A cusp is a hard eminence on a tooth that emerges from the surface of which the tooth bites. Canine teeth each possess a single cusp, while premolars have two each. Molars normally possess either four or five cusps.

Cusp within a tooth

Maxillary molars, especially first molars, will generally possess a cusp located on the palatal surface. This cusp is known as the Cusp of Carabelli.

Reference

  1. Naudin C., Grumbach N., Larousse Médical, 3ième édition, Paris, 2003.
  2. Marcovitch H., Black’s Medical Dictionary, 41st edition, London, 2005.
  3. Leikin J. B., Lipsky M. S., Complete Medical Encyclopedia, First edition, New York, 2003.
  4. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (www.wikipedia.org).

The information above should be used as a reference only. Any medical decision should not be taken before consulting a health care professional.

The masculine gender may have been more used in the article, but without prejudice, to make reading easier.

Category: dental anatomy