically present in molars with five cusps or with two widely splayed roots.

Step-by-step explanation:

In considering the characteristics of the patient's retained deciduous tooth in relation to the tooth immediately distal to it in the arch, we examine their common features. Deciduous molars typically have a prominent buccal cervical bulge which is common with some of the permanent premolars. However, deciduous teeth generally do not have two widely splayed roots or five cusps, which are features more common in permanent molars. Therefore, the answers that apply here would be:

• A prominent buccal cervical bulge

It is important to note that the retained deciduous tooth would likely not have five cusps or two widely splayed roots if it's mimicking its permanent successor, a premolar. It would be most similar in form to the permanent premolar, modified by the fact that it is a deciduous tooth.