Dental Characteristics Of The Mandibular Lateral Incisor
The mandibular lateral incisor is a little larger in all dimensions than the mandibular central incisor in the same mouth. The crown of the mandibular lateral incisor resembles that of the mandibular central incisor, but it is not as bilaterally symmetrical. The distal outline is rounded compared to a flatter mesial crown outline. The crown of the lateral incisor is tilted distally on the root, giving the impression that the tooth has been bent at the cervix. The distoincisal angle is noticeably more rounded than the mesioincisal angle. On periapical radiographs, the curve of the root appears as a “distortion” and inexperienced practitioners think that the film has been bent when it actually has not and they will reattempt the radiograph only to get the same image.