A study on the variation of the developmental grooves on the occlusal surface of the permanent molars in Korea

영구대구치(永久大臼齒)의 교합면상(咬合面上)에 나타난 발육구(發育溝)의 변이(變異)에 관(關)한 연구(硏究)

The development of the lobe pattern in the human dentition plays a part in the form and function of each individual teeth. In order to determin the morphological categories used to describe the occlusal surfaces of the maxillary and mandibular molars, the variation of the developmental grooves which separate each lobe in the molars was examined and analysed. The obtained conclusions were as follow. 1. Most of the maxillary first molars with more distinct and more developmental grooves than the other molars but in most cases of the third molar, a heart-shaped outline due to poorly developed or abscent distolingual cusp was most frequent and in this case the third molar had the 3 cusps separated by the central developmental groove and the buccal developmental groove. 2. In most cases, the mandibular first molar had the 5-cusp type that the groove patter resembles a Y, the second molar the 4-cusp type arranged in such a way that the buccal and lingual developmental grooves meet the central developmental groove at right angle on the occlusal surface and many instances of the mandibular third molars had the 5-cusp thpe with a+groove pattern which separatess the mesiolingual cusp from the distobuccal cusp and the 4-cusp type with a+groove pattern. 3. The maxillary and mandibular third molar were most variable in the developmental groove.